Chapter 3 - The Family Meeting
Mom insisted we meet.
Sunday afternoon.
Her house.
Brenda arrived first.
She looked exhausted.
But not sorry.
Mariana sat beside me.
Emma stayed home with a babysitter.
Mom placed tea on the table.
“Let's resolve this.”
Brenda crossed her arms.
“There is nothing to resolve.”
I looked at her.
“You filed an objection to my ownership claim.”
“Because it's unfair.”
“You signed the deed.”
“I was under pressure.”
“What pressure?”
She looked away.
“I needed money.”
“That isn't coercion.”
“You knew I had no choice.”
“I gave you a choice.”
Her eyes narrowed.
“You could have just helped me.”
“I did.”
“And then you took my house.”
“No.”
I leaned forward.
“I took responsibility for half of a house I helped save.”
Mom interrupted.
“Enough.”
Everyone went silent.
She looked at me.
“Rafael, your sister made a mistake.”
I nodded.
“I know.”
Then she looked at Brenda.
“And you need to acknowledge what you did to Emma.”
Brenda's face changed.
“She'll grow out of it.”
Mariana stood.
“No.”
Brenda looked at her.
“You don't get to decide that.”
The room became tense.
Mariana's voice remained calm.
“You humiliated a child.”
Brenda scoffed.
“It was a haircut.”
“You held her down while she cried.”
Brenda looked at me.
“Did she tell you that?”
Emma hadn't needed to.
Mariana had been there when she returned.
And the babysitter had heard Emma explain everything.
My mother closed her eyes.
“Brenda.”
For the first time, my sister looked uncomfortable.
“I was angry.”
“At a child?”
“No.”
“At me?”
She said nothing.
I understood.
The haircut had never been about Emma.
It had been punishment directed at me.
Brenda believed she could hurt something I loved because she was angry about the deed.
That realization changed everything.
I stood.
“We're done.”
Brenda looked shocked.
“You're leaving?”
“Yes.”
“You're just going to let this happen?”
“No.”
I looked directly at her.
May you like
“I'm letting the court handle it.”
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