She reached into the envelope again and pulled out another card. This one smaller. Her eyes never left mine as she slid it across the table toward me. And this one is for you, Dela. My hands trembled slightly as I picked up the card. The silence around the table was deafening as I read the words printed in that same elegant script. House-sitting duties. Deep clean all rooms. Organize closets. Tend to plants. Expected completion by December 5th. Thank you for your service. The word swam in front of my eyes. Service. Like I was hired help like I was the maid. Not the woman who had raised the man sitting at the head of this table. Not the grandmother of the children who were now looking at me with confusion. I don’t understand, I whispered, my voice barely audible. Rya’s smile turned predatory.
Well, someone needs to take care of the house while we’re gone. You don’t mind, do you?
I mean, you practically live here anyway, and it’s
I mean, you practically live here anyway, and it’s not like you have anywhere else to be. The casual cruelty of her words hit me like a physical blow. Uncle Tom shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Rya’s mother looked down at her plate. “Even Marcus seemed stunned, though he said nothing to defend me. Even the babysitter is coming with us,” Rya continued, her voice light and cheerful as if she were discussing the weather. “The kids are so excited to have Sarah along. It’ll be like one big happy family vacation. ” I looked around the table at the faces I’d known and loved for years. Some avoided my eyes. Others looked genuinely uncomfortable, but no one spoke up. No one said this was wrong.
No one pointed out that I was being treated like hired help in my own home. “Grandma Dela,” Emma’s small voice cut through the silence. ” Rya answered before I could.
