“It’s gone too far.

Family shouldn’t end up in a courtroom fighting over a house.”

“You’re the one who filed the papers.”

“And I’m pulling them back.

Today.” He said it quickly, the way he says anything he’s rehearsed.

“I had a lawyer write up a clean settlement.

I want you to have it before the week is out.”

He took a manila envelope out of his breast pocket, set it between the salt shaker and the ketchup, and nudged it an inch toward me with two fingers.