"I will always come back for you."
Daniel opened his eyes.
The living room was dark.
He looked at his phone.
His mother's number was still near the top of his recent calls.
He considered calling.
Then he hesitated.
What would he say?
He had spent so long assuming she would always forgive him that he had forgotten forgiveness was something he needed to deserve.
Upstairs, Vanessa entered the bedroom.
"Are you coming to bed?"
"In a minute."
She noticed the documents.
"You're still thinking about that?"
Daniel nodded.
Vanessa sat beside him.
"Look, we need to be practical. We can't just let her sell the house."
Daniel turned toward her.
"She didn't say she wanted to throw us out."
"She said she might sell it."
"Because it's hers."
Vanessa sighed.
"I know that."
"Do you?"
Vanessa looked surprised.
"What does that mean?"
Daniel rubbed his forehead.
"It means we've been living here for years, and we never once considered how much our parents sacrificed to make it possible."
Vanessa became defensive.
"We didn't force them to help us."
"No. They helped because they loved us."
"And now she's using that against us?"
Daniel looked at his wife.
"She hasn't threatened us. She offered us a chance to buy the house."
Vanessa folded her arms.
"At what price?"
Daniel looked down at the documents.
"I don't know."
For the first time, he was beginning to understand that the real cost of the house might have nothing to do with money.
CHAPTER 8: THE CALL
The following morning, Eleanor was sitting in her kitchen.
Her home was smaller than Daniel's, but it was warm and comfortable.
Photographs of Robert covered one wall.
There was one picture of him holding Daniel as a newborn.
Another showed the family standing together at a beach.
Eleanor was preparing tea when her phone rang.
She looked at the screen.
Daniel.
For a moment, she simply stared.
Then she answered.
"Hello?"
"Mom?"
"Good morning, sweetheart."
There was a pause.
"Did you sleep?"
"A little."
"Me neither."
Eleanor sat down.
"Is everything okay?"
Daniel exhaled.
"Can we meet?"
"Of course."
"Just the two of us?"
Eleanor looked toward Robert's photograph.
"Yes."
They arranged to meet at a small cafรฉ near the park.
Daniel arrived early.
He chose a table near the window and ordered two coffees.
When Eleanor entered, he stood immediately.
"Hi, Mom."
"Hello, Daniel."
He pulled out a chair for her.
It was such a small gesture.
But Eleanor noticed it.
They sat quietly for a moment.
Then Daniel spoke.
"I owe you an apology."
Eleanor did not interrupt.
"I was rude yesterday. I shouldn't have spoken to you like that."
She looked at him.
"Thank you."
"I've been thinking about what you said."
"Which part?"
"All of it."
He looked down at his coffee.
"I think I became so focused on my own life that I stopped noticing yours."
Eleanor's eyes softened.
Daniel continued.
"I kept telling myself that you were fine because you had your house and your money. I thought you didn't need much from me."
Eleanor nodded slowly.
"I don't need much."
"I know."
She reached across the table.
"But sometimes a phone call means more than a thousand dollars."
Daniel's eyes became wet.
"I know that now."
They sat in silence.
Outside, a little girl was chasing pigeons across the pavement.
Eleanor watched her for a moment.
Then Daniel asked about the documents.
She explained the proposed agreement again.
She told him that she was willing to let him purchase the property under reasonable conditions.
She also explained that she would not force him to stay there.
If he wanted to move, she would understand.
Daniel listened carefully.
Finally, he asked: