“I was proud of my home,” I said.

“Until you made it a place where I couldn’t recover from surgery.”

Lucas finally looked at the paper in his mother’s hand.

I saw the moment he realized what it said.

But he did not challenge her, and that silence told me more than any apology would have.

PART 5: A Door That Opened for Me

We made the journey to Dad’s ranch-style house on the outskirts of town slowly.

Jesse drove the truck, Wyatt followed in his own vehicle, and Dad sat beside me in the back so he could help with anything I needed.