Recently I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was gone in my mother’s house.
I took care of it more and more, as her health deteriorated, but small things disappeared – Jewelry, souvenirs, sentimental value objects. It was strange, worrying, and what made you guess around you. I couldn’t lay my finger on it, but I was supposed to sink that the truth was hidden somewhere where I wasn’t ready to see.
After another exhausting day at work, I found that I was scrubbing the kitchen counter, the weak odor of the bleach in the air. The more I cleaned my mother’s house, the angry I was with my younger sister Jane. She seemed to have forgotten that she was also our mother.
It was not surprising, given the history of Jane. She was always sloppy, skipped school, took money from her mom’s wallet and escaped without care. She was always forgiven through her behavior. She graduated from honors, gained a scholarship and became a golden child of the family.
Nowadays Jane visited Mom when she needed something, or just to make sure she had stayed in the will. Meanwhile, I was left to deal with the harsh reality of my mom’s care, as her health refused.
I hired carers, Nancy, but I couldn’t afford to have a full -time job. After long working days I was the one who took care of my mom. I asked Jane for help, but she always refused me. I knew the months were unemployed while juggling with work, husband and son.
One evening my mother called me from her room, her voice full of panic. “My golden earrings are gone,” she said, shaking.
“Has anyone visited today?” I asked and frowned.
“No. Nancy had a day off,” my mother replied. “Jane came this morning. She just wanted to check me.”
“I’ll ask Jane,” I said, feeling restless.
“No,” Mum warned. “Jane wouldn’t steal. I don’t want you to have two fights again.” After going to sleep, I decided to confront Jane.
Frustration bubbling, I went to her apartment. After a long pause she responded to the door.
“Missing mom’s gold earrings,” I said honestly.
Jane crossed her hands, her tone defensive. “And you think I took them? Of course.”
“You were the only one who visited her today,” I said.
“Why would I marry her earrings?” She crushed sharply.
“Maybe because you broke. Maybe you need money for something,” I shot back.
“Do you even know how much I did for this family?” Jane baked.
“You didn’t do anything! I’m the one who treats everything!” I was screaming.
She turned away and refused me. “Leave. I ended up with that.”
“Okay,” I said, killing the door behind me.
Back home, Kaden put on his coat. “Just a walk,” he said, kissing my face. “Milo sleeps. Dinner is in the fridge.” Then he left and I was in silence and choked on the situation.
Over the next two weeks, my mom still mentioned more missing items. Jewelry, small souvenirs – seemed to have always disappeared after visiting Jane. My anger turned into a full rage. How could she be so selfish?
I couldn’t ignore it anymore. I went to Jane’s house, ready to confront her again. When she saw me, she picked up her eyebrows.
“And do you think I took them?” She asked in disbelief. “Why would I?”
“Because you’ve always been like this! You did it before and I know you need money!” I gave off.
Her expression froze. “Why don’t you ask your husband, what is it like to need money?”
“Don’t be able to do that!” I was screaming. “It’s the only one to help me!”
Jane mocked. “If you are so sure, call the police. Go ahead.
Instead of calling the police, I decided to install cameras in my mother.
When I entered, I was shocked when I saw Nancy there. Her shift ended in hours ago.
“Jane asked me to work extra so that you could relax,” Nancy explained, wiping her hands on a towel. “She told me not to tell you.”
I installed cameras in the living room and mom. When I was preparing, I noticed piles of new medical accounts on the kitchen counter. I turned them and felt a lump mold in my throat. The amounts were huge.
Nancy noticed the papers. “Oh, they come every month. Jane usually takes care of them,” she said.
A few days later my mom called me again, her voice was filled with anxiety. “My gold ring is gone.”
I knew it was time to check the cameras. I didn’t tell anyone about them, nor my mom, so the thief wouldn’t know where to hide something.
I checked the shots. At first I saw Jane in the matrix standing at the launcher. I leaned and thought I finally caught her. She opened a jewelry box, looked inside, but then closed her and left without taking anything.
A few hours later, Kaden entered the house. I did not believe when I watched as he was approaching the jewelry box, I would take my mom a gold ring and slip into his pocket before leaving.
It wasn’t Jane – I caught my husband, a man I trusted, steal from my mother.
“I know you’re stealing my mom,” I said, lifting the flash drive with shots.
His face paled. “Jane told you?” Koktal.
“What? No! Why would Jane tell me?” I demanded, confused and angry.
Kaden passed his hair and sighed deeply. “Because I borrowed money from her. When she found out why she stopped lending me more. She even offered to pay for rehabilitation, but I refused. Then she caught me when I took your mom’s jewelry.”
“I started gambling,” he admitted, cracking. “I thought I could win it, but I kept lost. The debts were accumulating faster than I could. I borrowed more to cover the old ones.”
“Do you want divorce?” He whispered, tears in the eyes.
I stared at him with shock. He nodded slowly and tears in his eyes. “I’m sorry, violet. I love you and milo.”
After he left, I sat in a stunned silence and tears ran down my face. After I checked Milo who slept quickly, I went to Jane’s house.
When she opened the door, I could hardly speak with tears. “I’m sorry,” I suffocated.
Jane pulled me into a embrace without hesitation and offered comfort the way only a nurse could.
In the end, I found out that I was standing at the intersection – told between my husband’s betrayal and the tension with my sister. True, as soon as she was hidden under the layers of denial and fraud, the bare was laid and the weight of everything was almost too much for it. Kaden’s confession broke the trust I put into it, and yet it was Jane’s support, someone I felt so much indignation, which offered me comfort at this painful moment.
When I hugged my sister, amazed by emotions, I realized that the family, despite his shortcomings, could still offer comfort at the time of the crisis. While the road in front of us was difficult, I knew I had the power to rebuild – whether it was my relationship with Jane, my marriage or just my own sense of peace. Life had a way to test us, but in the end we all had to face our own possibilities and deal with the consequences.
For the time being, I had to recover, and although it was hard to imagine, I was ready to move forward. Over time, I was hoping to forgive Kaden, but more importantly, I wanted to learn how to forgive, that I hadn’t seen the characters before. The way forward was uncertain, but with the right support I knew I could navigate it.