He continued contributing to household expenses.
He attended counseling and joined a local support group for gambling problems.
He began treating his financial responsibilities as ordinary obligations, rather than accomplishments that deserved praise.
We spoke several times without his parents present.
Sometimes the conversations were uncomfortable.
He answered questions he’d already answered before.
He admitted when he felt tempted to gamble again.
I told him I could listen, but I couldn’t become responsible for controlling his choices.
He needed support from professionals and people equipped to help him.
On November 3, I invited him home.
But I established boundaries.
We would sleep separately at first.
We would continue reviewing the household finances together.
He would keep attending counseling.
And neither of us would tell the family that everything was fixed simply because we were sharing a roof again.
“I want to try,” I said. “But I don’t want to pretend.”
