I was already dressed, standing at the kitchen island with my morning coffee.
I unlocked the front door and pulled it open.
David and Sarah stood on my porch.
Sarah wore a brand new designer trench coat I recognized from a magazine, clutching a leather purse that easily cost more than my weekly transfer.
David looked frantic.
“What is going on with the bank?”
“Mom,” David demanded, pushing past me into the hallway. “And our phones. Did you get hacked?”
“No,” I replied smoothly, closing the door. “I canled them.”
Sarah’s eyes narrowed.
“You did what? Why?”
“Because,” I walked back to my coffee, “I am no longer funding your lifestyle. I’m restructuring my finances for my retirement.”
“You can’t just cut us off without warning,” Sarah yelled, her hands on her hips. “We have kids. We depend on that money. This is incredibly selfish of you, Monica.”
I looked her up and down, taking in the coat, the manicured nails, the expensive boots.
“You’ll figure it out. You’re adults.”
David pulled his keys out of his pocket, pacing the floor.
“Mom, you have to turn the phones back on. I need it for work.”
I watched his hand.
On his key ring was a heavy brass key, the spare to my house.
I stepped forward, reached out, and calmly slid the brass key off his metal ring.
He froze completely, caught off guard.
“What are you doing?” he stammered.
“I’m taking back my property,” I answered, dropping the key into my apron pocket. “Since you don’t count me as family, you certainly don’t need free access to my home. Now, both of you need to leave. I have a gardening club meeting at 10:00.”
Sarah glared at me, her face flushed with anger.
“If you do this, you’re never seeing your grandkids again.”
“That is your choice,” I stated flatly, pointing to the door. “Goodbye.”
The weekend passed in total silence.