She opened a small room right next to the laundry area. There was a folding bed beside the washing machine.
Her blood pressure medication sat on a plastic table. A photograph of my parents’ wedding rested next to a bottle of dish soap.
“Who is upstairs?” “Derek and Melissa have the master bedroom. Melissa’s mother has the second room.”
Then the garage door opened. My brother walked in with the confidence of a man who believed the house had always belonged to him.
“Iris! Why didn’t you tell us you were coming?” Melissa’s tone changed immediately.
“If we had known you were coming, we would have prepared the guest room.”
I looked around calmly. “The guest room? It seems all the rooms are already occupied.”
Dinner confirmed everything. Four elegant place settings were prepared around the dining table, while my mother had been given a separate tray on the kitchen counter.
I pulled out a chair beside me. “Mom is eating with me.” Nobody protested, but Melissa’s expression shifted instantly.
