Pearls spilled out in a soft, awful scatter.
For a moment, the world went quiet.
She stumbled hard.
Then Melissa lunged.
I snatched the pouch and gathered the pearls against my palm.
“No,” I whispered.
She grabbed for my wrist. “Give it to me.”
I pulled back. “This is Elaine’s.”
Melissa’s nails dug into my wrist. “Hand it over, Gaia.”
“Give it to me.”
“Let go.”
“If you don’t give it to me right now,” she hissed, “I’ll tell everyone you stole it.”
I yanked my arm free and pulled my phone from my back pocket.
Melissa’s eyes widened. “What are you doing?”
“Calling the police.”
“Don’t you dare.”
I pressed the phone to my ear and kept my voice steady when the dispatcher answered.
“What are you doing?”
“I need to report a theft at my home. The person is still here and trying to leave.”
Melissa stepped closer. “Hang up, or I’ll scream.”
“Go ahead,” I said. “Everyone should hear this.”
The back gate swung open before she could answer.
William came first, then George and Ryan. Elaine followed, one hand pressed to her chest. Behind them, the twins hovered until George pointed them back.
“Hang up, or I’ll scream.”
“Gaia?” William looked at the pouch in my hand. “What happened?”
Melissa’s face crumpled instantly. “She attacked me.”
I held up the pouch. “She came out of our garage with this hidden under her skirt.”
“That’s a lie!” Melissa cried. “I caught her with Mom’s necklace.”
Elaine whispered, “Melissa…”
“Elaine gave it to me for safekeeping,” I said. “I locked it in the garage cabinet.”
“She attacked me.”
Ryan closed his eyes. “Mel.”
William’s jaw tightened. “Tell me Gaia’s got it wrong.”
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Melissa looked at him. “Will…”
“Tell me.”
“She gets everything!” Melissa snapped. “The cookout, the praise, Mom acting like Gaia’s a saint because she drove her to appointments.”
Elaine’s eyes filled. “You think love is something people steal from you?”
“Will…”
Melissa turned on her. “She’s not your daughter.”
“No,” Elaine said. “But she has loved me like one.”
George stepped forward. “Did you take your mother’s necklace?”
Melissa looked down.
“Answer me,” George said.
Ryan rubbed his face. “She was angry before we came. She said you were making a mistake, Elaine. I didn’t know she’d do this.”
“She’s not your daughter.”
“You were supposed to be on my side,” Melissa whispered.
Ryan looked exhausted. “I was. For years. I’m tired.”
A siren chirped once at the curb.
Melissa turned toward me, her eyes hard. “You really called them.”
“I told you I would.”
Two officers came up the driveway. I stepped forward.
“For years. I’m tired.”
“That’s my mother-in-law’s necklace,” I said. “She gave it to me to keep safe. Melissa took it from our garage cabinet and tried to leave with it under her skirt.”
Melissa scoffed. “Listen to her. She sounds rehearsed.”
“No,” William said, moving beside me.
The officer looked at Elaine. “Ma’am?”
Elaine wiped her face. “The necklace is mine. I trusted Gaia with it.”
“Ma’am?”
“And did Melissa have permission to take it?”
Elaine looked at her daughter. “No.”
George’s voice cut through the yard. “She didn’t have permission to be in the garage either.”
Melissa’s mouth twisted. “So that’s it? Everyone’s choosing her?”
“No, Melissa. Everyone’s choosing the truth.”
Ryan let out a tired breath. “Mel, stop. You did this.”
“Everyone’s choosing her?”
The officer asked Elaine if she wanted a report.
“Write it down,” Elaine said.
“Mom,” Melissa whispered.
Elaine’s voice shook, but it didn’t break. “No one stole your place. You threw it away every time you refused to be happy for your family.”
Melissa looked at William. “You’re letting Mom do this? You’re letting your wife do this?”
“Write it down.”
William’s hand settled at my back. “Gaia isn’t doing this. You are.”
For once, Melissa had no comeback.
Ryan led her to the car. At the gate, she turned.
“You’ll regret this.”
I stepped forward. “No. This family is done cleaning up after you and calling it peace.”
The car pulled away.
“You’ll regret this.”
After the officers left, the yard stayed quiet until Mason called, “Are we still doing fireworks?”
George sniffed. “Absolutely. Cold hot dogs and bad behavior don’t cancel America.”
Maisie giggled, loosening something in all of us.
Elaine turned to me with the pearls in her hand.
“Only if you’re sure,” I said.
“Are we still doing fireworks?”
She fastened them around my neck. “I’m more sure now.”
The first firework opened over the lake.
For years, I’d tried to earn my place in that family.
That night, I stopped trying.
I had one.
