As I drove toward my late mother’s house, the weight of her passing still pressed heavily on my chest, the finality of it all sinking in.
The funeral had only been a week ago, and now I was left to deal with what remained—the practical, often painful decisions that always seemed to fall to me.
Once again, I was the one holding everything together for the family, the one everyone turned to. It had been the same during Mom’s illness.
I was there through it all, feeding her, caring for her, ensuring she wasn’t left alone. I had no doubt she would leave the house to me. Not Phoebe.
Phoebe was... complicated. She always had been. Unpredictable, erratic—someone whose pain had never fully healed.
She couldn’t handle things the way I could. Even though we had drifted apart, I still found myself worrying about her. She was my younger sister, after all.
Dan, sitting beside me in the car, remained silent, the faint smell of alcohol on him. He had promised me he stopped drinking, but the familiar scent told me otherwise. To be honest, I was nearing my breaking point.
We pulled into the driveway and parked in front of Mom’s house. The sight of it hit me anew. Standing outside was the lawyer I had hired, briefcase in hand, waiting.
“Hi,” I greeted him as we stepped out of the car. “Why aren’t you inside?”
“It’s locked,” he said, glancing at the house.
“Locked?” I repeated, frowning. “Phoebe isn’t here yet? She told me she’d be here early.”
I pulled out my phone, dialing her number. Straight to voicemail.
“Her phone’s off. Great,” I muttered, slipping the phone back into my pocket. I didn’t have the keys either.
Dan, standing behind me, shook his head. “Your sister, as usual. She needs someone to watch over her,” he muttered.
“She’ll be here soon,” I said, trying to stay calm. I shot him a sharp look, daring him to say more.
Minutes later, Phoebe appeared, walking up the driveway. Her hair was messy, and her mascara had streaked down her face. She looked exhausted.
“Rough night?” I asked, crossing my arms.
Phoebe smirked weakly. “Is it that obvious?”
“Get yourself together. The lawyer’s waiting,” I said, motioning to the house.
“Oh, please,” she scoffed, brushing past me. “We all know the house is going to you. You’re the perfect daughter, right?”
I clenched my teeth but chose not to react. I knew she was struggling. Mom’s death had been hard for her. People often said she looked just like Mom.
Inside, we sat as the lawyer began reading the will. His voice droned on until he reached the part I wasn’t expecting.
“The house and all assets go to Phoebe.”
“What?” I blurted out, staring at him in shock. “What do you mean, the house goes to Phoebe?”
“I’m just reading what’s written,” the lawyer replied calmly.
“That’s not fair!” Dan exclaimed. “My wife was the one who took care of their mother! Phoebe didn’t do anything!” He pointed toward Phoebe.
Phoebe jumped up, her face crumbling, and rushed outside.
“Dan!” I snapped, turning toward him.
“What? You know I’m right,” he said, his voice still heated.
I didn’t respond. I rolled my eyes and followed Phoebe outside.
Phoebe was sitting on the bench in the backyard, Mom’s favorite spot. She looked tired, her shoulders hunched forward, her hands fidgeting nervously.
“Sorry about Dan,” I said, walking up to her.
“It’s fine,” she replied, her voice flat. “He’s always like that. You should leave him.”
“I can’t,” I said, sitting beside her. “He’s my husband.”
Phoebe didn’t respond. She just stared ahead, her expression unreadable. I hesitated, then spoke again. “Sell me the house,” I said.
“What?” Phoebe turned to me, clearly surprised.
“You need money for your flower shop,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “Sell it to me. I’ll tear it down and build the house I’ve always dreamed of. I thought Mom would leave it to me—”
“No,” Phoebe cut me off.
“What do you mean, no?” I asked, frowning.
“I’m not selling it,” she said, her voice rising. “Mom left it to me.”
“You didn’t deserve it!” I snapped, the frustration bubbling over. “I was the one who cared for her. I fed her, bathed her, paid her bills. I was there when she couldn’t walk. And yet, she gave it to you because you were her favorite!”
“You have everything, Katherine!” Phoebe shouted, standing up now. “A good job, a husband—even if he’s terrible—and a million opportunities. You were even offered a job abroad! But you can’t make a choice! I have nothing. Just this house!”
“And I have responsibilities! Do you know why I didn’t take that job? Because I couldn’t leave you! You wouldn’t cope!” I yelled back.
“Get out!” Phoebe screamed, her face flushed. “I’m not giving you the house!”
“Then I’ll take it!” I shouted, storming away.
I wanted to leave the argument behind, to forget everything. She had been right— I did have everything.
I could buy another house if I wanted to. But Dan wouldn’t let it go. He kept pushing me to contest the will, saying it wasn’t fair and that I deserved the house.
I didn’t understand why it mattered so much to him, but his persistence wore me down.
So, it began—lawyers, endless discussions about the will, meetings with Phoebe, who seemed entirely indifferent to it all. She shrugged through every meeting, as if none of it mattered.
One evening, just days before the court date, I found something unexpected.
In Dan’s office, there was a stack of papers on his desk—overdue bills and debt notices.
My stomach sank as I flipped through them. He was buried in debt. I grabbed the papers and marched to our bedroom, where Dan was lying on the bed.
“Anything you want to explain?” I asked, my voice sharp.
Dan sat up, his face pale. “Katherine, it’s all a misunderstanding,” he said quickly.
“A misunderstanding?” I repeated, my voice rising. “Do you see how much debt you have? Where did this come from?”
He rubbed his face, avoiding my gaze. “We can fix this,” he said quietly.
“We?” I snapped. “Is that why you pushed me to fight Phoebe for the house? So we could sell it and pay off your debts?”
Dan’s frustration broke through. “She doesn’t deserve it anyway!” he shouted. “She’s ruining our lives! You run to her every time she calls! And you didn’t even want to contest the will, even though you were the one who cared for your mother!”
I felt anger rise within me. “Because Phoebe couldn’t be there! It was too much for her to see Mom like that. It broke her. Where did these debts come from, Dan?”
His shoulders sagged as he muttered, “Gambling.”
“Gambling?” I asked, stunned.
“But if we sell the house,” he said quickly, “I’ll pay it all off. I’ll quit for good. This can fix everything.”
“Like you quit drinking?” I asked coldly.
Dan didn’t answer. He just stared at me, guilt written all over his face.
“You’re impossible,” I said, shaking my head. I turned and walked out, grabbing my keys.
I drove to Mom’s house, the only place I wanted to be. I rang the doorbell, and Phoebe answered almost immediately.
Her expression was annoyed as she opened the door. “What? Did you come to persuade me again before the court date?”
“No,” I said, stepping inside as she moved aside. “Dan gambled away a lot of money.”
Phoebe’s face shifted, irritation giving way to surprise. She didn’t say anything, just led me to the backyard. We sat on the bench, Mom’s favorite spot.
“We can sell the house and split the money,” Phoebe finally said, after a long silence.
I shook my head. “No, I’m not doing that. Mom left the house to you, so it’s yours. She wanted you to have it.”
“But you were going to take it from me,” Phoebe said softly, her voice accusing.
I nodded, feeling the shame creep in. “That was an empty threat during our fight. Then Dan pushed me to go through with it, and now I know why.”
“You’re not paying off his debt?” Phoebe asked, studying me.
“No,” I said firmly. “The only person I’d sacrifice everything for is you.”
Phoebe was quiet, staring at the ground. After a moment, she spoke. “I’m sorry for yelling at you. I’ve always felt like I was in your shadow. Katherine this, Katherine that. I was just the weird girl who made jokes.”
“Just like Mom,” I said, smiling.
“Yeah,” she agreed, a small smile forming.
“I know you couldn’t help because it was too painful for you to see her like that. Mom knew it, too. That’s why she always talked about you. She loved you more. That’s why I always felt like I was in your shadow,” I admitted.
Phoebe laughed softly. “Looks like Mom should’ve taken parenting lessons before having kids.”
I laughed with her.
“So, what will you do?” she asked after a pause.
“Leave Dan, give you money for your flower shop, and take that job abroad,” I said.
“Katherine,” Phoebe said, making me look at her.
“Yes?” I asked.
“I’ll be fine. And so will you,” she said.
“Yeah, I know,” I replied, pulling her into a tight hug.
