“He’s our son.”
Susan remained perfectly calm.
“And what are we?”
Nobody moved.
Patricia finally explained that their situations were different.
Susan had gone through a divorce.
Rebecca’s family had experienced financial ups and downs.
She and Richard wanted the girls to have security.
Mark nodded.
“That’s your choice.”
“Then why are you punishing us for it?”
“I’m not.”
“You moved fourteen hundred miles away.”
“For a promotion I had already turned down three times.”
“Because you knew we needed you.”
The table went silent.
Patricia heard herself.
So did everyone else.
Mark watched her for several seconds.
“Mom, I never asked you for your money.”
“Then why are we arguing about this?”
“Because you decided I needed nothing from you while assuming you could need everything from me.”
Patricia turned to Richard.
“Are you seriously going to sit there and let them talk to me like this?”
