“A few days ago.”
“And you weren’t going to tell us?”
“I am telling you now.”
She crossed her arms.
“Where are you going?”
“Not far.”
“Tyler needs to know.”
“He’ll know.”
She stared at me suspiciously.
“You’re angry.”
“No.”
“Then why are you suddenly moving?”
I looked at her.
“Because I want my own home.”
She rolled her eyes.
“This is because of the rent increase, isn’t it?”
I almost smiled.
“Partly.”
“Tyler was just trying to make things fair.”
I said nothing.
Jessica stepped closer.
“You know, Eleanor, families sometimes have to make sacrifices.”
“I agree.”
“So you understand why we’re increasing your rent.”
“No.”
Her eyebrows rose.
“What?”
“I understand that you want to increase my rent.”
I zipped another suitcase.
“That isn’t the same thing.”
Jessica stared at me.
“You’ve become very difficult lately.”
I stopped packing.
“Have I?”
“Yes.”
“You’re spending $900 a month to live here, and you think I’m difficult because I asked why your mother pays nothing?”
“She is my mother.”
“And I’m Tyler’s mother.”
“That isn’t the same.”
I looked at her for several seconds.
“No,” I said quietly.
“It isn’t.”
She seemed satisfied, as though I had finally admitted defeat.
Then she walked away.
I waited until the door closed.
Then I whispered to myself,
“Not anymore.”
The following morning, Tyler finally noticed something was wrong.
He came downstairs while I was making coffee.
“Mom, Jess said you’re moving.”
“Yes.”
He stared at me.
“Why?”
“Because I found a home.”
“You’re serious?”
“Yes.”
He rubbed his forehead.
“This is ridiculous.”
I turned around.
“Why?”
“Because you already live here.”
“I know.”
“We’ve made arrangements around you being here.”
I almost laughed.
“Have you?”
“Yes.”
“Like charging me rent?”
“Mom…”
“Like raising it to $1,200?”
“That was because expenses have increased.”
“Like giving Barbara a private suite?”
He became quiet.
“She’s family.”
I nodded.
“And what am I?”
He sighed.
“Don’t start this again.”
“I asked you a question.”
“You’re my mother.”
“Then why doesn’t that count?”
He looked irritated.
“Because Barbara isn’t supposed to be contributing financially right now.”
“She has more money than I do.”
That stopped him.
He stared at me.
“You don’t know that.”
“I do.”
His expression changed.
“How?”
I smiled.
“You’d be surprised what people say when they think you’re not listening.”
He became defensive.
“Mom, this isn’t about money.”
“Then what is it about?”
He had no answer.
I took my coffee and walked toward the stairs.
Behind me, he called out.
“You’re really going to leave?”
I turned.
“Yes.”
“But where will you go?”
“My new house.”
He laughed nervously.
“You bought a house?”
“Yes.”
“With what?”
I looked at him.
“With my money.”
His smile disappeared.
“You can’t be serious.”
“I am.”
“Mom, you sold the condo.”
“I know.”
“So where did you get enough money for another house?”
I stared at him.
“Tyler, I’ve never been poor.”
He didn’t speak.
For the first time, I saw something unfamiliar in his eyes.
Not anger.
Not sadness.
Fear.
I walked upstairs.
And I closed my bedroom door.
The moving company arrived five days later.
Three large trucks pulled into the driveway.
That got everyone’s attention.
Barbara stepped outside wearing a silk robe and sunglasses.
“What is happening?”
I continued walking toward the moving truck.
“I’m moving.”
She laughed.
“You’re actually doing it?”
“Yes.”
“I thought this was just some emotional reaction.”
“No.”
She lowered her sunglasses.
“Where are you going?”
“Home.”
Her expression changed.
“You sold your condo.”
“I bought another home.”
Barbara stared at me.
“You did?”
“Yes.”
“How much?”
I smiled.
“That’s private.”
She scoffed.
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“I’ve never been more serious.”
Tyler came outside.
“Mom, we need to talk.”
“We already did.”
“No, we didn’t.”
He stepped closer.
“You can’t just leave like this.”
I looked at him.
“Why not?”
“Because you’re my mother.”
“And?”
“You’re supposed to be here.”
“Why?”
He opened his mouth.
Then closed it.
I waited.
Finally, he said,
“Because you’re family.”
I looked toward the downstairs suite.
Then back at him.
“That’s interesting.”
He frowned.
“What?”
“I thought family was only supposed to matter when it was convenient.”
His face reddened.
“Mom, that’s unfair.”
“Is it?”
I turned toward the movers.
“Please take the boxes from the upstairs bedroom first.”
Tyler grabbed my arm.
Not hard.
But enough.
“Mom.”
I looked down at his hand.
He immediately released me.
“I’m sorry.”
I nodded.
“Thank you.”
He looked devastated.
“Can we please talk?”
I looked at my son.
Really looked at him.
The little boy who used to fall asleep against my shoulder.
The teenager whose graduation gown I had ironed.
The young man whose wedding suit I had helped pay for.
The son whose landscaping business I had helped save with $20,000.
And standing in front of me now was a man who had looked at his grieving mother and decided she could afford to pay rent.
I felt something inside me finally break.
Not my love for him.
Something different.
The belief that loving someone meant tolerating everything they did.
“Tyler,” I said softly.
“I love you.”
His eyes filled with tears.
“But I will never again confuse love with permission to mistreat me.”
He stared at me.
I walked away.
Behind me, Barbara whispered something to Jessica.
I couldn’t hear the words.
But I heard Jessica say,
“She’ll be back.”
I stopped.
I turned around.
“No,” I said.
“I won’t.”
Then I got into my car.
And drove away.
For the first time since William died, I wasn’t driving away from something.
I was driving toward something.
My own life.
But I didn’t know yet that leaving the house would only be the beginning.
Because three weeks later, Tyler discovered something about the property I had purchased.
And when he did, he made a phone call that changed everything.
