time Mom helped us, I told myself it was temporary. Then our situation improved and she kept telling me to forget about paying her back.”
She paused.
“After a while…”
“After a while what?”
Melissa looked at Mom.
“I stopped thinking about what helping us cost her.”
Mom reached for her hand.
Melissa started crying.
“That’s horrible.”
“It’s honest,” Mom said.
Melissa shook her head.
“You made receiving help so easy.”
Mom gave a sad smile.
“Maybe that was my mistake.”
“No.”
Melissa squeezed her hand.
“It was mine.”
She
