“You can’t do that!” she shrieked.
I smiled.
“It’s my house, Sarah. I can do whatever I want.”
The dinner devolved into chaos, but I remained the eye of the storm.
“Teresa, be reasonable,” Richard interjected, trying to use his booming voice to regain control. “You’re throwing your own son out on the street over a misunderstanding.”
“It wasn’t a misunderstanding, Richard. It was an eviction notice,” I corrected. “They are employed adults. They will not be on the street. They will simply have to rent an apartment like everyone else.”
David stood up, his chair scraping violently against the hardwood floor.
“Dad left this house to both of us. It’s my inheritance.”
“Your father left this house to me,” I corrected smoothly. “His exact words were, ‘Take care of yourself, Tess.’ I intend to do just that. You are not entitled to my assets while I am still breathing.”
Sarah was breathing heavily, her face modeled with rage.
“After everything we’ve done for you, we kept you company. We checked in on you.”
“You ate my groceries, drove my car, and complained about my laundry service,” I replied. “I think you’ll find the real world is much less accommodating.”
I stood up, picking up my empty plate.
“Dinner is over. I suggest suggest you start packing. 30 days goes by faster than you think.”
I walked into the kitchen, leaving them sitting at the table in stunned silence.
I loaded my plate into the dishwasher, the mechanical click of the door shutting feeling incredibly satisfying.
For the next two hours, I stayed in my study, listening to the muffled sounds of frantic whispering and hurried goodbyes as Richard and Linda left.
Shortly after, heavy footsteps stomped up the stairs. The bedroom door slammed.
They thought I would back down. They thought the threat of their disapproval would make me fold. The way a good mother is supposed to sacrifice everything for her children’s comfort.
But they forgot one crucial thing.
I was a mother. Yes.
But I was also a person, and my limits had been reached.
The next three weeks were a blur of cardboard boxes and cold shoulders.
Once the for sale sign went up on the front lawn, the reality finally sank in for David and Sarah.