Initially, I tried to be fair — I wanted to give them space to grow, to build their lives.
However as the weeks went on, I noticed the bills rising and the quiet tension in the house.
I began to feel more like a host than a parent.
So one evening, I finally told him, “If she’s going to live here, she needs to contribute.”
He looked at me strangely, like I’d missed something important.
“Mom,” he said softly, “didn’t she tell you?”