I raised my son alone and gave him everything, including my retirement savings. But a toy walkie-talkie from my grandson exposed the ugly truth about how little that meant to the man I raised. Mothers out there, if you’ve ever sacrificed for family, you need to hear this.
You give your whole life to people, thinking love’s enough to make them love you back. Turns out, sometimes love just makes you an easy target. I’m Annie, 60 years old, and I’ve spent my whole life believing family comes first.
My husband died when our son, Thomas, was just seven. I scrubbed floors, washed dishes, and worked double shifts to put food on our table. Max, my grandson, is four and has the softest curls and this raspy giggle that could make your worst day feel warm again.
A week ago, he held up one of his plastic walkie-talkies with sticky fingers and said, “Grandma Annie, this is for you!”
“What’s this for, sweetheart?”
“So we can talk even when I’m in my bedroom! You just press this button and say my name!”
I clipped it to my apron strings. “I love it, baby.”
He hugged my legs tight.
Through the thin wall, I heard Lila calling him home. We live right next door to each other in Skyridge Apartments. Same hallway.
Same creaky floorboards. I helped them buy that place five years ago when Lila was pregnant with Max. “So our boy can grow up close to his grandma!” Thomas and Lila had said, their eyes wet with joy.
I put in $40,000 from my retirement savings. It felt like a big number, but I didn’t think twice. Because back then, I believed being close to family was worth more than money ever could be.
Most evenings, you’ll find me at the back of Murphy’s Diner, wrist-deep in hot water and soap. My hands stay cracked and raw, but bills don’t pay themselves. When Thomas asked if I could help cover Max’s daycare, I didn’t even hesitate.
Even with my own struggles, I said yes. Because when you love someone, you find a way. “Mom, it’s $800 a month,” he’d explained last winter.
“We’re struggling.”
So, I sent them the money every month without fail. My grandson deserved the best care, even if it meant stretching myself thin. Last Wednesday night, I dragged myself home after a 10-hour shift.
My feet screamed. My back ached. I collapsed into my old recliner and closed my eyes.
Suddenly, static crackled from the walkie-talkie on my apron. “Daddy, are you there?” Max’s sleepy voice drifted through. I smiled.
But then I heard something else. Adult voices. Lila’s laugh… sharp and calculating.
“Honestly, Tom, we should rent out her spare bedroom. She’s never home anyway.”
Every other sound faded around me as I pressed the device closer to my ear. “We could easily get $600 a month for that room!” Lila continued.
“She wouldn’t even notice with all those evening shifts.”
Thomas chuckled. “Mom’s too trusting. Always has been.”
“Speaking of trust,” Lila chirped.
“Once she starts paying for Max’s swimming lessons too, we can finally take that trip to Hawaii. She’ll babysit for free.”
My whole body went still. Not from fear, just that deep, hollow kind of hurt that makes you forget how to move.
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