She shrugged. “I don’t know. Three hundred? Three-fifty.”
I heard myself say, “I’ll see what I can do,” and I hated that I said it. But when twelve people act like something is normal, your brain starts trying to survive by cooperating.
I went to Publix and stood in the organic aisle staring at almond milk like it was a moral test. That’s where Geneva found me.
“Alyssa Moore, is that you?” she said, looking in my cart. “Who drinks rice milk?”
I told her. She didn’t get loud. She got still.
“Let me understand,” she said quietly. “Twelve people invaded your house, took your bedroom, and now they sent you to spend $300 on groceries.”
“They’re family,” I said weakly.
“Family asks,” Geneva said. “Family respects. This is exploitation dressed up like a vacation.”
I bought essentials—$175 worth, not $350—skipped the fancy crackers, came back, and Kesha met me at the door.
“Where’s the gluten-free bread?” she demanded.
“No,” I said.
She blinked. “What?”
“I’m not going to another store. If you need something specific, you can go get it.”
Her mouth fell open like she’d never heard the word “no” spoken to her in my kitchen.
I went upstairs and found my laptop open on my bed. I always closed it. Always. Gmail was pulled up—my Gmail—and in the search bar were words nobody should’ve typed but me: “Alyssa Moore beach house.”
I checked the folder list and saw one I didn’t create: “Beach House planning.”
Inside were forwarded emails between Terry and Briana.
March 15: “She’s definitely buying the beach house. Six bedrooms. This could solve everything. We stay there rent-free all summer.”
March 22: Briana: “But what if she says no?”
Terry: “She won’t. She’s too guilty. She worked through my whole childhood. She owes me this. Plus once we’re there, she won’t kick us out. Too worried about what church folks would say.”
April 3: Briana: “Your mama is 62. How much longer can she really handle property that big? Maybe we just need to be patient. Nature will take its course and then the house is legally yours anyway.”
Nature will take its course.
