Letting my sister-in-law use our house for Christmas turned into a nightmare when we returned.

And that’s when my heart truly sank.

Whatever Mandy had promised us… our home was no longer it.

The couch cushions were stained. Not a little. A lot. Darkened and blotchy. Blankets crumpled on the floor. A bowl of something half-eaten turning crusty on the coffee table.

Behind me, Lily whispered, “Mom?”

Little bits of glass glittered in the carpet.

I swallowed. “Yeah, baby?”

“Why does it look… gross?”

I didn’t answer.

I walked down the hall. Max’s door was open. His bedside lamp was on the floor, the base cracked in half, the bulb shattered.

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