Kate came over Saturday morning, pretending she wanted to help me choose flowers.
She swept in wearing the perfume I had once given her for Christmas, and the smell almost made my knees give out.
That was it! The perfume I had smelled on Robbert’s collar that morning!
Oh my God. The clues had been standing right in front of me the entire time.
She reached for me and wrapped her arms around my shoulders.
What she said next nearly made me scream.
“You’re the best sister in the world,” she whispered into my shoulder. “I don’t tell you that enough.”
I closed my eyes. “You don’t have to. I’ve always known.”
When she pulled away, her eyes were damp.
For a moment, I wondered whether she was crying because she meant it, or because guilt had finally found her.
It did not matter, I decided.
By the time I finished, there would be nowhere left for her or Robbert to hide.
On Monday, I had the security camera footage copied onto a flash drive.
The system I had installed two years earlier, after a break-in in our neighborhood, had recorded everything from a quiet corner of the living room.
I had never checked it before, and I did not need to check it now.
The single still image I printed was enough.
Robbert noticed my calmness and began to grow uneasy inside it.
“You seem far away,” he said over breakfast Tuesday.
“I’ve been thinking about new beginnings,” I said, stirring my coffee. “It’s strange, isn’t it, how a person can build a life and then realize it’s time to build a different one.”
His fork stopped above his plate. “What does that mean?”
“It means I’m planning a trip,” I said lightly. “After the dinner.”
He stared at me for a long moment, searching my face, and I gave him nothing.
By Friday afternoon, the guest list was complete.
My children, Emily and Daniel, had both confirmed.
Helen had called twice to ask whether I was sure I wanted to host, her voice careful in a way that told me she had sensed something without knowing what.
“I’m sure,” I told her. “I need you there.”
“Then I’ll be there,” she said. “Whatever it is.”
I spent Saturday morning polishing silver I had not taken out in years.
I ironed the linen tablecloth my mother had embroidered.
I arranged Kate’s lilies in the center of the table.
I lit candles I had been saving for a celebration I never seemed to have time to enjoy.
And then I placed a slim folder beside my wine glass, smoothed the cover with one steady hand, and waited for the people I had loved most in the world to walk through my door.
Kate arrived exactly on time, sweeping in and kissing my cheek.
“Happy birthday, sis. You look radiant,” she said.
Robbert pulled out my chair, playing the devoted husband perfectly.
I smiled and let him.
When the appetizers were served, I tapped my glass and stood. “Before we eat, I thought it might be nice to say a few words.”
Everyone smiled.
“I appreciate you all being here today. My wonderful children, my friends, my husband of nearly three decades, and of course, my sister.”
Kate laughed nervously.
I looked around the table as I picked up the folder beside my plate.
“I promise this won’t take long, but while I’ve got you all together here, I’d like to talk about loyalty.”
I opened the folder.
“Last Thursday, I left work early.”
Kate and Robbert exchanged a nervous glance.
“I came home expecting to surprise my husband, but instead, I was the one who ended up being surprised.”
I pulled the first page from the folder and held it up for everyone to see.
It was the photo I had printed from the security camera footage.
