I leaned in close to my husband's ear, gently advising him: "Jaime, the house is in your mother's name, so we can't use it for a mortgage."
Hearing this, Jessie seemed worried. "Jaime, are you really thinking about putting the house up as collateral?"
I tried to reason with her: "Jessie, it's unusual for Jaime to be so driven. Surely you want to support that, right? Or are you hoping to keep the 2,200 square foot house for Jahmir?"
She looked taken aback by my remarks and rushed to clarify to Jaime. "Jaime, that's not what I meant. It's just that if you're using the house as security, it's better to go through a bank. Why deal with shady lenders?"
Jaime showed signs of frustration. "Mom, you're not seeing the whole picture. Even with the house as collateral, without a steady job, a bank won't approve a loan for me. And you can't get one either, considering your age."
I observed Jessie facing the consequences of the son she had spoiled over the years. This was the favored child she had nurtured.
"Jessie, there's another option. Transfer the house to me, and I can secure a loan for Jaime."
She looked displeased at this proposal.
Jaime grew increasingly frustrated, his voice becoming more exasperated. "If you're not going to agree, let's drop it. No matter what we say, you won't change your mind. I know you think I'm just hopeless."
Jaime's words struck Jessie deeply, and I could easily sense her hesitation to transfer the house to me. She wouldn't want her cherished son to drown in self-pity either.
