The first thing I noticed was that the kitchen camera had gone offline six days earlier.
The second was that it had not malfunctioned.
It had been manually disconnected.
The living room camera remained active.
I began with the previous morning.
At 8:12 a.m., my mother entered the frame wearing a linen travel suit and sunglasses. Chloe followed, carrying a suitcase. Mark came behind her with two more bags.
Maya stood near the sofa holding Liam.
Even through the small screen, I could see how carefully she moved.
My mother said something. The camera had audio, but the television was on, and the words were difficult to hear.
I increased the volume.
“You have food in the pantry,” Eleanor said.
“There are two packets of noodles,” Maya replied. “And crackers.”
“You said you didn’t have an appetite.”
“I said I felt nauseated.”
“Then noodles are perfect.”
Chloe walked through the room holding a white garment bag.
“Mom, we’re going to miss the car.”
Maya shifted Liam to her other arm.
“At least leave the formula Dr. Stein prescribed.”
Mark stopped beside the open suitcase.
“That stuff cost almost eighty dollars a tin.”
“It’s what his doctor recommended.”
My mother took the baby bag from the sofa, opened it, and removed two sealed tins of formula.
“We can return these on the way to the airport.”
Maya stared at her.
“You can’t return his food.”
“I bought replacement formula.”
“With David’s money,” Maya said.
My mother’s face changed.
It was not a dramatic change. She did not shout or raise a hand. She simply stepped closer until only a few inches separated them.
“Everything in this family is bought with David’s money,” she said quietly. “Including the roof over your head.”
I felt something cold move through me.
On the video, Maya tightened her hold on Liam.
“This is my home.”
My mother smiled.
