I typed, “Looks like you will need another plan,” and switched my phone off. Later, Aunt Wanda told me what happened. Bellisimo required payment before anyone left the private room, and Renee’s card declined after she tried covering the entire balance herself. Dad eventually paid most of it with his credit card while several relatives contributed cash. The same people who had remained silent when my children were excluded suddenly had plenty to say once the dinner became their financial problem.
Dad appeared at my house the next morning carrying the blue birdhouse. Nolan had apparently left it behind when we walked out. Dad stood on my porch and admitted that he had known I paid the deposit and expected me to cover the rest. More painfully, he admitted Renee had insisted several days earlier that the twins not be included, and he had gone along with it because confronting her seemed harder than disappointing me.
