Brenda went silent for several seconds before demanding the address of my new place. I refused to give it to her. She immediately started crying, saying Owen and Caleb had already packed their belongings because Mom told them they were moving into my upstairs bedroom. That hurt because I loved my nephews, but Brenda had created this situation without asking me. Loving those boys did not mean becoming responsible for every decision their mother made.
Mom took the phone back and accused me of secretly selling my house just to punish Brenda. I reminded her that she had literally told me they were moving three people into my home whether I agreed or not. Dad started shouting in the background about family loyalty. I ended the call. For the first time in my life, I didn’t explain myself twice.
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