Page 119 of The Housekeeper

“I canceled the card,” he repeated, although we’d all heard him loud and clear.

“Why would you do that?” Tracy sputtered.

“Now, don’t go getting all upset,” our father said. “It’s for your own good.”

“My own good?” Tracy argued. “Says who? What the hell is happening?”

“Elyse and I have been discussing this for some time, and she feels I’m doing you no favors by continuing to treat you as a dependent, that I’m—what was the word she used?—infantilizingyou…”

“Infantil…what the fuck?”

“She feels…”

“I don’t give a fuck what she feels.”

“Webothfeel…that you’re a bright, accomplished woman, and that there’s no reason I should still be paying all your bills.”

“How else am I going to afford anything?”

“By getting a job like everybody else,” our father said. “Like Jodi.”

Oh, God,I thought. Much as I appreciated that for once I was being compared favorably to my sister, this was definitely not the time or the circumstances in which to do it.

“Doing what? Selling real estate? I’d rather die.”

“What you choose to do is up to you,” our father said. “I’m quite confident that you will be successful at whatever career path you choose.”

“I’m forty-five fucking years old!” Tracy cried. “It’s a little late to be talking career paths, don’t you think?”

“Be that as it may,” our father continued calmly, “we’re confident you can do it.”

“What about my rent? My phone? My cable?”

“Relax,” our father said. “We’re not cutting you off completely, and certainly not all at once. I’ll continue covering thebulk of your expenses for the next year. I’m sure that by then you’ll have found something.”

“And if I haven’t?”

“Elyse and I have every confidence that you will.”

“Elyse is a fucking con artist!” Tracy shouted, spinning toward me. “For God’s sake, Jodi. Tell him what you found out.”

Oh, God, I thought as Elyse entered the room.I knew I should have gone straight home.

“What’s all the yelling about in here?” she asked.

“Go on, Jodi,” Tracy urged. “Tell Dad all about his blushing bride.”

Elyse walked to the nearest sofa and sat down. “Yes, Jodi,” she said, leaning back against the cushions and crossing one leg over the other. “By all means, let’s hear what you have to say.”