I stared at her.
“Your husband?”
“I know.”
Before I could ask anything else, the front door opened upstairs.
Heavy footsteps crossed the house.
Vanessa froze.
“Did you tell Greg you were coming?”
“No.”
The footsteps moved toward the basement.
Vanessa slammed the freezer lid shut.
Then she grabbed one of the containers and shoved it into my hands.
CHICKEN NOODLE – FOR BETH.
“Hold on to this.”
“What?”
“Whatever happens, don’t give it up.”
The basement door opened.
“Beth?”
Greg.
He slowly came downstairs.
Unshaven.
Red eyes.
Work jacket.
Dust on his jeans.
He stopped when he saw the food scattered everywhere.
Then he noticed Vanessa.
His face hardened.
“What are you doing here?”
Vanessa stayed calm.
“I dropped the kids at Mom’s. Then I came to help Beth.”
“At seven in the morning?”
“She called.”
Greg looked at me.
I didn’t contradict her.
“We’re cleaning the freezer,” I said.
