I sat cross-legged on the carpet of my mother\u2019s room, surrounded by the remnants of her life \u2014 keepsakes that still smelled faintly of lavender and heartbreak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her favorite sweater rested in my lap, worn thin at the elbows. I pulled it close, breathing her in. The scent, though faded, cracked something open inside me. Tears welled up again. I didn\u2019t fight them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Next to me lay her infamous sweatpants \u2014 patched so many times they were more stitching than fabric. They looked like a mosaic of every hard year she\u2019d lived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Neil hovered in the doorway, quiet as a shadow. He crouched beside me, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t have to do this alone,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019ll get through it together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I gave a weak nod, swiping at my cheeks. \u201cEvery little thing brings her back, you know? Even these sweatpants.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe could\u2019ve bought new ones,\u201d Neil said, inspecting the faded patches, \u201cbut she kept these?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBecause we weren\u2019t always wealthy,\u201d I said. \u201cShe worked herself to the bone \u2014 cleaning, nursing, whatever she could. Then that inheritance showed up, and everything changed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe never told you where it came from?\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I sat cross-legged on the carpet of my mother\u2019s room, surrounded by the remnants of her life \u2014 keepsakes that still smelled faintly of lavender and heartbreak. Her favorite sweater rested in my lap, worn thin at the elbows. I pulled it close, breathing her in. The scent, though faded, cracked something open inside me….<\/p>\n