The Widow's Gambit
"The work is hard, Mrs. Perkins. And it would mean relocating to base housing. A fresh start, but far from everything you know."
That was exactly what I wanted. I nodded firmly.
The paperwork was swift. Josh Perkins was officially, permanently listed as deceased. A modest pension and death benefit were processed for his next of kin—me.
When I returned home, my mother-in-law was sitting in the courtyard. As soon as she saw me, her voice turned shrill and cutting.
"Look what the cat dragged back," she sneered. "My son just died, and you're gallivantin' around. A curse, that's what you are. A husband-killing curse."