Chapter 1

I walked into the private dining room after my father-in-law’s funeral and found my husband assigning away the next six years of my life.

Frank had been buried three hours earlier.

“Mom is moving in with us on Sunday,” Patrick announced to twenty-seven relatives and family friends. One hand rested on his mother’s shoulder. “Rachel already knows the routine. Medications, meals, appointments. She can handle the transition.”

Several people looked relieved. Patrick’s sister Elaine even started clapping.

Everyone turned toward me, waiting for my grateful smile.

For six years, I had bathed Frank in the mornings, changed his sheets at two a.m., and given up my job to sit with him through the nights when he no longer remembered his son’s name.

Patrick had thanked the pastor, the neighbors who brought food, and his two sisters, who had flown in for the funeral.

He had not thanked me.

“When did we discuss this?” I asked.

Patrick crossed the room and pressed a hand to my back, trying to guide me toward an empty chair. “Don’t do this today. Mom just lost her husband.”

“When did you ask me?”

He leaned closer, keeping his voice low. “You haven’t had a real job in six years. What exactly is waiting for you out there?”

People nearby suddenly became interested in their napkins and coffee cups. They had heard him.

Evelyn pushed herself up from the table. “Rachel, come with me.”

As soon as the hallway door closed behind us, she caught my arm. “I don’t want to impose. Patrick told me moving in was your idea.”

“It wasn’t.”

Her grip loosened. “You didn’t know?”

“Not until he announced it.”

Evelyn glanced through the glass at her son. “He said the house felt too quiet for you. That caring for Frank ended so suddenly, you might need someone else to keep you busy.”

During Frank’s final four months, I had rarely slept five hours in a night.

Patrick knew I had contacted my former supervisor about returning to work after the funeral.

Only last week, he had promised that once this was over, we could have our lives back.

Patrick came into the hallway. “Everyone’s waiting. Today is hard enough without you creating a problem.”

“What is the problem? Your mother, or the fact that I didn’t agree on command?”

Evelyn frowned. “Patrick, I never said I couldn’t live alone.”

“Mom, you’re grieving. This is easier for everyone.”

It was. His sisters could keep their schedules. Patrick could keep traveling. Evelyn would not need to pay for help.

Only my life had to stop again.

Back at the table, Patrick’s aunt squeezed my hand. “Evelyn is lucky to have you.”

“I haven’t agreed to anything.”

Patrick cut in before she could answer. “Rachel is exhausted. We’ll work out the details after she rests.”

“Let’s work them out now.” I looked at his sisters. “Who takes weekdays? Who stays overnight? Who handles groceries and appointments?”

Susan looked down at her phone. “I live four hours away. I can try some weekends.”

Elaine said the children made her schedule unpredictable.

Patrick sighed. “That’s why Rachel makes sense. She’s already done this for six years.”

After the reception, he unlocked the car and opened the driver’s door. “Mom arrives Sunday afternoon. You have two days to get the house ready.”

“Where is she sleeping?”

“Your old office. The downstairs bathroom will be easier for her.”

“That’s where I planned to start working again.”

“You can put your computer in the laundry room.”

He got into the car.

“I had your desk moved to the garage yesterday.”