the phone.
“Stop being ridiculous and come home. Madison has therapy tomorrow and somebody needs to pay the copay.”
From the background, Madison shouted, “And my phone bill!”
I laughed.
I couldn’t stop myself.
Mom went silent.
“I’m not coming home.”
The silence that followed was unlike anything I had ever heard from them.
Not angry.
Afraid.
Dad came back on the line.
“Claire… how much have you actually been paying?”
I looked toward the mountains.
“Enough.”
Then another voice came through the phone.
Male.
Older.
Calm.
“Claire?”
I straightened.
