Vanessa lowered her voice as if shielding the children from my presence. “But the house is getting crowded. Lily needs a room for schoolwork, and Noah’s too old to share space when guests stay over.”

I slept in a room barely large enough for a twin bed, a dresser, and three stacked boxes holding what remained of my old life. “What space am I taking from them?”

“The storage room could become a study,” Vanessa said.

There it was. Not concern. Square footage.

I turned to Daniel. He looked uncomfortable, but not surprised. They’d discussed this long before inviting me into the kitchen — chosen the facility, printed the brochure, decided which room would replace mine.

“You agreed to this?”