“What about the second house equity application sitting in your desk file?” I asked.

“That was just a routine safety measure,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand.

“We won’t have to touch the house equity at all if we pay off the private debts today.”

“Did you put my name on that application?” I asked.

“It was an administrative form, Mariana,” he said, drawing his hand back and looking down at his laptop.

“Don’t let some little bit of paperwork get in the way of our marriage.”