“Then talk.”
Amanda and Robert stood in the doorway, looking at me as if they didn’t recognize me. Maybe they didn’t. The woman they had known their whole lives would have opened the door wide, invited them in, made coffee, done everything possible to smooth over the tension.
But that woman no longer existed.
“You’re not going to let us in?” Robert asked in a tone that was meant to be authoritative but sounded more like confusion.
“It depends on what you’ve come to say.”
Amanda crossed her arms. Her face was tense, with dark circles that revealed sleepless nights. But I didn’t feel the need to fix that. It wasn’t my job to fix the consequences of their own decisions.
“We came to talk about what happened,” Amanda said, “about how you ruined the whole family’s Christmas.”
“I didn’t ruin anything. You created an unsustainable situation and I simply refused to be a part of it.”
“You left us hanging,” Robert interjected. “We lost thousands of dollars on reservations we couldn’t cancel. We had to spend Christmas with eight screaming kids asking for you.”
“And I spent Christmas in peace for the first time in years. It was a choice. Mine.”
Amanda took a step forward.
“Do you know how hard it was to explain to the kids why their grandma abandoned them?”
“I didn’t abandon anyone. I refused to be used. There’s a difference.”
“This is ridiculous,” Robert said. “You’re our mother. You’re supposed to be there for us.”
“I was your mother my whole life. I raised you. I cared for you. I sacrificed everything for you. But you’re not children anymore. You’re adults with your own families. And I’m no longer obligated to solve all your problems.”
“Then what? Are we not your family anymore? Do we not matter?” Amanda’s voice shook.
