She Walked Out, and Ten Years Later She Showed Up With Expensive Gifts at a Twelfth Birthday Dinner

“No,” I said.

“She’s not coming back.”

Mark stood by the arched doorway with both hands buried in his back pockets.

“And the papers?” Mark asked.

“The deed from ten years ago?”

“The house is ours,” I said.

“It’s been ours since the afternoon she walked out with Rob, and nobody’s taking it away.”

Sarah gathered up two half-empty paper plates from the end table and stacked them.