Jennifer’s plan to repaint their dining room.
Eventually, we ran out of safe topics.
“I knew Brenda planned to ask you to stay home,” he said.
I kept my eyes on the road.
“How long did you know?”
“Since Friday.”
Two days.
I let that settle.
“She called me and said she thought the weekend would be easier without you.”
“Easier for whom?”
“She didn’t say.”
“She didn’t have to.”
“No.”
“Why didn’t you warn me?”
He rubbed one hand over his knee.
“I thought she would change her mind.”
“That isn’t an answer.”
“I know.”
We drove another mile.
Then he said, “Because I’m a coward when it comes to Brenda.”
I glanced at him.
He gave a small, humorless laugh.
“I know how that sounds.”
“It sounds honest.”
“She gets certain about things. Very certain. And when someone challenges her, she turns it into a whole discussion about everything that ever happened. Dad used to interrupt her.”
