That was when she understood that Mark was not bringing her a problem they needed to solve together.
He was informing her how they had solved it without her.
She told him to call Diane before she arrived.
Then came the pause.
“Mark,” Claire had said, “is she already on her way?”
He hung up.
At 5:11, the silver SUV pulled into the driveway.
Diane got out first.
Lisa followed.
Then the unloading started.
One suitcase.
Then another.
Then a third.
Storage bins appeared.
A garment bag.
Toiletries.
Medication.
The plant.
Claire had stood inside watching the pile grow and understood that nobody outside was treating this like a short visit.
When she opened the door, Diane smiled and asked which room Mark had cleared out.
“He didn’t,” Claire told her.
Lisa sighed immediately.
“Oh, Claire, don’t start.”
It was almost impressive how quickly Claire had been cast as the difficult person in a plan she had never been asked to join.
