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.

But love doesn’t mean I surrender the right to decide how I spend every day.”

He drew a slow breath.

“I didn’t realize you felt that way.”

“I know.

That is part of the problem.”

After we hung up, I cried.

I hated that he sounded lost.

I hated that even in this moment, my first instinct was to drive back and reassure everyone.