“I know. I’m sorry.”
I poured her some coffee.
“Mrs. Collins, I understand how rumors work. Someone says something confidently enough, and before long, people start repeating it as though they witnessed it themselves.”
She nodded.
“That’s exactly what happened.”
We spoke for another twenty minutes.
Before she left, she looked at me thoughtfully.
“You handled yourself remarkably well yesterday.”
I smiled.
“I was furious. I simply decided that anger didn’t need to do the talking.”
After she left, I stood in the kitchen for a moment.
Then I looked at the cabinet where we’d kept Vanessa’s gifts.
It was empty now.
I felt an unexpected sense of relief.
Later that afternoon, Irvin came home from the hardware store carrying two bags.
“What did you buy?” I asked.
“New locks for the side gate.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“Expecting an invasion?”
“No. Just improving security.”
He put the bags down and kissed me.
