I Went To A Sunday Lunch, But My Daughter Told Me: “I Need Some Space Right Now. Please Leave For Today.” I Replied: “Remember This Date Well. Today Changes What Comes Next For Us.” Ten Days Later, She CALLED ME WITH A SHAKING VOICE…

I told him I had never been more sure of anything in my life. We worked for two hours preparing the new will. Every word, every clause, every detail was exactly as I wanted it.

When we finished, I felt a sense of liberation I hadn’t experienced in years. “The document will be ready to sign on Wednesday,” the lawyer told me. “You’ll need witnesses.”

And I told him that Rose and my other friends would be happy to be witnesses.

“Perfect. We’ll see you on Wednesday at 10:00 in the morning.”

That night, I came home feeling like a new woman. I made a light dinner, put on my favorite pajamas, and sat in my living room to watch my 9:00 soap opera.

My phone rang several times. It was Melissa. I didn’t answer any of the calls.

Before going to bed, I wrote in my personal journal, “Today, my new life began.”

Today, I decided that Aurora Perez deserves to be treated with respect and dignity. Tomorrow, Melissa will start to understand that mothers know how to stand up for themselves, too. The next few days passed in a strange calm.

Melissa called me five times on Monday, seven on Tuesday, and I didn’t answer any of them. Not because I was angry, but because I had finally understood something I should have understood years ago. I have no obligation to be available for someone who treats me badly, even if it’s my own daughter.

On Tuesday morning, while I was having my coffee and checking Facebook, I saw that Melissa had posted a family photo from the previous Sunday. The picture showed her, Chris, and Marina smiling in the dining room with the dishes I had prepared still on the table. The caption read, “Sunday with the family.

Blessed with my perfect little family.”

She didn’t even mention that I had been there, that I had cooked, that I had bought everything. It was as if I had been erased from history. Rose called me early.

“Did you see Melissa’s Facebook?” she asked. “I saw it,” I replied. “Nothing surprises me anymore.”

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