Returning to the SUV, Beth shouted:
« Mom, wait. We can talk. There might be room. »
I didn’t turn around. Sam opened the door for me. Before I got in, he gave Beth one last look.
« Now there’s space. What a coincidence. But you know what? We don’t need it anymore. Have a good life. »
We got back in the car. Dave started the engine. In the rearview mirror, I saw Beth standing in her driveway, crying, Robert trying to get her inside, the neighbors whispering amongst themselves. And I felt something strange. Not triumph. Not revenge. Liberation. As if a weight of decades had just been lifted from my shoulders.
Sam squeezed my hand.
» How are you ? «
I nodded.
« Better than it’s been in a long time. »
He smiled.
« That’s great, because the best part is coming up. We’re going home. Your new home. »
I watched through the window as the lights of Beth’s neighborhood faded into the distance. Those rows of houses, those perfectly ordered lives, everything I had wanted to give my daughter, and which, in the end, had meant nothing.
Sam continued:
“Mary, there’s something I want you to understand. You’re not a burden. You never have been. You’re the reason I am who I am. Every operation I perform, every life I save, bears your mark. You taught me how to care for others, how to be patient, how to see people as human beings and not as medical cases. That’s priceless.”
His words moved me deeply. This great doctor, so sure of himself, was telling me that I mattered.
« Thank you, Sam. Thank you for not forgetting me. »
He shook his head.
« I can’t forget you. You’re a part of me. »
The rest of the journey was in silence, a comfortable silence.
We arrived in a part of the city I’d only ever seen in photos. Tall, modern buildings with private security. Dave stopped in front of a glass tower that seemed to touch the sky.
« Do you live here? » I asked, stunned.
Sam smiled.
« We’re living here, for the time being. »
The elevator was made of glass. You could see the whole city below, lights everywhere. At 65, I had never been so high up. The building smelled of money, success, a world that had never been mine.
Sam noticed my discomfort.
« Relax. This is your home now too. »
The elevator stopped on the 22nd floor. The doors opened onto a private lobby. Sam swiped a card and the door to his apartment opened. When I stepped inside, I was breathless.
It was huge. Large bay windows overlooked the illuminated city. Elegant yet inviting furniture. A kitchen worthy of a magazine. All in shades of gray, white, and cream. Clean, modern, perfect.
« I know it’s a lot, » Sam said, taking off his jacket, « but I want you to be comfortable. This place will be your home for as long as you want it to be, or forever, if you decide to stay. »
He led me down a corridor to a guest room. It was bigger than my old living room. A huge bed with sheets that looked like clouds, a private bathroom with a bathtub and a jet shower, an empty closet ready to be filled.
« Tomorrow we’ll go shopping, » Sam explained. « Clothes, shoes, anything you need. But for now, just rest. There are towels in the bathroom, new things in the drawers. If you need anything, my room is down the hall. Don’t hesitate to knock. »
He left me alone. I sat on the bed and just looked around. Four days earlier, I’d been sleeping in my car. Tonight, I was in a luxury apartment. Life really could change in an instant.
I took a long, drawn-out shower. The hot water was perfect. The products smelled like luxurious lavender. I put on a bathrobe hanging in the bathroom, as soft as butter.
When I left, I found new clothes on the bed: grey jogging pants, a white t-shirt, lingerie without tags, all in my size. Sam had thought of everything.
I got dressed and left the room. I found Sam in the kitchen, making tea. He had changed out of his suit and into jeans and a comfortable top. He looked younger, more like the boy I knew.
« Chamomile or mint? » he asked, smiling.
« Chamomile. »
We settled into the living room. The city shone through the windows. Sam handed me a steaming cup of tea.
« Mary, we need to talk about your future, and I need you to be completely honest with me. »
I agreed. He continued:
« How much money have you saved? »
The question embarrassed me. I lowered my eyes.
« $3,200. That’s it. My pension is $450 a month. It’s not even enough to rent a room. »
Sam didn’t look pitying, only determined.
« Very well. We’ll sort that out. But first, I want to know what YOU want. Do you want to work? To rest? What makes you happy? »
I wasn’t used to that question. No one had asked me that since… forever, actually. What made me happy?
« I love to cook, » I finally replied, « and to take care of plants. I had a small garden on the balcony of my old apartment. Tomatoes, herbs, flowers. It was my own little bubble. »
Sam smiled.
« Perfect. So here’s what we’ll do. Tomorrow, we’ll open an account in your name. I’ll deposit $50,000 into it. »
My eyes widened.
« No, listen to me. » He raised his hand to stop me from protesting. « It’s a gift, not a loan. You won’t owe me anything. It’s the least I can do after everything you’ve done for me. »
$50,000. More money than I had ever seen.
« Sam, I can’t accept… »
He leaned towards me.
“Yes, you can. And you will, because I earn that in a week, Mary. One week. And for you, that means security. That means dignity. That means you’ll never have to beg for a place to sleep again.”
The tears flowed again.
« I don’t know how to thank you. »
Sam shook his head.
« You’ve already paid me back with years of your life, with your love and your sacrifices. Now it’s my turn. »
He got up and went to get a shirt from his office. He came back with a briefcase.
« Besides the money, I have a proposition. My clinic needs someone to manage the reception area, someone to take care of the families, reassure them, and bring warmth to this medical environment. You’re perfect for that. The salary would be $3,000 a month, flexible hours, no strenuous physical work, just be yourself. »
$3,000 a month. Almost seven times my pension.
« Are you serious? »
He nodded.
« You don’t have to accept. Think about it. »
That night, I slept in a bed that felt like a cloud for the first time in a long time. I didn’t have nightmares. I didn’t dream of buildings collapsing or doors slamming. I dreamed of gardens, ripe tomatoes, and orange flowers opening in the sun.
The next morning, the smell of coffee woke me up. Sam was already up, in his sports clothes.
« Good morning. I have an operation at 10 o’clock. But first, we’ll have breakfast and then we’ll head to the bank. Ready? »
I put on the tracksuit he had bought me. In the mirror, I saw myself differently. Still an older woman, wrinkled, with gnarled hands, but with a new light in my eyes. A glimmer of peace.
After breakfast, we went to the bank. Sam spoke directly to the manager. In less than an hour, I had a new account with $50,000 deposited into it. I was given a gold bank card. The manager treated me like an important person because I was with Sam. Because money makes you visible.
Then we went shopping. Sam took me to shops I had never dared to enter. Elegant but comfortable clothes, dresses in peach, beige, green, soft blouses, well-cut trousers, pretty but practical shoes, skincare products, a little makeup.
« Take what you like, » Sam kept repeating.
I was looking at the prices, panicking.
« Don’t look at the labels. If you like it, we’ll take it. »
We spent over $5,000.
My head was spinning, between guilt and excitement, as if I were stealing a life that didn’t belong to me.
On his way back, his arms laden with bags, Sam received a call. His expression changed. He became serious.
« Are you sure? When did this happen? »
He hung up, then looked at me.
« He was my private investigator. I asked him to keep an eye on your daughter’s situation. »
My stomach knotted.
« What’s going on? »
Sam sighed.
“Beth’s post about you. People in her neighborhood recognized her. They shared the story. Someone filmed our confrontation last night. The video is going viral on local social media. People are tearing her apart in the comments. Her baking business is getting hate reviews. And Robert has been suspended from work. Apparently, someone sent the video to his boss.”
I felt torn. Part of me thought it was right, another part, the mother who never completely gives up, felt compassion.
« Are they alright? »
Sam watched me.
« You still care. After everything they’ve done to you. »
It wasn’t a question, just an observation.
« She’s my daughter, » I simply replied.
He nodded.
« I expected it. It’s precisely this compassion that makes you exceptional. But Mary has to face the consequences. You can’t protect her from everything. »
He was right. I knew it. But a mother’s heart doesn’t always listen to logic.
« Did she try to contact me? »
He shook his head.
« No. Not yet. But when it gets really bad, she will. And you have to decide now what you’re going to do that day. »
Back at the apartment, my phone was still vibrating. Unknown numbers. Notifications. My story was starting to circulate.
I didn’t reply to Beth right away when she started writing to me. I needed time. Time to breathe. Time to see myself as something other than a rejected mother.
In the following days, Sam and I visited apartments. He wanted to give me a choice.
The fifth one we visited was perfect. Twelfth floor, modern, two bedrooms, a spacious balcony overlooking a park, a large kitchen with a central island, bathed in natural light. And most importantly: the balcony already had structures for hanging planters.
« You can make a real garden here, » said Sam. « Tomatoes, herbs, all the flowers you want. »
I walked around the rooms, imagining my life there. My plants, the morning sun, the calm.
« That’s the one, » I said. « That’s my house. »
Sam smiled.
« Then it’s your turn. We’ll sign this week. »
On my way home, my phone started ringing again. This time it wasn’t Beth. It was a number with a foreign country code. I hesitated, then answered.
» Hello ? «
An elegant female voice with a European accent:
« Mary is Lucille, Sam’s mother. »
My heart leaped. I hadn’t spoken to Lucille for almost fifteen years.
« Madame Lucille, » I replied instinctively, resuming the humble tone of the past.
« No, no, no, » she cut me off. « I’m not your boss anymore. I’m your friend. Sam told me everything about your building, your daughter. I’m devastated, and so proud of my son for doing the right thing. »
Her voice broke a little.
« I should have done more too. When you retired, I should have made sure you had everything you needed. Forgive me. »
I didn’t know what to say. Lucille had always been polite, but distant. Our relationship was professional, not intimate.
« You have nothing to apologize for, » I murmured. « You’ve always treated me well. »
She sighed.
“I treated you like an employee, when I should have treated you like family, because that’s what you were. You raised my son while I was chasing my career. You gave him what I didn’t: time, attention, unconditional love. And I can never thank you enough.”
Tears were welling up in my eyes.
« Raising Sam was an honor. He was a wonderful child. »
Lucille laughed between sobs.
« He was, and he’s a wonderful man now thanks to you. Mary, Sam told me you’re going to create a fund in your name. I want to contribute. I’ll donate $100,000 and I want to sit on the board. This project is important. »
$100,000. I couldn’t even imagine that amount.
« Madame Lucille, I don’t know what to say… »
« Say ‘yes’, and stop calling me madam. I’m Lucille, your friend. »
We hung up after a few minutes. I told Sam about the conversation. He smiled, satisfied.
« My mother has matured a lot. She’s understood what really matters. And you, Mary, you’ve always mattered, even if it wasn’t shown enough. »
Later, Sam took me to visit his clinic. He wanted me to see the place before deciding on the position.
The clinic was impressive: modern, bright, spotless. Sam introduced me to everyone.
« This is Mary. She’ll be part of the team soon. »
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