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“I appreciate that and you’re right. I need the information.”
When the call ended, Erica tried to figure out what to do. Summer didn’t want for anything so it was unlikely the money was for her. Then who?
She glanced at the clock. It was after four. Summer didn’t have a game so she should be home. She reached for her phone and typed out a quick text.
Let’s grab dinner tonight. Just the two of us. We haven’t hung out in forever.
Dinner with just the two of them would give them a chance to talk.
Three dots appeared almost instantly.
Raincheck. I don’t want to leave Allison alone. I’m ordering takeout.
Her response was a kick in the gut—more so than finding out Summer had tried to take money from her trust. It seemed at every turn that Summer preferred Allison’s company to her own and she didn’t know how to change that.
Erica worked until eight. She’d passed on the takeout, figuring she would eat the leftovers when she got home. She walked into the house and heard the TV in the family room.
“I’m home,” she called.
“In here,” came Summer’s reply.
Erica went through the kitchen into the open family room and found her daughter and Allison sitting close together on the large sectional, Mamma Mia! playing on the television. Summer paused the movie and looked at her.
“Hey, Mom. There’s Thai in the fridge.”
“Thanks.”
Erica tried to figure out if the teen looked any different than usual, but saw no sign of guilt or worry, which was strange considering Summer had tried to take thirty thousand dollars from her trust.
Allison smiled at her. “You work long hours. You must be tired.”
“I am.”
She was also confused and hurt and feeling left out in her own house, but she wasn’t going to talk about that.
“I’m going to change before I eat.”
She left before they could respond and hurried toward the stairs. After a light dinner, she would tackle the situation with her daughter. Or maybe they should talk first so the food didn’t sit there like a rock and make her feel sick.
She left her tote on the small table by the double doors leading to the main bedroom. In her closet, she pulled off her boots and unzipped her dress. She’d just pulled on yoga pants and a sweatshirt when Summer entered.
“Can we talk?” the teen asked.
“Sure.”
Erica stepped into a pair of Uggs, then motioned for Summer to lead the way. Her daughter went into the bedroom and threw herself across the bed. Erica closed the bedroom door, then took a seat on the bench by the footboard, hoping Summer was going to tell her about whatever was happening.
The teen rolled on her side, propping up her head on her hand. She sighed heavily. “I tried to get money out of my trust today.”
Erica told herself to keep quiet and let the girl tell the story in her own way before starting in on the questions.
“I mostly don’t ever think about it or remember that I have a trust.” She shifted into a crossed-legged sitting position. “Dan called a couple of days ago to talk about the investments, which is really boring, but he reminded me there’s like a million dollars waiting for me.”
“Which you can’t access until you’re twenty-five.” And even then there were requirements to be met before funds were released, such as having an approved purpose like grad school or buying a home.
“I forgot that part.” Summer looked at her. “I just need thirty thousand dollars. Can you release that for me?”
Erica struggled to keep her expression and tone neutral. “Why do you need it?”
