The Final Appraisal at the Lake House Before the Family Reckoning

not a fool.”

“I was.”

She came beside me.

Not too close.

Ruth never stepped into a person’s pain without permission.

It was one of the first things I loved about her.

“Elaine would have handled this better,” I said.

Ruth looked at the photograph.

“Elaine sounds like she handled many things better than most people.”

“She did.”

“But she is not here to do this continue reading …