My father opened his mouth.
“I’m paying for it,” I said. “Not you.”
Ezoic
“And I’m going to call Dana,” I said. “My property manager. She knows every rental on the Outer Banks. Every one. The off-season starts in two weeks. Rentals drop by half. She’ll find you something.”
Ezoic
“We can’t afford—” my mother started.
“I’ll cover the first three months,” I said. “For both of you. Mom and Dad. And Melissa and Ben. Separate places. Close to each other. Close to me.”
I looked at Ben. Through the window. On the porch. Holding Jonah. Showing him the pelicans.
“And Ben,” I said. “There’s a high school in Manteo. Twenty minutes south. Manteo High. I happen to know they’ve had a chemistry opening since August. Nobody wants to move to the Outer Banks for a teacher’s salary.”
Melissa stared at me.
