My Mother Left Me Her House, but Only If I Let My Brother Move in – on Christmas Morning, Everything Finally Made Sense

“Her mom wanted out, completely. New city. New life.

Staying away was the only way to keep them safe.”

“You just live with that?” I asked. “Like it’s normal?”

“No,” he said. “Nothing about this is normal.”

From the living room, Leo yelled, “Mom!

The robot’s broken!”

“Santa forgot the batteries!” Mia called.

I wiped my face.

“I’ll be right there!” I shouted back.

I turned to Quentin.

“I don’t know how to feel,” I said. “I’m relieved. I’m furious.

I feel like a jerk. And also like you still hurt me.”

He nodded. “All of that’s fair.”

“I don’t know if I can forgive you for all the stress.

But I want to.”

I didn’t answer.

I just went and fixed the robot.

He hovered in the doorway while I put batteries in and pretended nothing had changed.

But everything had.

That night, he helped put the kids to bed.

He did silly voices when he read Mia’s story. He listened while Leo explained how the robot worked in excruciating detail.

He didn’t rush. He didn’t disappear.

Later, we ended up in the kitchen again.

“I’m going to a group next week,” he said, drying a plate.

“Other people who did undercover work. Helps with… coming back to normal life.”

“Is that even possible?” I asked.

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