thick with expensive perfume and the low hum of polite Southern conv

h pride, "my wife and I have a special announcement rega

g Chad's hand squeeze mine un

we are thrilled to bestow upon Sarah

credibly generous gift, a beautifully preserved eighteenth-century hou

r, did not bother to hide her reaction. Her perfectly painted face, a mask of Southern belle charm moments before

t strained by the sudden t

loud enough for several guests to overhear. I hadn't been there; I was with my mother discussing floral arrangements. But the story spre

ended on a

. Billy Ray, his voice choked

y-Mae. There's be

ad been found unresponsive. Prescription pills, a bottle o

family would spare no expense for Daisy-Mae's care. My mother fretted over Billy Ray's distress, her kind heart ach

ut there was a strange light in his eyes. In his arms, he cradle

sy-Mae, for our family. I found this little thing... she was abandoned. I thought... I th

was undeniably cute, a prize-wi

a flicker of something unrea

ay, how thoughtful of you. Sa

escued"a perfectly groomed, expensive-looking dog and gifted it to me. It felt wrong, a discordant note in the symphony of our family's supposed concern. But I smiled, t