The next day, I drove over to Granddad’s house, determined to confront Linda. I found her in the kitchen, looking flustered as she arranged flowers in a vase.

“Linda, we need to talk,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

She glanced up, an annoyed expression flickering across her face. “If this is about your granddad, I’ve already explained—”

“Actually, it’s about the puppy,” I interrupted. “And about family. You know, the kind of family that doesn’t throw each other out over something so trivial.”