Seeing the confusion on my face, my son immediately explained, "Mom, I'm not trying to make you leave. It's just that it'll be hard for you to catch a cab later. If you're heading out, I can give you a ride."
Beside him, Maxine shot him a glare.
"Your mother just finished eating and you're already rushing her out the door." She crossed her arms. "People who don't know better would think I'm the one kicking her out. You want your mother to think I'm some terrible daughter-in-law? Is that what you want?"
Looking at my son's pained, helpless expression, I stood up. "I'll go now."
"Mom, let me drive you."
The relief that washed over his face was impossible to miss.
Disappointment settled deep in my chest. He was this afraid of his wife. What kind of life was he going to have?
At the door, Maxine seemed to remember something. She suddenly held out her hand toward me. "Mom, didn't you buy me a gift?"
My fingers closed around the gold bracelet in my pocket.
She was right. I had bought her a gift. I'd planned to smooth things over, ease the tension a little.
But after everything she'd just pulled, I had written her off completely.
She wanted the gold bracelet? In her dreams.
"There's no gift." I pulled the door open. "Don't bother seeing me out."
Under their stunned stares, I shut the door behind me.
I was about to walk away when Maxine's furious voice erupted from inside.
"Terence, why did you lie to me?"
"You told me your mother bought me a gold bracelet!"
"She did! She told me herself!"
"Then why did she just say there's no gift?"
"I... I don't know."
"So you've learned how to lie to me now, is that it?" A beat of silence. "You're sleeping in the bathroom tonight."
I let out a long breath and walked away, my heart heavy with disappointment.
Back at the hotel, I showered and was about to go to bed when my phone buzzed.
I picked it up. A message from my son.
"Mom, are you asleep?"
"No."
"Great."
"What is it?"
"Could you lend me some money? It doesn't have to be a lot. $600,000 would be enough."
I frowned.
"What do you need that kind of money for?"
"Well, here's the thing..."
He explained. Maxine's father had collapsed that evening. Just ten minutes ago, he'd been diagnosed with cancer. He needed surgery immediately.
Before I could respond, Maxine called.
She was sobbing on the other end, saying her father was sick. I asked which hospital, got dressed, and headed straight there.
When I arrived, Maxine's eyes were red and swollen from crying. Terence stood beside her, rubbing her back, murmuring reassurances. The moment they saw me, their faces flooded with relief, like I was their last hope.
Maxine rushed forward and grabbed my hands.
"How is he?" I asked.
"Mom, the doctor said my dad's condition is serious. He needs surgery soon, but the cost is hundreds of thousands of dollars." Her voice cracked, and tears spilled down her cheeks again.
Terence pulled her close, an arm around her shoulders. "Babe, don't worry about the money. My mom's here now. She'll help us figure it out."
Teresa Henson walked up to me. She started to lower herself to her knees.
I caught her by the arms before she could. "Mrs. Henson, please don't do that."
She wept, begging me for help between broken sobs.
I nodded slowly. "I'll see what I can do."
Then I excused myself, saying I needed the restroom.
I didn't go back to the hotel.
Instead, I left the city overnight.
My son and daughter-in-law called nonstop.
I turned my phone off.
I didn't power it back on until the next day.
The agent called first. The house had sold, fifteen percent below market value. Since I'd given the agency and my lawyer full authority to handle the sale, I didn't need to be there in person.
A short while later, the deposit notification hit my bank account.
Before I could turn the phone off again, a text from my son came through.
"Mom, where did you go?"
"Why was your phone off?"
"Why did you sell the house?"
I thought about it for a moment, then replied.
"I bought that house, and I wasn't even allowed to sleep in it."
"So neither can you."
