I didn’t realize how bad things had gotten.
I believed him. That was the painful part.
Sometimes people don’t notice the weight you’re carrying because you’ve become so good at carrying it.
I should have asked, he said.
Yes.
I should have listened when you said you couldn’t help.
Yes.
He sighed.
Sienna’s angry.
I can’t control that.
I know.
The silence between us wasn’t hostile anymore. It was simply unfamiliar.
Are you changing everything? He asked.
I knew what he meant.
Yes. All of it. The things that need changing.
He was quiet.
Does that mean I won’t inherit the house?
I closed my eyes.
There it was. Even now.
Not. Are we okay?
Not. Can I make things right?
The house.
The house isn’t a reward, I said.
I know.
No, Callum. I don’t think you do.
He didn’t argue.
I continued. I spent years thinking that leaving everything to you was the same thing as taking care of you. But you’re an adult. You have your own family, your own responsibilities.
I understand.
I hope you do.
Another pause.
Then he said, “Can I visit you sometime?”
I looked around my quiet kitchen.
Not yet.
He sounded disappointed.
Okay.
When I’m ready, I’ll call you.
All right.
He hung up.
I placed the phone on the table.
For the first time, I didn’t feel guilty.
That surprised me. I’d spent years believing that saying no meant I was hurting someone.
Now I understood something different.
Sometimes saying no is the only way to stop resentment from replacing love.