Page 96 of What Goes Around

“My insurance?”

“Yes,” she said quickly, nodding too many times. “Just a standard transition form. It’s nothing complicated.”

She held up the first page, angled so I could see. At a glance, it looked legitimate.

Dense text. Official formatting. A bold header with the insurance provider’s name and logo. Words like Dependent Coverage Continuation and Consent Authorization printed cleanly at the top.

In the past, I would’ve signed without thinking. Grateful. Obedient. Blind.

Not anymore.

“In plain terms,” she continued, “you sign, you stay covered. Doctor visits, emergencies, prescriptions. Same as before. I already filled everything out, just need your signature on a few pages.”

“I’ll take them,” I said.

Her fingers tightened around the papers.

“What? You just need to sign here,” she said, tapping the bottom of the first page. “And here, and here on the next few pages.”

I reached out again.

“I’ll take them upstairs,” I said lightly. “I’ll read them over before signing.”

Her smile faltered. “Ashley, there’s nothing to read. It’s boilerplate. Legal jargon. You’ll just stress yourself out.”

“That’s fine,” I said. “I’m good at reading.”

She laughed lightly, but it came out sharp.

“There’s no need to complicate this. I’ve handled insurance paperwork for years.”

“I know,” I said. “That’s why I want to see it.”

I reached for the papers.

She didn’t let go.

“This is time-sensitive, Ashley,” she insisted. “It needs to be signed tonight. The deadline is—”

“Then I should read it now,” I said, tugging once more.

For a brief moment, it was ridiculous, two women having a tug-of-war with a stack of papers.

Then she snapped.

Literally.

With a sharp jerk, Marissa snatched the papers back, hugging them to her chest.

“Actually—” she said, forcing a laugh. “Actually, I… I forgot something.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Forgot what?”

She looked down at the stack, flipping through as if expecting to find the answer printed there.

“There’s a form missing,” she muttered. “Yes. I didn’t attach the… ah… primary care authorization page.”

Right.