The garden center had a tin roof that rattled whenever rain came in from the bay.
I liked it.
No one called the building a family asset. No one talked about legacy while a pipe leaked onto the floor. Mae kept the heat on because the plants needed it, and when I told her the back room was cold, she handed me a key and asked me to show her where the draft came in.
I worked there through the rest of winter. My hands improved. The medication helped, and I learned to keep spare gloves in every coat. My clinic visits were covered. The estate repaid the money it owed, though not all at once. Lila helped me check the figures.
The board hired an outside accountant. The review found that the medical deductions had been pooled into the foundation's general operating account instead of being credi
