«Not the same as he used to be,» Parker said. «Yesterday I noticed he forgot to turn off the water in the garden. We spent an extra thirty dollars on the bill.»
«I told you,» it was Odelia’s voice, low and irritated. «We can’t watch over him forever. We have our own lives.»
I froze in the hallway, holding on to the wall. They were talking about me, unaware that I had already returned.
«I looked on the internet,» Odelia continued. «Golden Years is an excellent nursing home not far from here. They have single rooms, three meals a day, and nurses on duty around the clock.»
«He won’t agree,» Parker sighed. «You know my father.»
«He’s in no position to refuse,» Odelia’s voice hardened. «Where will he go? His pension would only be enough for a room in the slums, and we’ll finally turn the extension into a home gym, just as we planned.»
I felt nausea rising in my throat. A gym. That’s what I was to them. An obstacle to a gym.
«We need to talk to Dr. Lewis,» Parker said. «If he confirms that Dad needs constant care, we can put him there, and not feel guilty.»
«Honey,» Odelia’s voice softened. «We’re not doing anything wrong. Your father will be better off there. Professional care, interaction with his peers, and we’ll be able to live our own lives.»
I slowly backed away toward the door, trying not to make any noise. I went outside and only then allowed myself to take a deep breath. My hands were shaking. My heart was pounding.
I walked around the house and entered the annex through a separate entrance, locked the door, and sat down on the bed. A nursing home. That was their plan. Get rid of me. Free up space for a gym.
But what about the money I invested in this house? What about Parker’s promise that it would be my home for the rest of my days? I took my account book from under the mattress and opened the last page.
«They plan to send me to a nursing home,» I wrote with a trembling hand. «They want to turn my room into a gym.»
Then I flipped back to the first pages, where I had recorded all the money I had invested in the house. $240,000, the initial payment, plus monthly utility bills, roof repairs two years ago, a new air conditioner last summer. Everything was neatly recorded, all receipts saved and filed in a separate folder, which was kept in a safe deposit box at the bank.
I had always been an accountant. Even when I trusted people, I kept records. Miriam would shake her head now and say, «I told you, Cedric, you should have made it official.» She was always more practical than me.
I took out my phone and opened a message from Emmett that I had received before we met. «If you decide to go ahead, I know a good lawyer. Price specializes in family law and real estate. First rate.»
Now, sitting in the silence of my room, which they had already mentally turned into a gym, I made my decision.
In the morning, I waited until everyone left. Parker went to work. Odelia took Bridget to school and went to the office. Then I dialed the number from Emmett’s message.
«Price and Partners law firm. How can I help you?» a woman’s voice answered.
«I need to consult with Mr. Price,» I said, surprised at the firmness of my own voice, «about joint ownership of real estate. I was referred by Emmett Pryor.»
«One moment, please.» A few seconds later, a deep male voice came on the line. «Hugh Price speaking. Are you a friend of Emmett’s?»
«Yes. My name is Cedric Hall. I need advice on a delicate matter.»
«Emmett warned me you might call,» Price said. «I can see you today at two, if that’s okay with you.»
I agreed and wrote down the address. Then I called Emmett.
«You got in touch with Price. Great,» he exclaimed when I told him the news. «Do you want me to come pick you up?»
«No need,» I replied. «I’ll take the bus. I need to be alone, to think.»
«I understand,» Emmett’s voice softened. «But know that I will support whatever decision you make.»
At half past one, I was sitting in the reception area of Price and Partners, a law firm located in a glass business center in Lexington’s business district. My checkbook and a folder with copies of checks, which I had picked up from the bank on the way, were in my briefcase on my lap.
«Mr. Hall, Mr. Price is ready to see you,» the secretary said.
I walked into a spacious office where Hugh Price, a stocky man in his 50s with a neat haircut and attentive eyes, was sitting at a massive desk. «Mr. Hall, please,» he said, pointing to a chair opposite him. «Emmett speaks very highly of you.»
«We’ve known each other for almost half a century,» I said, sitting down with my briefcase on my lap.
«So,» Price said, folding his hands on the table, «tell me how I can help you.»
I took a deep breath and began my story: about Miriam’s death, about selling our house, about the money invested in our son’s house, about promises that were not kept, and finally about the conversation I overheard. Price listened attentively, taking notes.
When I finished, he leaned back in his chair. «So, there are no official documents confirming your ownership of the house?»
«No,» I shook my head. «Only checks and bank statements confirming that the money was transferred from the account where the proceeds from the sale of my wife’s and my house were kept.» I took out a folder with documents and an accounting book.
«It’s all here,» I said, placing them on the table. «Every cent is accounted for.»
Price glanced through the documents, his eyebrows rising. «An impressive sum, Mr. Hall, and very thorough documentation.»
«I was an accountant for 42 years,» I shrugged. «It’s a habit.»
«A very useful habit in this case,» Price smiled. «Mr. Hall, at first glance, you have grounds for a claim for recognition of a share in the ownership of the property. It’s called an implied trust, when one party invests significant funds in the other party’s property with an implied agreement of shared ownership.»
He tapped his pen on the table as he thought. «It’s not a simple case, given the lack of a written contract, but your documentation plus witness testimony—for example, from your friend Emmett, if he was aware of the agreement—could create a strong case. What… What will happen to my son? To his family?» I asked, suddenly feeling a heaviness in my chest.
«They may be forced to either buy out your share at market value or sell the house and divide the proceeds according to your contribution,» Price said gently but directly. «This could cause tension in family relationships.»
I smiled bitterly. «Those relations are already stretched to the limit. They want to send me to a nursing home, Mr. Price, so they can turn my room into a gym, a room and a house bought with my money.»
Price nodded, his gaze becoming sympathetic. «I understand. Mr. Hall, here’s what I suggest. I’ll study your documents in detail and prepare a preliminary legal opinion. Then we’ll meet again, and I’ll present you with all the possible courses of action and their potential consequences. The decision, of course, will be yours.»
«How long will that take?»
«Give me a week,» he said. «I want to be sure we’ve considered all aspects.»
I nodded, feeling both determination and fear. There would be no turning back if I went down this path. But did I have a choice? Allow them to send me to a nursing home? To take away the last shreds of my dignity?
«Don’t let them take your dignity,» Miriam’s voice whispered in my memory.
«I agree,» I said, shaking Price’s hand. «In a week.»
Leaving the office, I took a deep breath of the cool autumn air. Something had changed. For the first time in a long time, I felt in control of my life.
I had money that no one knew about. I had a plan. And even though Parker and Odelia didn’t know it yet, their lives were about to change as dramatically as they had planned to change mine.
The week after my meeting with the lawyer dragged on painfully slowly. Every night I returned to the annex, which they had already mentally turned into a gym, and lay awake, running through different scenarios in my head. I continued to pretend that nothing had changed. Cleaning the house. Cooking dinner, which Parker and Odelia rarely appreciated. Helping Bridget with her homework.
Hugh Price called me on Wednesday when I was home alone. «Mr. Hall, I’ve reviewed all the documents.» His voice sounded confident. «We have a good case. Not perfect, but with a high chance of success. When would be a good time to meet for a detailed discussion?»
We agreed to meet next week. A plan was slowly but surely forming in my head, like minerals crystallizing underground. Invisible to the eye, but with inevitable certainty.
On Friday, Parker announced at breakfast that they were having a family dinner on Sunday evening. «It’s been a long time since we’ve all gotten together,» he said without looking at me. «Bridget needs more family traditions.»
I nodded, feeling a strange premonition. Parker didn’t usually care about family traditions. Something was up, and I suspected I knew what it was. The conversation about the nursing home. A formal notice that I was being evicted from the annex.
«I’ll make something special,» I offered.
«No need,» Odelia replied quickly. «I’ll order from Lorenzo’s. Their lasagna is divine.»
The Italian restaurant Lorenzo’s was Parker’s favorite place. Odelia only ordered from there on special occasions, or when she wanted to soften Parker up before a difficult conversation. Yes, something was definitely brewing.
On Sunday, I woke up with the first rays of the sun. I did my usual back exercises, drank tea, and checked the news on my tablet. At 10 o’clock, I got a message from Emmett.
«How’s it going, old friend? Price said you’ve got a good case. Call me if you need help. I’m always on your side.»
I smiled as I reread the message. Emmett had always been there for me, from college until now. Even when Miriam and I were too busy to keep up with our friendship, he still called, visited, and invited us to dinners and celebrations. Such loyalty is rare.
The day dragged on slowly. Bridget was at a friend’s house. Odelia was preparing for dinner. Parker was tinkering with the car in the garage. I tried to stay away from home, wandering around the neighborhood, sitting in the park with a book, as if preparing for battle, gathering strength.
At 6 o’clock in the evening, the doorbell rang. A delivery from Lorenzo’s. I helped Odelia set the table, noticing that she had ordered my favorite salad with arugula and pear. It was a small gesture that might have touched me if I hadn’t known about their plans.
Bridget returned, beaming after a day with her friend. She hugged me, telling me about the new movie they had seen. «Grandpa, you would have loved it. There was this old detective, smart like you. He outsmarted everyone in the end.»
«Sounds interesting, sweetheart,» I smiled, stroking her hair.
By 7:00, everything was ready. We sat down at the table. Parker at the head, Odelia to his right, Bridget to his left, and me across from him. It was the perfect picture of a family dinner. Odelia even lit the candles.
«So,» Parker began after we had filled our plates. «Mom and I have some news.»
Here it is. I tensed up inside but continued eating, trying to look calm.
«We’ve decided to make some changes to the house,» he continued, exchanging glances with Odelia.
«Oh, are we going to renovate?» Bridget asked enthusiastically. «Can I repaint my room?»
«Not exactly, dear,» Odelia smiled. «We’re thinking about remodeling Grandpa’s annex.»
I felt my stomach tighten. They were really going to say it at dinner, right in front of Bridget.
«Where will Grandpa move to?» His granddaughter asked in confusion.
Parker cleared his throat, adjusting his shirt collar. «You see, we think Grandpa would be better off in a special place. Their professionals will take care of him, and he’ll be able to socialize with people his own age.»
«You want to send Grandpa to a nursing home?» Bridget sat up straight, her eyes widening in shock.
«Golden Years isn’t just a nursing home,» Odelia quickly interjected. «It’s a premium facility with personalized care, entertainment, excursions…»
«But Grandpa isn’t old or sick,» Bridget exclaimed. «He helps me with my homework. He’s better at math than you are!»
«Bridget,» Parker’s tone became harsher. «This is an adult decision. Grandpa sometimes forgets things. It’s hard for him to take care of himself.»
«That’s not true,» Bridget turned to me. «Grandpa, tell them.»
I slowly put down my fork and wiped my lips with a napkin. All eyes were on me. I felt anger building up inside me. Anger that had been building up for years. But I forced myself to speak calmly.
«Parker, Odelia, I appreciate your concern, but I am perfectly capable of living on my own.»
«Dad,» Parker leaned forward, his voice condescending, as if he were talking to a child. «We’ve thought this through. Your pension will be enough to live in Golden Years if we add a little extra.»
«If you add a little extra,» I repeated, feeling my voice tremble, «to my pension, which is barely enough for a room in a dormitory.»
«We want what’s best for you,» Odelia added with a fake smile. «Imagine, you won’t have to cook or clean.»
«I like to cook and clean,» I replied, «and I’m still strong enough to do it, despite what you say.»
Parker sighed and exchanged glances with Odelia. «Dad, be reasonable. We need more space. Bridget is growing up. She needs a room for her studies.»
«I don’t need a room for my studies,» Bridget protested. «I want Grandpa to stay.»
«Quiet,» Parker scolded her. «Adults are talking.»
I looked at the son I had raised, whom I loved with all my heart, and saw a stranger before me. When did he become like this? When did my presence become an inconvenience that needed to be removed?
«Parker,» I began slowly. «This house was bought mainly with my money.»
Silence hung in the kitchen. Bridget shifted her gaze from me to her parents. Odelia froze with a fork in her hand.
«What do you mean?» Parker asked, his voice tense.
«I mean that the $240,000 I put down as a down payment was 70% of the cost of the house at the time of purchase.»
«It was your gift,» Parker said slowly. «You said so yourself.»
«I said I would help you buy a house. In return, I expected a place in the family, not eviction, when I became inconvenient.»
