Chapter 1: The Plate in Her Hand
THE MOUNTAIN OF DISHES
Amy had been standing at that sink for nearly the entire afternoon, and no one in the house had asked whether she had eaten.
The kitchen was bright and warm.
Sunlight streamed across the pale cabinets and counters, and a high stack of dirty plates, pots, and bowls rose beside the sink and along the counter.
A few gift bags rested in one corner.
The door to the hallway remained open.
Nothing in the room had any lettering on it.
Amy stood at the sink, thirty, oval-faced, her hair loosely pinned up, in a gray knit sweater.
Her eyes were red and her face was exhausted.
One arm held a baby wrapped in a light blanket, fast asleep, cheeks faintly flushed.
With the other hand she reached into the sink for a plate and washed it slowly.
In the kitchen doorway appeared Connor, thirty-four, square-jawed, in a blue shirt.
He carried a cake with white frosting in both hands, with gift bags hanging from the crook of his arm, and he entered smiling.
His eyes settled on his wife, and the smile faded a little at a time.
He set the cake down carefully on the counter, walked over to her, and rested one hand lightly on her shoulder.
His voice was gentle.
“Have you eaten?”
Amy bowed her head.
Her voice was hoarse and tired.
“Your mom said I clean first.”
In the doorway stood Loretta, sixty, round-faced, her short hair neat, in a dark knit suit.
She took in the two of them with one sweep of her eyes, and her brow tightened.
“What are you doing?”
Connor did not turn around.
He drew his wife half a step closer to him, his voice calm and firm.
“We’re leaving.”
Loretta pointed toward the sink, her tone sharp.
“Let the girl finish her work first!”
Connor turned slowly.
His eyes were cold as ice.
He laid one hand flat on the counter, close to the stack of plates and touching none of them, while the other stayed on his wife’s shoulder.
His voice was not loud, but it filled the room.
“My wife is not your servant!”
Loretta went rigid.
Her lips parted, the color drained from her face a little at a time, and she could not make a sound.
Amy lifted her tear-bright eyes to her husband.
In her arms the baby slept on.
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What will Loretta do after Connor stands up for Amy?
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