When I came through the front entryway, the house was silent apart from the clicking of a video game controller from the back bedroom.

On the hardwood floor of the main hallway, right next to the brass umbrella stand, lay a bright pink slip of paper.

I bent down and picked it up.

It was a final disconnect notice from the village water department, addressed to my mother.

The balance due was six hundred forty-two dollars, printed in bold red ink along the top margin.

The shutoff date was set for the end of this week.