I looked at him.
He was not speaking to me.
He was looking at Vanessa.
“I should have told you.”
She gave a small laugh.
“You think?”
“Vanessa.”
“You let me tell people you bought that SUV.”
“I know.”
“You let me brag about the company.”
“The company is doing well.”
She looked at him.
“Is it?”
He opened his mouth.
Closed it.
That answered her question.
Vanessa leaned back.
“How bad?”
“It’s not failing.”
“That isn’t a number.”
“We have contracts.”
“Ethan.”
He looked at me.
I said nothing.
This was theirs.
Finally he said, “We’re short on operating cash.”
“How short?”
“Enough that Mom stopping the monthly funding is going to matter.”
Her face changed.
“How much?”
“About twenty-two thousand a month.”
Vanessa stared at him.
I had not realized she could become that still.
“Twenty-two thousand dollars?”
“Some months less.”
“Some months?”
“We’ve been expanding.”
She stood and walked to the sink.
I expected anger.
Instead, she looked out the window.
“You told me we could afford the club membership.”
“We could.”
“With whose money?”
He had no answer.
“You told me to buy the dining set.”
“Yes.”
“With whose money?”
“Technically ours.”
I raised an eyebrow.
He corrected himself.
“Technically money from the business distribution.”
Vanessa turned.
“Which existed because your mother was putting money into the business.”
He rubbed his forehead.
“It’s more complicated than that.”
“No.”
Her voice was surprisingly calm.
“I think it’s actually much simpler than that.”
She looked at me.
“I’m sorry.”
This apology felt different.
Not because it was longer.
Because she had stopped defending herself.
I nodded.
“Thank you.”
Then I stood.
“I have an appointment at ten.”
Ethan looked concerned.
“With Mr. Bennett?”
“With my hairdresser.”
Vanessa blinked.
I picked up my purse.
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