When Dad died, the house became mine. The will was clear: I got the home, Mom and Tyler each got ten thousand. But Mom never accepted it. She lingered in every room like a queen without a crown, insisting “It’s still my house.” For a year I bit my tongue, letting grief cover my anger—until I came home one day to find Tyler and Gwen moving in, uninvited, Mom cheering them on.

They were terrible housemates—mess everywhere, bills ignored, Gwen tearing through my food and opening my mail. When she announced a pregnancy, Mom declared it meant I should serve her. The final straw came when Gwen ate the only meal I’d made all day. When I protested, Tyler and Mom turned on me, accusing me of selfishness. In my own kitchen, in my own house, I was told to leave. That night, I locked my door and called Uncle Bob.

By morning we were at the title office. I sold the house to him on the spot. Later I faced them in the living room: “You have forty-eight hours. It’s Bob’s house now.” They laughed until they realized I wasn’t bluffing. Bob showed up with papers in hand, calmly giving them notice. They packed under protest; Mom cried, Gwen whined, Tyler fumed. I didn’t argue. I made a sandwich and ate it on the back steps where Dad and I once shelled peas. For the first time, the house felt like mine again—even as I let it go.

Two weeks later I moved into a small cottage with crooked walls and a maple tree that scatters seeds like confetti. Peace replaced exhaustion. I hung a photo of Dad in the kitchen and sometimes cook his mushroom pasta recipe, standing still to watch the steam curl into nothing before eating every bite. Mom’s texts accusing me of “killing the family” went unanswered. I haven’t forgiven them—but I’ve found peace, and for now, that’s enough.