The couch still held the imprint of two bodies. The gray knit throw was twisted in a heap at one end. I picked it up with two fingers and immediately smelled her. Powder, vanilla, betrayal. I put it into a trash bag, tied it shut, and set it near the garage door because I could not stand the idea of washing it like it deserved care.
The wineglass remained on the coffee table.
The lipstick mark showed more clearly in morning light.
I lifted the glass with a paper towel, photographed it from several angles, then set it back. I was not collecting trophies. I was collecting options.
In the hallway closet, I pulled the important-documents binder. Caleb had always liked that binder. He said it made us feel like adults. He never maintained it; I did. Mortgage, insurance, car titles, marriage certificate, dog vaccination records, appliance warranties. I scanned everything with my phone and uploaded it to the new folder.
I took photos of the condition of each room. Living room. Kitchen. Office. Bedroom. Guest room. Basement. Garage. Furniture, floors, walls. Maya had warned me about sudden claims. Property damage. Missing items. Allegations that I “ransacked” the house. People who lie about love will lie about lamps.
Then I boxed my personal things.
Not marital furniture. Not shared property. Mine.
My grandmother’s pearl earrings. My diploma. My professional certificates. The thumb drive with work documents. The photo album of my father from before bitterness turned him into a stranger. My journals. The framed picture of my sister and me at Lake Erie when we were children. A silver bracelet Caleb gave me on our first anniversary, which I put in the box, then removed, then set on the dresser because I did not yet know whether memory counted as property or poison.
At 11:48 a.m., Maya texted again.
Judge signed temporary exclusive-use order pending hearing. Check email. Print. Tape inside front door. Photo with timestamp.
I did exactly that.