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.

You had four years to ask whether I wanted to spend the rest of my life doing your laundry.

You had every opportunity to speak to me as a person, Colin.”

He stared at the table.

I could see that the words were reaching him, though I could not tell whether he understood them yet.

“Are you evicting us?” he asked finally.

“No.

I’m moving out.

I’ve already signed the purchase contract on a smaller place closer to the river.