Five Minutes Too Late

"Hey lady, this shirt still looks pretty new. You sure you don't want it?"

The garbage collector held up the collar. Tucked right by the cuff was a tiny, crooked sun that Daisy had stitched.

"I'm sure."

"What about these slippers? They've only been worn a few times, right?"

"Crush them all."

He reached down again and pulled out a blue toothbrush with a little sticker that read "Daddy".

"Your kid put this on here? Sure you don't want to keep it?"

"I said crush it."

The trash truck's compactor slowly closed. The little stitched sun was the first to get soaked in filthy wastewater, before sinking into the sludge right alongside the toothbrush.

The man glanced at me, but didn't ask any more questions.

When I got back upstairs, the front door lock was jiggling.

"Debra, this spare key actually works! She didn't even change the locks," Ava Graham, Theo's cousin, said as she pushed the door open, holding two fancy specialty hampers.

My mother-in-law, Debra Miller, followed right behind her. The moment her eyes landed on me, her face darkened.

"You were home this whole time? Why didn't you open the door?"

"Didn't hear it."

"Where's Daisy?"

My fingers froze on my suitcase zipper.

This was the very first time since last night that any of the Grahams had asked about Daisy.

"She's—"

"Well, tell her not to touch these two boxes. They're high-end gourmet health supplements meant to nourish Sophia's body. They cost over eight thousand a box. If she breaks them, you can't afford to pay it back." Debra set the boxes on the table, cutting me off before I could finish.

Ava pinched her nose. "Why does this apartment still smell so strongly of medication? It's suffocating."

"Daisy needs nebulizer treatments every day."

"How can a little kid be so sick all the time? It's just because you're overly anxious. You're making her sick out of nowhere." Ava casually kicked a Play-Doh container sitting next to the couch with the tip of her shoe.

A little purple Play-Doh figure rolled out, coming to a crooked stop right at her feet.

"Don't step on that." My voice was barely a whisper.

Ava looked down, but instead of backing off, she lifted her shoe. "You mean this trash?"

When her sole came down, the little clay figure's head, body, and arms snapped into three pieces.

"Why keep this kind of junk around, anyway? Sophia just bought Theo a mechanical keyboard worth over a thousand dollars. Now that's a gift."

Carved right onto the clay figure's belly was the word "Daddy."

Daisy's hands were so small that she struggled to shape human features. She had remade and ruined it three times before finally getting it right. She couldn't bear to give it to him earlier, saying she wanted to wait until our wedding photoshoot day to secretly slip it into Theo's pocket.

"What are you staring at, Charlotte?" Ava rubbed the bottom of her shoe on the floor mat. "It's just a few pieces of clay. You're not about to throw another crazy fit, are you?"

I crouched down and picked up the broken head. One of the arms had been flattened completely and could never be restored.

I slipped the broken pieces into the pocket of the jacket Daisy had worn last night, folded the clothes neatly, and placed them back onto her little chair.

Debra's expression softened slightly. "See? It's so much better when you're reasonable. Theo stayed up all night taking care of Sophia and just went to sleep. Don't go pestering him."

"She has a fever?"

"She was out in that terrible storm! How could she not catch a fever?"

Debra opened the fridge and pointed to the chicken inside. "Simmer fresh chicken soup and bring it over to Sophia by noon.

"Make sure you skim off all the skin and fat, and don't add any heavy spices or pepper. She gets heart palpitations, so she can't handle anything too harsh."

Ava chimed in, "Use Daisy's pink insulated thermos. It keeps heat longer, and Sophia always misses warm meals when she's at the hospital."

"I'm not making it."

Debra thought she misheard. "What?"

"If she wants to drink it, tell Theo to make it for her."

"Theo's a guy. How would he know how to do any of that? You're his wife—what's wrong with taking care of his friend?"

"Friend?"

"Drop the sarcastic attitude. Sophia was almost scared into a heart attack last night, and she still tried to convince Theo to go home to you." Debra shoved the chicken right toward my face. "Hurry up and get to work. She needs to have it before noon."

I stood up and looked straight into her eyes. "Whether she lives or dies is none of my damn business."

Debra's hand struck my face, leaving a loud ringing in my ears.

"How did you get so vile? You couldn't even give us a son, and you treat a weak, sick kid like a precious treasure. If Sophia had married into our family, she'd never be as clueless and disrespectful as you!"

Ava grabbed her arm. "Debra, don't get yourself worked up. Sophia's still waiting for her soup."

I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth with my thumb and pulled our family records and identity documents out from the drawer.

Debra took two quick steps after me. "What are you grabbing those papers for?"

"To handle some paperwork."

"Who are you trying to scare with the kid this time? Theo already agreed to redo the wedding photoshoot, and you're still not satisfied?"

I grabbed my suitcase handle. "You can keep this shabby old apartment for yourselves."

"Charlotte, if you walk out that door, don't you ever come back!"

"Fine."

Even as the door swung shut, her voice echoed from behind.

"It's fine if you leave, but simmer the soup first! Sophia's waiting to drink it at noon!"