“My things,” Megan replied.
“Your things?” he laughed sarcastically. “Did you finally decide to clean the place?”
Megan wiped her hands on her apron and looked directly at him without smiling.
“Yes,” she said. “Finally.”
Scott shrugged and walked away because he remained blind to the meaning of the boxes. Two days later Rebecca sent Megan a message confirming that the legal paperwork was ready.
Megan read every page carefully and signed them with a steady hand. On the morning she planned to leave she cooked chicken meatballs again, not for Scott but because the smell reminded her of ordinary evenings before life became heavy.
She set the table as usual and placed a white envelope beside Scott’s plate. When he walked into the kitchen while yawning and checking his phone he smiled with satisfaction.
“See, when you try you can manage something decent,” he said.
He opened the envelope and began reading. His expression changed slowly as the words settled in his mind.
“What is this nonsense?” he demanded.