By the time the others arrived, I felt different.
Jack walked in first. “Let’s get this over with.”
The others followed, filling the living room with noise and restless energy.
I realized I wasn’t unloved.
Then they went straight to it.
“You can’t just force a sale,” Jack said.
“Yeah,” Eliza added. “This house is all we have left.”
I stayed calm, almost detached.
“I want to be clear about three things,” I said.
“The house is unsafe for Mom to live in alone.”
“None of you are actually willing to show up.”
“And if you’re going to pretend to care, you should at least do something that helps.”
That landed hard.
“You can’t just force a sale.”
To my surprise, our mother spoke up. “She’s right.”
Every head turned.
She’d never had my back before. Not once.
Jack blinked. “Mom—”
“Stop,” she said, sharper this time.
Silence stretched.
Then Nancy broke. “Look, I tried,” she said quietly. “Last year, when she stayed with me. But she’d forget where she was. She accused me of moving her things and called neighbors at odd hours.”
“She’s right.”
I frowned.
