Chapter 5 - What Darlene Had Been Hiding
Clara wanted to confront Darlene immediately.
Maren refused.
“I already slapped her yesterday.”
Clara stared at her.
“You what?”
“She slapped me too.”
“That isn’t making this better.”
“I know.”
Maren did know.
The shame of it had settled in overnight.
Whatever Darlene had done, Maren didn’t want June growing up believing family conflict meant grabbing, shoving, or hitting until someone won.
“I’m not going over there angry,” she said.
“So what do we do?”
“We figure out what happened first.”
Their first useful answer came from something neither sister had considered suspicious.
Their mother’s schedule.
Maren called Darlene’s former office because she needed the name of the insurance broker Darlene had once recommended.
The receptionist recognized her.
“Oh, honey. I haven’t seen your mom since winter.”
Maren frowned.
“She’s off today?”
“No. I mean she left in January.”
Maren looked across the kitchen at Clara.
“Left?”
There was an awkward pause.
“I thought you knew.”
Darlene had worked for the same commercial-property company for thirteen years.
She had never mentioned quitting.
Not once.
Clara whispered, “Ask why.”
Maren didn’t.
That would have crossed a line with a stranger who owed them nothing.
She thanked the receptionist and hung up.
Clara immediately called Darlene.
This time Maren didn’t stop her.
“Did you lose your job?”
Darlene denied it first.
Then changed the wording.
“I decided I was done being treated like garbage.”
“When?”
“That’s none of your business.”
“January?”
Silence.
Clara put the phone on speaker.
Darlene’s voice sharpened.
“I spent thirty years taking care of people. I’m allowed to make decisions for myself.”
“Were you using our money for your mortgage?”
Another silence.
Then:
“I kept this family afloat long before either of you had checking accounts.”
Clara’s eyes filled.
“That isn’t an answer.”
“No,” Maren said quietly.
“It is.”
Darlene had needed money.
May you like
But she hadn’t asked.
She had created daughters who needed rescuing instead.
