I explained that his mom had written to him and that he could ask to hear it, wait, or say no.

He decided to wait.

“Is she mad at me for telling you?” he asked.

“She shouldn’t be,” I told him.

“Telling the truth isn’t what caused the problem.”

“But she told me the house would go away.”

I pulled out the mortgage calendar and showed him the new payment dates.

We were still working things out with the bank.