“Exactly. We’d handle all the upkeep. You wouldn’t have to worry about a thing.”
“I see.”
I folded my hands on the table.
“A few days ago, you stood in my kitchen and told me I was a burden. You told me Sarah felt the same way and you agreed with her.”
Linda gasped softly, her hand fluttering to her chest.
“David, you didn’t.”
David’s face turned bright red.
“Mom, that was out of context. I was just stressed.”
“Context doesn’t erase the truth of how you feel,” I corrected calmly. “You feel I am a burden. You feel this house, which I own, should be yours. You feel my money, which I earned, should fund your lifestyle. And now you feel I should move into an assisted living facility I don’t need just so you can play house without paying a mortgage.”
Sarah’s eyes flashed.
“Teresa, that is completely unfair. We are trying to help you.”
“You are trying to help yourselves,” I countered, my voice never rising above a conversational tone. “But that’s perfectly fine because I agree with you, David.”
He blinked, confused.
“You… You agree?”
“I agree that living together is no longer viable,” I stated.
I reached into the pocket of my cardigan and pulled out a folded piece of paper, placing it gently on the table next to my plate.
“Which is why I signed an agreement with a real estate agent on Friday. The house is going on the market next week.”
The entire table froze.
The silence was absolute.
“You’re selling the house.”
David stammered, the color draining from his face completely.
“I am,” I confirmed. “I’m downsizing to a condo on the other side of town. It’s beautiful. It’s modern, and it has absolutely no guest rooms. You and Sarah have 30 days to find a new place to live.”
Sarah dropped her fork.
It clattered loudly against her porcelain plate.