We were, I want to be clear about this, happy. I don’t want the rest of this to make it sound like we weren’t.

The letter came on a Thursday.

It was certified, and I had to sign for it, and I remember thinking that nothing good has ever arrived certified. It was addressed to Gavin.

I opened it anyway, because we’d agreed a year earlier that there would be no more envelopes in our house that only one of us was allowed to read.

*IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF GREENE COUNTY, MISSOURI. PAIGE M. HOLLOWAY, Plaintiff, v. GAVIN R. HOLLOWAY, Defendant. PETITION FOR RESCISSION OF DEED OF GIFT, AND FOR DAMAGES ARISING FROM FRAUDULENT MISREPRESENTATION.*

I sat down on the arm of the couch and read it twice.