I had resigned from a job that was slowly killing my spirit.
When I finally pulled into Wolfboro, the crisp lake air hit my lungs.
The key to the condo turned perfectly in the lock.
It was already toasty inside.
I had turned the heat on via the smart thermostat two days ago.
I wasn’t a tenant here.
I wasn’t a burden.
Here, I was just Elaine.
Around noon, I was sitting at a little café by the water, finally checking my messages.
It was an absolute digital meltdown.
“Where are you?”
“What did you do to the Wi-Fi?”
“The heat won’t turn on, Elaine. It’s freezing downstairs.”
The last text from Gavin sounded desperate.
“Mom, please pick up. Sloan is losing her mind. Her mom is coming over this afternoon, and we have absolutely no hot water.”
I took a sip of my Earl Grey tea.
The heat wasn’t turning on because the oil tank was bone dry, exactly as I had warned them on my list.
The fact that they didn’t bother to read the list, or just didn’t take it seriously, was strictly a them problem.
I typed a single response into the family group chat.
“I am at my place at the lake. As we discussed, I have taken care of my own financial affairs. Since you are the sole homeowners now, the upkeep of the property is entirely your responsibility. Please only contact me for emergencies regarding my forwarded mail.”
Sloan fired back a voice memo instantly.
She sounded hysterical.
“You can’t just abandon us like this. This is breach of contract. We were relying on your money. My mom needs that cash for her care.”
I deleted the voice memo halfway through.
It was honestly fascinating.
Even in the middle of a crisis, it was still entirely about what I was supposed to be doing for them.
Not a single “Are you okay?” or “I’m sorry,” just demands.
I put my phone on airplane mode.
The lake was completely still.