She nodded, tears falling silently.
“I love you, Mom. But loving you cannot mean letting you walk over me anymore.”
I waited until she got out of the car.
Then I drove away.
The next morning, I pulled into my driveway for the first time in sixteen days. Rachel was in the passenger seat. I had asked her to come as a witness, just in case.
Kyle’s Nissan and Brittany’s Honda were still there.
Through the front window, I could see movement inside.
“You ready?” Rachel asked.
“No,” I said. “But I’m doing it anyway.”
I unlocked my own front door with the key I had never given away.
The living room looked different. Kyle’s gaming setup was half disassembled on my coffee table. Boxes were stacked against the wall, some taped shut, some still open. Brittany was wrapping dishes in newspaper.
My dishes.
Kyle sat on the couch scrolling his phone. When he looked up, his expression moved from surprise to resentment.
