My daughter-in-law laughed as she gave me a $2 scratch-off for my 73rd birthday. Ten months later, my own son shoved a senior living brochure in front of me and said, “We already picked your room.” They thought I was too old to fight back. They had no idea what I had been hiding.

Not of losing the money.

Of discovering I couldn’t trust the people closest to me with the truth.”

He looked up at me.

“I’m sorry we gave you reason to feel that way.”

It was another apology, but by then it came with evidence of change.

We finished planting the tree together.

PART 24

I still have the two-dollar ticket.