I told her she could move in with one of us or let us do the work
My mother had lived in the same house ever since she and dad had married. After almost sixty years, it needed a lot of updating. The furnace and air conditioning unit was almost thirty years old and less than efficient. My sisters and I would do the updates for her, unless one of us could talk her into moving in with them. Since no one wanted to back down about who she should live with, we faced her as a unified team. Mom knew that something was brewing when she saw all five of us at the same time. The only time this happened was over the holidays. My oldest sister spoke first, and she pointed out everything that needed to be done in the house. Then my youngest sister pointed out that her husband was a contractor and it would be easy to have his crew come over and do all the house updates. They looked at me for my input and I wasn’t sure what I had to offer. I went along with the others, but I had my own thoughts. I had been living in an apartment ever since my husband died. I hated the electric heat because of how much it dried out my skin and it was expensive to run during the winter. I told mom that I could install a new HVAC system for her and update the old ductwork with flex duct. I told her she could move in with one of us or let us do the work. Mom looked at me and asked if maybe I would like to move in with her and then we wouldn’t have to pay double the bills. I guess she chose me to live with.