Inside, Ethan stood in my kitchen with Ashley, measuring the wall like they already owned it.
He looked stunned when he saw us.
“Dad,” he said. “We need to talk.”
I set Linda’s bag on the counter.
“No,” I said. “Tonight, you listen.”
Part 2
Ashley crossed her arms before Ethan could say anything.
“Tom, this is getting uncomfortable,” she said. “We were only trying to make practical decisions.”
I stared at her. “Locking my wife out of her own home is practical?”
Ethan’s face tightened. “Mom was being emotional. She wouldn’t listen.”
Linda stood behind me, silent and small in the kitchen she had decorated, cleaned, and filled with family dinners for nearly forty years.
I looked at my son. “What exactly did she not listen to?”
Ethan exhaled like he was the exhausted parent and I was the child. “Dad, be realistic. You’re getting older. This house is too much for you. Ashley and I talked it over. We should move in now, take over the property, and you and Mom can stay in the guest room until we figure out senior living options.”
