Chapter 2

2 Jessica was right about one thing ― my parents had died in a car accident seven years earlier, leaving me an orphan just before my senior year of high school. They were both in a coma, and I spent months shuttling between the hospital and school. Eventually, I realized I couldn’t manage alone and started looking into hiring nurses. That’s when John stepped in. "Sarah, you don’t need nurses. Mary and I can take care of them." I hesitated. John had always been good to me, but caring for one person in a coma was exhausting, let alone two. "It's okay," he insisted, his eyes welling up. "They're my sister and brother-in-law. Besides, who can you trust more than family?" A woman in the next hospital room told me horror stories about neglectful nurses, so after much deliberation, I agreed. I paid John and Mary three times the going rate for their services. They were truly dedicated to my parents’ care. Every time I visited, they were clean and comfortable. After a year and a half, my parents passed away. I went away to college. People advised me to sell the house, but I couldn’t. It was my parents’ dream home, every detail designed by my mom. The house needed upkeep, and I needed someone to look after it. John volunteered. He and Mary moved in, and that’s how things stayed for years. They even convinced me to come back for grad school, saying they could look after me. Now, thanks to Jessica's outburst, I understood why she'd been so cold. After Mark and Jessica left, I asked John, "Does Jessica not know about the house?" Mary forced a smile. "It's my fault, dear. I told Jessica and Mark that the house was ours. Before they got married, Jessica's family made it clear ― no house, no wedding. John and I… well, you know we didn’t have the money. We had to tell them it was ours." That made sense. John had never been much of a worker. My parents had helped him out with several jobs, but he’d lost them all due to laziness. He'd always relied on their support. “You can’t hide it forever,” I said gently. “It’s better to tell Jessica the truth. If she insists on having a house, I have another property they can live in.” John shook his head. “Sarah, you’ve done enough for us. I promise, I’m not taking advantage of you.” Tears pricked my eyes. “Uncle John, don’t say that. We’re family.” Without John and Mary, I would have been truly alone. I let it go, trusting John to handle it.