I was under anesthesia when it wore off too early. I couldn’t open my eyes, but I heard my son’s wife tell the surgeon: “If something goes wrong, don’t call her lawyer. Call me first.”

Three weeks earlier, those same fingers had been wearing my sapphire ring.

She’d told everyone Daniel bought it for her anniversary.

Daniel never even knew the ring had been locked inside my private safe.

“How touching,” I rasped.

Vanessa blinked quickly. “You should rest.”

“I heard that.”

For half a second, she froze.

Daniel noticed.

“Heard what, Mom?”

I slowly turned my head toward him. “Machines. Voices. Heaven refusing to take me.”

Vanessa laughed too fast. “Still joking. That’s our Evelyn.”