After having dinner on the holiday eve, I'm about to distribute the gift cards to the younger generation of the family when my daughter, Lisa Mercer, speaks up.

"Mom, we're not going to celebrate the holidays at home. You should pack up and go back to your own home too."

Shock flashes across my face. "It's nighttime, and yet you want me to leave right now?"

Lisa replies calmly, "I'm doing this for your own good. If you stay in my house on your own, you won't be able to defend yourself if anything in this house goes missing."

I no longer question Lisa. Instead, I pack my own belongings and go back to my childhood home.

One week later, when Lisa and the rest of the family comes back from their vacation, they are stunned, to say the least.

After all, the house that they've lived in for the past eight years now has a new owner.

I was just about to hand over a gift card when my daughter, Lisa Mercer, suddenly held up several plane tickets.

"Mom, I already bought tickets for a morning flight to Costa Bella tomorrow."

Warmth spread through my chest. A month ago, my old girlfriends organized a group trip to Costa Bella. I couldn't go because I was helping Lisa take care of her children, but she promised she would take me once she was on vacation.

I looked forward to it for a long time, and now I could finally ring in the New Year with my friends on the coast.

I agreed with a smile. "Great, let me go pack my things."

Before I could finish, she cut me off. "Right. Pack up your things and head back to your own place."

I froze. "What do you mean? You're kicking me out?"

Lisa glanced at me and replied calmly, "These six tickets are for Brandon's parents and our family of four. You don't need to come.

"I'm not trying to kick you out. It's just that we're all leaving first thing tomorrow and nobody will be home. If something went missing, you'd be the one who has to answer for it."

A chill ran through my entire body. So that was how it was. I spent every day running myself ragged so her life could be a little easier, and the moment she no longer needed me, I became a suspect.

And this was the apartment my husband and I bought in the first place.

I let out a cold laugh. "Fine."

Lisa blinked. She clearly didn't expect me to agree so readily. After all, we argued more than once in the past when she took her in-laws on trips and left me behind.

A flicker of discomfort crossed her face.

"Well then... Take care of yourself at home, okay? And if you're short on money, just tell me."

I shook my head as I packed. "No need."

It didn't take long to get everything together. Lisa hurried to call her husband over. "Brandon, drive Mom—"

"No need. I'll get a cab myself." I cut her off, leaving no room for argument.

With that, I walked straight out the door. Fireworks were going off downstairs, brilliant streaks tearing across the night sky, but none of their light could warm the cold settling in my chest.

I flagged down a cab. The driver noticed my suitcase and asked kindly, "Heading home for the holidays this late?"

I nodded.

He must have picked up on my mood, because he spoke again. "You know, whatever's going on, you've gotta put yourself first."

He was right. My own happiness was the most important thing.

I dialed Kevin Morris, the real estate agent.

"Go ahead and list the apartment at Maple Ridge for me. Below market price is fine. The faster it sells, the better."

Kevin paused on the other end. "Ms. Aldridge, are you sure? A unit like yours won't sit on the market. You could hold out for a better offer."

I cut him off. "No need. I want it sold quickly."

Kevin could tell I wasn't budging, so he agreed without hesitation. "Alright, Ms. Aldridge. I'll bring people to view it first thing tomorrow."

After I hung up, I let out a long, heavy breath.

The driver glanced at me in the rearview mirror. "Happy New Year."

I managed a smile. "Happy New Year."

Back at my own home, I took the property deed out of the cabinet. Only my name was on it. That was the security my husband, Henry Mercer, left me.

He bought the apartment while he was still alive, intending it for our retirement. Then Lisa got married and her husband, Brandon Seat, didn't have a place of his own, so they moved in temporarily.

That temporary stay lasted eight years. After Henry passed, I moved in too, to help her with the children. I even considered transferring the title to her in a few years, to give her the same sense of security Henry once gave me.

But now, clearly, there was no need for that.

On the afternoon of New Year's Day, Kevin had already lined up a buyer. I took the spare key and went over to the apartment.

Leftover food still sat on the dining table. They didn't even bother to clean up before they left. Other than that, the place was spotless.

I always kept it that way. As I walked the buyer through the rooms and we reached the study, they suddenly asked, "Why is there a cot in there?"

My heart sank. That cot was my bed.

When I first moved in, I only planned to stay through Lisa's postpartum recovery, but one thing led to another and three years slipped by. She mentioned replacing it with a proper bed more than once, yet it never happened.

I always told myself they were just too busy with work and it slipped their minds. Now I could see it for what it really was. I was the only one who ever cared.

I smiled and said nothing. Kevin picked up on my embarrassment and quickly changed the subject. He knew my situation.

Years ago, I originally asked him to help me rent the apartment out, and he even found tenants. But Lisa needed a place to live right around that time, so I dropped it.

I found Kevin to be a straightforward, honest person, so I referred clients to him on several occasions. We got to know each other well over time. I even invited him over for meals more than once, so he was familiar with how things were at home.

The buyer was pleased with the apartment and wanted to close on the spot. After careful thought, I decided to be upfront with him.

"Mr. Patterson, I should be honest with you. My daughter's family is living here right now, and we're not on good terms.

"There might be some complications down the line. If that doesn't scare you off, I'm willing to go ten percent below market."

Mr. Patterson frowned. "Whose name is on the title?"

"Mine," I said.

His brow relaxed. "Then we shouldn't have a problem. I'll pay in full, but I need the transfer done fast."

I didn't expect him to agree so easily. It took me a moment to collect myself.

"Of course. We can file the paperwork the moment the county clerk's office opens."

The total price came to 2.3 million dollars. Mr. Patterson wired half as a deposit. 1.15 million dollars hit my account almost instantly, and I felt nothing at all.

He wanted to take possession the next day, and I agreed without hesitation. I hired a moving company to pack up Lisa's family's belongings overnight and ship everything to Brandon's parents' house.

Once it was all taken care of, Lisa sent me a photo. It was her family of six posing at a luxury resort, all smiles. The caption read, "Mom, we made it to Costa Bella safe and sound. Everything's great. Take care of yourself at home."

I scoffed. So she still remembered she had a mother. Her hollow concern felt almost laughable now.

I opened the message thread and started typing, "I sold the apartment at Maple Ridge..."

Halfway through, I deleted every word and turned off the screen.

I hoped they would have a wonderful time in Costa Bella. Because once they got back, there wouldn't be much to smile about.

I found a nice restaurant and ordered myself a proper feast. For years, I never took a single day off. It was time I treated myself for once.

I was just about to dig in when Lisa's video call came through. I hesitated for a moment, then answered.

On the screen, the whole family sat together in a private dining room at some upscale restaurant. The table was covered with platters of seafood.

Lisa's voice came first. "Mom, Happy New Year!"

Then Brandon's mother, Diane Holloway, leaned into the frame, cradling an enormous lobster in both hands.

"Happy New Year, Naomi! Would you look at the size of this thing? I have to thank you for raising such a wonderful daughter. She's really showing us the good life out here."

She paused, her smile barely concealing her smugness. "You're all alone over there, so don't just nibble on whatever's in the fridge, alright? It's the holidays. Treat yourself to something nice."

I looked at her through the screen and smiled. "Happy New Year to you all, too. And my dinner isn't half bad either."

I flipped the camera around to show my table—premium cuts, elegant plating, the kind of spread that clearly cost a small fortune.

On the other end, every trace of laughter died instantly. Diane's face went pale. Lisa looked visibly annoyed and started in on me.

"Mom, you ordered all that food just for yourself? What a waste!

"And it obviously isn't cheap. You've always been so frugal. Why would you suddenly spend that kind of money?"

I smiled coolly. "It's my money. I'll spend it however I want."

"You—"

She was gearing up to say something else, but I didn't stick around to hear it. I hung up, put my phone on silent, and gave the meal my full attention.

I cut into a steak, and rich, savory juices burst across my tongue.

My mood lifted with every bite. There was something to be said for spending money on yourself.

For years, I pinched every penny so I could help Lisa out, giving her family everything while keeping nothing for myself. And for all of it, she still looked at me like I wasn't good enough.

Well, those days were over. From now on, I was going to enjoy my retirement.

After dinner, I went to the mall. I bought myself a wine-red wool coat for 1,300 dollars. The color brought out my complexion beautifully.

I stood in front of the mirror and couldn't help but marvel. I wasn't as old as I thought.

I got home around 10:00 pm. When I turned my phone back on, the screen was flooded with missed calls and messages from the whole family.

I didn't need to open them to know what they said. They wanted me to apologize for my behavior.

For years, I swallowed every grievance to keep Lisa's life running smoothly. But they forgot something. I might be a mother, but I was still a person.

And every person deserved their dignity.

The next few days passed without incident. Diane updated her social media daily, each post dripping with how wonderful the trip was.

Before long, the holiday break was over. I met Mr. Patterson at the county clerk's office and we completed the title transfer without a hitch. He wired the remaining 1.15 million dollars right on schedule.

With everything settled, I finally let out a long breath.

Then I booked myself a flight to Costa Bella, departing the next day—the same day Lisa's family was scheduled to come home.

Right on cue, Lisa called. I thought about it for a moment and picked up.

She opened with an apology. "Mom, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said those things to you. I got carried away.

"Please, just let it go. Can we move past this?"

Then my two grandchildren chimed in, their little voices soft and sweet. "Grandma, please forgive Mommy."

Something in my chest softened. I started to second-guess myself. Maybe I took things too far.

She was my daughter, after all. That still meant something.

But then she kept talking, and every doubt vanished.

"Mom, we're coming home tomorrow. We even got you a gift.

"Can you swing by the apartment and clean up a bit? Brandon's parents are going to stay with us for a while.

"Oh, and you know how they are, getting up there, not in the best shape. Give them the master bedroom, would you? We'll make do with the second bedroom for now."

My heart went cold.

"I can't do that. If something goes missing, I'd hate to be the one who has to answer for it."

Lisa went quiet on the other end. Then her voice exploded through the speaker. "Mom, when did you become so impossible to deal with?"

I laughed under my breath. "You know exactly who's being impossible."

I hung up and started packing for Costa Bella.

The next morning, I took a cab to the airport. When the plane touched down, warm tropical air rolled over me the moment I stepped outside. My old girlfriends were already waiting by the arrivals gate, crowding around me the second they spotted me.

The wine-red coat stood out in the crowd. Grace Reels, one of the oldest of our group, grabbed my hand. "It's about time! We rented a beachfront villa this year and saved you a room with an ocean view."

That evening, we gathered on the terrace for a seafood boil. Waves crashed in the distance while we raised our glasses and toasted to being together.

Elaine Hudson set a lobster on my plate and said, "You handled that apartment situation perfectly. Some kids just don't appreciate what they have until it's gone."

Everyone agreed, trading their own stories of ungrateful children and thankless years. I looked up at the stars and felt something loosen in my chest. Letting go of all that weight, all that desperate need to give and give, made life feel so much lighter.

Meanwhile, Lisa's family landed and went straight to Maple Ridge with their luggage in tow. When the elevator doors opened, they found a brand-new security door and a stranger's shoe rack in the hallway.

Brandon checked the unit number over and over. Lisa's hands were shaking as she dialed my number.

I was on a cruise ship with my friends when the call came through.

Lisa was screaming on the other end. "Mom, why is there someone else in our apartment? He's saying the place belongs to him!"

I took a sip of wine and answered calmly, "That's right. I sold it."