I stood there, heart pounding, as my son shifted beside his wife. We lied about what?” I asked, voice calm but firm. My daughter-in-law folded her arms. “We never needed the space for a family. We just thought it’d be easier if you moved out. My mom needs a place now, and this works best for us.” I felt the air leave my lungs. My own son had let me believe I was giving them the house to start a family. Instead, they just wanted me gone. I turned to him. “Is this true?” He looked away. “We didn’t mean to hurt you. We just thought… maybe it was time you downsized.” Downsized. Like I was clutter. I clenched my hands. “I didn’t leave my home so you could bring someone else in.” She shrugged. “Well,

it’s our house now.” Legally, she wasn’t wrong—I had signed it over. But her tone was cold, dismissive. That house had been my home. Now I was being erased from it. I looked back at my son. “If that’s how you feel, then there’s nothing more to say.” I left before they could answer.— At my sister Mary’s, I stared into a cup of tea. They lied,”