May spoke softly.
“Grandpa.”
But I kept my eyes on Lisa.
“Why now?”
She dabbed her mouth with a napkin.
“Because people ask questions.”
Rose’s expression changed.
“What people?”
“People in my social circle. My husband’s friends. They notice certain things.”
June’s voice turned cold.
“What things?”
Lisa sighed impatiently.
“They notice that my daughters are not part of my life. It looks strange.”
The entire room became silent.
“So this is about your reputation,” I said.
“It isn’t wrong to want peace.”
June gave a bitter laugh.
“That isn’t peace. It’s damage control.”
Lisa turned to the girls.
“You understand, don’t you? You’re adults now.”
For one frightening moment, I thought they might agree with her.
Rose stood first and lifted her glass from the table. Lisa smiled as though she had already won.
“We don’t mind speaking with you,” Rose said.
