Chapter 14 - THE LAST PAYMENT
Four years after the reunion incident, Diane received one final automatic transfer from Nancy.
$500.
Why still?
Not basic bills anymore.
Nancy had continued a small monthly support because she wanted to.
Not because Diane demanded.
Then Nancy decided to stop.
She called.
“I’m ending the five hundred after this month.”
Diane went quiet.
Old panic flickered.
Then:
“Okay.”
Nancy waited.
“That’s it?”
“What do you want me to say?”
“I don’t know.”
Diane laughed.
“I can pay my bills.”
The sentence that once caused public panic had changed.
Then Diane added:
“I might complain when my electric bill comes.”
“You’re allowed.”
“Will you pay it?”
“No.”
They laughed.
Then Diane’s first fully independent month.
Mortgage.
Utilities.
Food.
Insurance.
Storage? no old storage.
All paid.
She sent Nancy a screenshot.
PAID.
Nancy called.
“Why are you sending me your bills?”
Diane laughed.
“I wanted applause.”
“You’re ridiculous.”
“Did I get it?”
Nancy clapped into phone.
That was allowed too.
Then at the next reunion, Nancy paid nothing toward base costs.
Not as test.
Another cousin volunteered venue.
Potluck.
Community center loaned tables.
Diane contributed:
three trays of food.
Ollie arrived hungry.
He was eleven now.
He walked straight to buffet.
Diane said:
“Plate’s there.”
He stopped.
Looked at her.
Then jokingly narrowed eyes.
“You gonna throw it?”
Diane put both hands behind her back.
“Nope.”
He smiled.
Then piled too much macaroni.
Nancy watched from across patio.
The old scene still existed.
But it no longer controlled the room.
Then Mark approached Nancy.
“Can I ask you something financial?”
Nancy laughed.
“At reunion?”
“Bad timing?”
“Yes.”
He waited until next week.
That was growth too.
Then Diane’s old FAMILY SUPPORT ledger resurfaced.
She found it in a box.
Names.
Amounts.
She considered burning it.
Then called Nancy.
“What should I do?”
“Why are you asking me?”
“Because some of it was your money.”
Nancy thought.
“Do you need it for taxes or records?”
“No. Too old.”
“Then it’s yours to decide.”
Diane shredded it.
Not to erase wrongdoing.
Because the family had already done the necessary accounting and no one owed retroactive debt.
Names no longer needed to live beside amounts.
Then Diane kept one page.
Blank heading:
FAMILY SUPPORT.
She crossed out SUPPORT.
Wrote:
FAMILY.
No amounts underneath.
A little sentimental.
Nancy rolled her eyes when she saw it.
Diane said:
“Let me have one thing.”
Nancy smiled.
“Fine.”
Then Ollie asked:
“Can I draw on it?”
Diane handed him the page.
He drew:
May you like
a dinosaur.
So much for symbolism.
