Chapter 10 - Mom and Dad Make Their Own Choice
My parents wanted to downsize.
Their house was too large.
Maintenance was expensive.
Dad hated the stairs.
They planned to move into a smaller home and donate part of the difference to the shelter.
“Are you sure?” I asked.
Mom laughed.
“Look at you.”
“What?”
“You’re asking instead of voting.”
That became our new family joke.
No major decision without consent.
No assigning money.
No assigning houses.
No assuming.
Mom and Dad sold the house months later.
Derek helped them move.
So did I.
Nobody told me to organize the truck.
Nobody expected me to buy lunch.
In fact, Derek arrived with sandwiches for everyone.
“You bought food?”
“Don’t make it weird.”
“I’m documenting this historic event.”
He rolled his eyes.
That afternoon, while packing Mom’s kitchen, I found an old photograph.
Derek and me.
Children.
Christmas morning.
Matching pajamas.
He was holding a toy truck.
I was missing a front tooth.
We looked ridiculously happy.
I handed it to him.
“Remember?”
“Yeah.”
For several seconds, neither of us spoke.
Then Derek said:
“I’m sorry I almost destroyed this.”
I knew what he meant.
Not Christmas.
Us.
“You didn’t.”
“Almost.”
“Almost isn’t always the ending.”
He looked at me.
“Melissa’s coming home.”
I smiled.
“Really?”
“We’re trying.”
“That’s good.”
“I’m seeing a financial counselor.”
“That’s even better.”
He laughed.
“Of course you’d say that.”
By autumn, Derek had repaid every relative.
He also paid the event company’s cancellation costs.
Then he gave me a folder.
Inside was a notarized statement acknowledging the forged signature and releasing me from any financial responsibility.
“I should’ve done this months ago.”
“Yes.”
He smiled.
“You really don’t soften anything.”
“Occupational hazard.”
Then December arrived again.
And with it came the question everyone had been avoiding.
Christmas.
Mom created a new family chat.
Its name?
ASK ELENA FIRST.
I laughed for five straight minutes.
Then the first message appeared.
Christmas ideas? Everyone pays their own share. Nobody volunteers anyone else.
Fourteen thumbs-up reactions appeared.
Then Derek posted:
Elena gets veto power over spreadsheets.
I replied:
Correct.
But I already knew where I wanted Christmas.
May you like
And when I told them, everyone went silent.
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