It was the first time I had ever seen Jessica left completely speechless.
Colin looked more hurt than angry. “Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked softly.
“Because I heard your wife say I was becoming a burden, and I heard you reply, ‘What do you want me to do? She’s my mother.’ You didn’t say you wanted me here. You said you didn’t know what to do with me.”
The silence that followed was so heavy you could hear the hum of the refrigerator. Colin sat down at the table, buried his face in his hands, and whispered, “Mom, I… I had no idea you heard that.”
“You didn’t have to know for it to hurt.”
Jessica tried to regain control of the situation. “So this is revenge? You’re kicking us out on the street over a conversation?”
“No,” I answered. “This is a separation of accounts. You have thirty days according to the lease terms. Your security deposit will be refunded in full, and the property will be sold. I don’t want my money, my peace of mind, or my relationship with my son tied to this house. Besides, you two were already making plans for my room on January first. Now every adult in this house simply has to take responsibility for their own plans.”
