The House June Bought – 1

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“She’s taking my daughter.” I didn’t pull away. I looked at him. “You saw it.”

“Sophie’s eating cookies. She’s not crying. Go down first. Don’t—”

“Don’t what?”

“Don’t scare her.”

That night I sat at June’s table. Five of us: June, me, Derek, Frank, and Sophie in her high chair.

Frank sat across from me, off to one side. Head down, picking at his food. Derek stared at the pattern on the tablecloth. Nobody met my eyes.

June raised her glass. “Let me say something first. This past year, the happiest thing in my life has been watching Sophie grow up. Grandma’s old now. That’s all I have left. After her birthday, Sophie sleeps upstairs every weekend. It’s settled.”

“No.” I set down my chopsticks.

The table went quiet for a beat. Sophie looked up at me, little mouth pressed tight, like she was reading our faces.

“See? You scared her.” June smiled. She looked at Derek, her tone light, like she was talking about the weather. “Your wife’s still sick. I won’t hold it against her. About Sophie — it’s settled.”

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Exactly like my younger brother Michael. Then Noah turned his head, and I saw a small reddish birthmark just below his left ear. Michael had the same birthmark. Discover more death Child Care Headscarves My hands tightened around the serving spoon. No. It couldn’t be. Then I noticed the necklace around Noah’s neck. A small silver pendant. Oval. With a scratch near the bottom. Discover more Family Law Death & Tragedy Friendship I hadn’t seen it in 21 years, but I knew it immediately. My father had worn that pendant almost every day. After he died, my mother gave it to Michael. Death & Tragedy Michael had been wearing it when he disappeared. He was 24. One Friday in October, my mother called me and asked if I’d heard from him. I hadn’t. Within days, we were calling his friends, hospitals, and anyone who might know where he was. Eventually, his car was found several towns away—locked and empty. But Michael was gone. 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