“I’m telling you, Donald, your son will lose patience soon and ask you to move. It’s better to find another place on your own before things get strained,” Mary repeated. She’d been saying this since they started drinking tea on his son’s porch.
Donald’s house had burned down two months ago, and after he suffered a heart attack upon returning home, his son Peter and his wife Sandra insisted on moving him in. But they were a young couple with three kids, and now they were also caring for an elderly man.
Donald had been feeling like a burden, but Peter and Sandra insisted they were happy to have him. Still, Mary, who was around Donald’s age, kept suggesting otherwise.
“You think they’ll be too polite to ask me to leave?” Donald wondered, sipping his tea slowly.
Mary nodded vigorously. “Of course! It happened to me. I only stayed with my daughter for three weeks, and she blamed me for everything. She even said I was too loud in the mornings and my presence was raising her electric bill. We haven’t spoken since.”
Donald thought Mary might be right. Peter and Sandra had been coming home later and later, and though they were polite, he began to wonder if they were secretly unhappy.
That night, Donald brought up the idea of moving to a nursing home, but Peter brushed it off. “Dad, not now. We’ll talk later.”
Weeks passed, and Donald noticed how exhausted Peter and Sandra seemed, even though they always smiled. Donald, with some savings, thought it might be time to explore other options and had found a nearby assisted-living home. He printed the details and was ready to show Peter.
The next day, Peter agreed to visit the place. But on the way, Peter took a few unexpected turns. Donald, thinking they were heading back home, asked, “Are we sure this is the right way?”
“Don’t worry, Dad. We’re stopping by 7Eleven first,” Peter answered.
Donald nodded, reading through the pamphlet. He didn’t realize they were driving down his old street until Peter stopped the car.
“Look up,” Peter said, and Donald saw the site of his former house, now completely rebuilt.
“No, you didn’t,” Donald whispered.
Peter smiled. “Of course, we did. Sandra worked hard to find the best deals.”
Tears filled Donald’s eyes. “That’s too much money. Let me pay you back.”
“Absolutely not,” Peter replied, his own eyes tearing up. “I couldn’t let you live in a nursing home. You and Mom raised me here. We couldn’t let it go.”
Overcome with emotion, Donald hugged his son tightly. As they toured the newly renovated house, Donald finally understood why Peter and Sandra were always home late. And he realized Mary had been completely wrong.
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