His sneakers were already too small, something I had noticed the previous week when he curled his toes inside them. Yet he was offering to sacrifice the few things he needed because he believed our family could no longer afford him.
I gently explained that children never had to pay their parents for permission to live at home. Eli listened, but his trembling expression suggested that he had already accepted the possibility of leaving.
Then he revealed why he had asked for exactly one additional month. He remembered the doctor explaining that my surgical recovery could take several more weeks, and he wanted to remain until I was strong enough to care for the babies without his assistance.
“I thought if I stayed a little longer, your stomach wouldn’t hurt so much when I left.”
My heart sank as I realized he wasn’t simply worried about losing his bedroom. He was preparing to leave his mother behind while she was still recovering from surgery.
