“Most?”
I told her about the gift cards.
She was quiet for a long time. Then she nodded, as if another piece of a sad puzzle had clicked into place.
“We’ll manage,” she said.
I sat beside her. “We shouldn’t have to manage around them.”
“No,” she agreed. “But we can start managing for us.”
The next week became a strange season of repairs.
The landlord changed the locks after I paid a fee I resented less than I expected. I removed my card from every delivery app. I canceled the streaming services my sisters used. I called the pharmacy and transferred my mother’s prescriptions to her own account, giving the pharmacist her number instead of mine.
Each step was small.
Each step felt like lifting a brick from my chest.
My mother called from different numbers. I did not answer. Brittany sent long messages accusing me of abandoning them. Kayla sent shorter ones, mostly practical, asking whether I could still cover her phone bill until summer. Lily sent nothing for three days.
Then, on Thursday afternoon, she texted Emily.
Not me.
Emily showed me the phone when I got home.
Lily: I’m sorry about the dishes. Mom said you liked keeping busy. I know that sounds dumb now.
Emily stared at the message as if it might change.
“What do you want to do?” I asked.
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t have to answer.”
“I know.”
But she did.
Emily: Thank you for apologizing. I need space right now. I hope you understand.
Lily replied with a heart.
It was not redemption. It was not a scene from a movie where everyone cried and understood everything at once. It was a tiny crack in a very thick wall.
Still, Emily slept better that night.
On Saturday, we finally finished the nursery.
The walls were pale green. The crib stood beneath the window, safely away from the blinds. The rocking chair sat in the corner beside a small shelf holding board books, folded blankets, and a stuffed bear Marcus had brought from the warehouse crew.
Emily stood in the doorway, both hands resting on her belly.
“It feels real now,” she said.
I came up behind her and wrapped my arms around her carefully.
“It’s been real.”
“I know. But this feels like he has a place.”
I looked around the room.