He pulled back from the cabinet and wiped his face with the back of his hand.

“That old man has nothing to do with this,” David said, his tone turning defensive again.

“He does,” Rachel said.

“He’s been there for Mom when you were only trying to tear her down.”

“He’s a stranger,” David said.

“He’s not a stranger to me,” I said.

My voice was firm, firmer than it had been in a long time.

David looked at me, his eyes searching my face for some sign of the weak woman he thought I was.

“I need you to leave, David,” I said.

He blinked, surprised.

“Mom, we need to resolve this,” he said.

“The bank—”

“I cannot think about the bank right now,” I said, my heart pounding against my ribs.

“I need some time to digest this.”

“But Mom, the deadline is in four weeks,” David pleaded, taking a step toward me.

“If I don’t get the paperwork for the estate release—”

“I said go, David,” I repeated.

My hands were trembling, so I hid them in the pockets of my cardigan.