During the same days social media showed Gavin raising glasses of wine in Madrid while Patricia proudly displayed plates of seafood in Barcelona. Brianna posed dramatically in front of the Eiffel Tower as if the trip belonged entirely to her glamorous life.
Every photo had been funded with my savings.
On the sixth day I accepted an offer higher than the asking price with immediate closing terms. I opened a new bank account, transferred my funds, changed every password, canceled shared services, and updated my legal address.
The night before the closing I walked through the empty house for the last time. Surprisingly I did not feel sadness.
I felt relief as if a heavy invisible weight had finally been lifted from my shoulders.
By the time Gavin and his family returned to California I was already living in a small apartment across the city. The apartment was modest but bright with large windows that filled the rooms with sunlight.
That morning I poured coffee and opened the live feed from the security camera I had left near the front porch.
A taxi stopped in front of the house.