I felt anger rising inside me, but I knew that my daughter needed me to listen more than she needed me to react.
“Has this happened before?”
Sofia looked toward the door.
“Please don’t tell Mom I said anything.”
That sentence told me how afraid she was.
I helped her stand, took the clothes out of the basin, and brought her upstairs.
For the first time in months, I stayed beside her until she felt comfortable enough to talk.
And what she told me next made me realize that the laundry was only part of the problem.
Part 3: The Rules I Never Knew About
Sofia explained that Patricia and her children had been staying with us for several months.
Vanessa had told me that her sister needed a little temporary help after a difficult period.
I had agreed because family should help family when possible.
But the arrangement had gradually changed.
