Three Months of Mourning
Less than three months after my wife passed away, my sister-in-law started pressuring me to clear out my room.
"Look, I'm not trying to kick you out, Graham. Donovan wants to renovate your bedroom. The sooner you pack up, the sooner we can start the work. Besides, you married into the family. Now that Arya is gone, it doesn't make sense for you to keep living with us."
My mother-in-law paused mid-bite, pretending not to hear. Donovan Marlowe kept his head down, eating in silence.
Seeing I did not respond, she continued, "Don't get me wrong. I'm just worried people will gossip about you."
Only then did I look up at her, my tone calm. "Thanks for the concern, Sloane. But I'm not afraid of gossip."
After all, the house was registered in my name.