At 5:06 a.m., my sister walked into the house I bo…

Jonathan and I are moving in. Everybody agrees this is the best use of the property.”

Jonathan nodded like we were wrapping up a conference call. “The market’s shifting.

Holding a house like this without a real family plan is irresponsible. Christina and I can turn it into an actual family home. A long-term asset.”

“An actual family home,” Christina echoed, her bright eyes sweeping the room.

“This wall opens up. Bigger island. New pendants.

And these curtains are awful. We’ll need to deal with those first.”

That was when I heard movement in the hallway. My mother appeared first, tying the belt of her robe with fingers that trembled just enough to make me notice.