Chapter 3

"Ryan and I found you a different nursing home. It's called Harmony House. A lot of people from our neighborhood go there. It's close by too, so we can visit you easily."

The way Emily put on this dutiful act made my stomach turn.

Harmony House sat right next to our complex. It was basically a retirement community where a bed cost ten dollars. Dirt cheap, sure, but it didn't come close to Everglade Manor.

Before I could refuse, Ryan nodded in agreement. "Yeah, Mom, Emily and I spent half the night researching places before we picked this one. You'll love it there."

A bitter smile crossed my face as I looked at him. "Love it? Does what I want even matter? This is about what you two want, isn't it?"

Ryan's expression stiffened. He reached for my hand, his tone turning coaxing.

"Mom, what are you saying? Emily and I respect you so much. You know that, don't you? Why else would we have you move in with us?"

I pulled my hand away coldly, bitterness flooding through me.

Respect? Did "respect" mean completely ignoring what I wanted?

After a long pause, I said with resignation, "Fine. Then I'll go back home. I won't intrude on your little family anymore."

Ryan and Emily both looked panicked. They spoke at the same time.

"No!"

I looked up in confusion. Panic flashed across Ryan's face before he collected himself.

"Mom, I just brought you here. If you go back now, what will people think of me? They'll assume Emily and I drove you away.

"Besides, I already told you, didn't I? The house was just sitting empty, so I rented it out. The tenants already paid a year's rent upfront. You'd have nowhere to live if you go back."

Those words made my heart drop. A chill spread through me, starting in my chest and radiating out to my fingertips.

I had nowhere left to go. I sat there in a daze, trying to figure out what to do next.

Emily's patience finally snapped. "Anyway, Mom, we already paid for a full year at Harmony House. You can move in tomorrow.

"If you need anything after that, just let us know and we'll bring it over. Oh, and that bank card of yours? We'll hold onto it for you. You won't need it at the nursing home."

My eyebrows shot up. I turned to stare at her. "What card?"

Emily rolled her eyes in exasperation. "The one you used to book Everglade Manor! There's obviously still plenty of money in it!"

The words burst out before I could stop them. "That's my own card! The money in there is mine!"

Ryan finally looked up, irritation plain on his furrowed face. "There's no 'yours and mine' here! Mom, we're family! My money is your money, and your money is naturally our family's money too!

"You won't need that much at the nursing home anyway. What's wrong with letting us borrow it for a while?"

I stood my ground.

"But it's my money. If you asked me for part of it, I wouldn't complain. But you can't just take all of it!"

Disappointment flickered in Ryan's eyes, and his voice rose despite his attempt to keep it down.

"Mom, can you please stop being so selfish! I'm at a point in my career where I need money to network and move up. If you can't help, fine, but can you at least not make things harder? Think of that money as supporting your son's career!

"Once I get my promotion and raise, I'll take care of you properly. Can't you just understand what I'm going through right now?"

Emily jumped in. "Exactly, Mom. You have no idea how hard Ryan works to support this family. We're all family here. Just help him out.

"Look at my parents. Whenever they have savings, they give it to us. That money will just be wasted in your hands anyway. It's better to let Ryan use it for something worthwhile."