Joyce had thought that after Silas left this time, they wouldn't see each other again for months, or maybe not until the New Year. She never expected him to come back so soon.
When she didn't answer for a long moment, Silas asked again, "Is it not a good time?"
"No, it's fine."
Joyce was in a bad mood but didn't want him to notice. After hanging up, she made a special trip back to the old family home to get her car.
She kept trying to console herself. 'Maybe I'm overthinking it. Grandma has doted on me since I was a child. It can't all have been fake. It's understandable that she has high hopes for my brother.'
Inside the Monroe family's old home, usually only the old matriarch and the servants were present. Her illness had been sudden, and the house still seemed to be in a state of disarray. As Joyce went inside to get her keys, she happened upon two maids who were packing.
