Sunday night Metty rested in her room at June's, exhausted after a long but prosperous day at PizzaFeast. She added up her tips for the day. Over $100. Hmmm. I could use new clothes for student teaching. Seaside Thrift, here I come.

She was reading the volume of Almurian poetry when June, looking frightened, came in, holding her cell phone.

"Grandma? Is something wrong?"

June shook her head.

"What happened?"

She heard Sylvia's voice squawking from the phone. She reached for it and held it to her ear.

"Hello? Mom, what's happened?"

Sylvia sobbed so loudly Metty couldn't understand her.

"Mom?"

Sylvia stopped sobbing long enough to say, "Bryan left me. He took Bryany. My baby." She began sobbing again.

"Mom? What happened?"

"He left me for that woman."

"What woman?"

"Alice Johnson. He married her on, on New Year's Eve." The wailing continued.

Metty was too shocked to answer for a moment. "But she's married!"

"Russ moved to Florida. Their divorce was final last month."

"Bryan and Alice got married?"

"Friday night. That's the dinner, dinner, he was going to, was his wedding. Bryany was there. My baby."

"How'd you find out?"

"Your Aunt Beulah goes to the same church as Alice Johnson. Or is it Alice Larson now? She saw the notice in the church bulletin and called me."

Metty took a deep breath, forcing herself to be calm. "I'm coming there. Have you called Cathy?"

"No, no, just Mom."

Metty handed the phone back to June. "Talk to her. I'm going there. I'll call Cathy and Ben."

*

Sylvia was sitting on the sofa, sobbing, quieting, and sobbing again, when Metty walked in. Metty sat down and hugged her. Sylvia wept for a few minutes. She stopped crying and said, "He's gone. What will I do?"

"Did you love Bryan that much? I never heard him say he loved you." Metty pushed Sylvia's hair off her face.

Sylvia went quiet. "We had Bryany. I thought he'd stay for her. He took her! My baby." She wiped her eyes.

"Mom, if he married Alice Johnson, he's gone. He doesn't have access to your bank account, does he?"

Sylvia looked frightened. "He wouldn't take that money, would he? That's to pay bills. The insurance payment is due."

"Can you check online?"

"No, I don't know how. Bryan did all the online stuff."

Metty sighed. Despite the sour relief of Bryan being out of their lives, despite her mother's sorrow, he could make his absence painful, especially over money, for a long time.

"We'll go to the bank tomorrow. You have your debit card, right?"

Sylvia nodded, watching Metty anxiously.

"He couldn't have taken all his things, right?"

Sylvia looked around. "The computer stuff we got him for Christmas is gone. He said he wanted to use it for work."

Metty snorted.

"He got married in his new suit. He left here wearing it Saturday."

Metty closed her eyes and counted to 10. She counted to 10 again before opening her eyes. "Nothing else is missing, is there, Mom?"

Sylvia, dispirited, sat on the sofa, wiping her eyes.

"He bought you diamond earrings when Bryany was born, didn't he? Don't you have emergency cash in your dresser drawer? What about your jewelry? Dad's coin collection?"

Sylvia stared at Metty, mouth open, dazed. She lurched to her feet and went to her bedroom. Metty followed her. Her stomach clenched when she saw how much of Bryan's stuff was gone.

Sylvia turned on the light and went to her dresser. She searched through a drawer and pulled out the envelope of emergency cash. She rubbed it between her fingers and held it open. Empty.

Metty hissed.

"I had almost $900 in here. I was saving it to repair the roof." Sylvia went to the closet and took down the binder that held the coin collection. She opened it. The coins were gone.

"This was worth $1000, Mom." Her voice was as solemn as a judge pronouncing sentence.

"What, Metty?"

"Your credit card."

"I have it."

"It's your card, but Bryan has a copy, right?" Sylvia nodded. "You're responsible for everything he charges to it."

Sylvia nodded, her eyes round and frightened.

"Call the credit card company and cancel the card."

"Do you think I should?"

Metty glared at her, angry. Her mother played the helpless game regularly, and it often backfired on her.

"Do you want to pay for his honeymoon? Do you think he'll pay for it? Call and cancel or pay for his wedding."

She walked into the living room. Her mother followed her, bleating for pity.

In the living room, Metty dialed the number on the back of Sylvia's card. She put the cell on speaker and keyed the ID information in.

"Balance is 2,193.17. Minimum payment is $300, due January 20. To make an online payment, press 4."

"No, no, no, no." Sylvia screamed. "The card was $1000." She wailed hysterically, keeping an eye on Metty.

Metty flapped a hand at her, and Sylvia quieted. Metty disconnected. She looked at her mother and took a deep breath.

"He took everything he could, Mom, I think. Don't you two have a joint account?"

Sylvia nodded.

"Where's your bank card?"

Sylvia handed it to her. Metty dialed the number on the card. When the associate answered, she asked for the balance on the accounts: Checking, $1613, Savings, $5. Metty asked the associate to hold on.

"How much should you have, Mom?"

Sylvia was shaking. "Checking should be $2000. Savings was almost $3000. We had bills due in January." Tears ran down her cheeks.

"Savings is $5." Sylvia broke into tears. Metty handed her a tissue. Sylvia wiped her eyes, but the tears continued.

"I'm surprised he left you $1600."

"That's my pension. It was deposited today."

"Can we freeze the account?" Metty asked the associate.

"Yes," he said, and walked her through the steps.

Metty thanked the man, and disconnected.

"We're going to be at the bank when it opens tomorrow. I'm surprised Bryan didn't get January's pension," she said. "Maybe he couldn't withdraw that much money in Hilton Head."

"You think?

Metty shrugged. "The bank is open tomorrow. He left $5 in checking, the minimum to keep an account open. I expect he'll try to get your pension. He must think you don't know about the wedding."

"He and Bryany called to wish me Happy New Year tonight. They said they'd be home Tuesday. They both, bo-oth lied."

"We're going to the bank."

"It's closed."

"The teller machine is open. You'll withdraw as much cash as you can. Bryan may try to charge bills to the card."

"Isn't it too late to go?"

"Would you rather lose your last $1000?"