Chapter 3 - THE LUXURY DAY TRIP
Patricia had rented a glass-fronted lake house in Medina for the weekend because Claire wanted “one perfect summer day” before her boys returned to school.
There was catered brunch, a docked pontoon boat, pale linen napkins, expensive fruit trays, and the kind of curated luxury Patricia loved because it made her feel younger and wealthier than she actually was.
Lily arrived with her backpack, her paperback novel, and the quiet politeness she used around Daniel’s family the way some children use umbrellas in bad weather.
She knew how to make herself small.
That, Rebecca would later realize, had become its own warning sign.
Claire was the first to notice the red pouch clipped inside the backpack.
“What, are we traveling with a little bomb squad now?”
Lily said softly, “It’s my EpiPen.”
Patricia waved a dismissive hand. “We know what it is, sweetheart.”
But the tone in her voice was not sweet. It was the same tone she always used when Lily’s medical needs interrupted the atmosphere Patricia had arranged around herself.
Daniel unloaded coolers to the dock, distracted by logistics and his mother’s demands and Claire’s boys arguing over life vests.
He missed the moment when Claire lifted the lid off a tray of mini chicken sandwiches topped with pesto aioli and set it in the center of the table.
He also missed the moment when Lily asked, “Does this have nuts?”
Claire, already annoyed by the question, said, “It’s just sauce.”
Patricia added, “For heaven’s sake, one bite isn’t going to kill you if it’s mostly mayonnaise.”
May you like
Lily took half a sandwich.
Ten minutes later, her lower lip began to swell.
