“Marissa and I have been discussing your situation. The property, your finances, your health.”
I wrapped my hands around the coffee but did not drink it.
“My situation?”
“Yes,” he said gently. “You’ve been alone a long time now. This land is a burden. You don’t need to prove anything anymore.”
There it was again. The same phrasing. The same rehearsed concern.
“I am not a burden to myself, Lucas,” I said.
He exhaled through his nose.
“Mom, this isn’t about pride. It’s about reality. The taxes are climbing. Insurance, repairs. If something happens out here, no one would even know for hours.”
I looked at him steadily.
“Something like what?”
He hesitated just long enough for the silence to feel heavy.
“An accident,” he said finally. “A fall. A medical episode.”
The word accident made my stomach tighten.
Marissa arrived an hour later, unannounced. She did not sit down. She remained standing near the doorway, scrolling through her phone as if she were already late for something.
“I took the liberty of reviewing your accounts,” she said, finally looking up. “Just to understand where things stand.”
“You had no right,” I said.
She smiled politely.
“Lucas has an obligation to know what he may be dealing with.”
I looked at my son. He did not meet my eyes.
“According to what we found,” Marissa continued, “you can’t sustain this lifestyle much longer. You’re dipping into savings at an alarming rate.”
“I am fine,” I said.
“Are you?” she asked softly. “Because to me it looks like grief is clouding your judgment.”
Lucas leaned forward.
“Mom, maybe we should talk about guardianship. Just temporarily. Until things stabilize.”
The room went still.
“Guardianship,” I repeated.
“It’s just a legal safeguard,” Marissa said quickly. “To protect you. To make sure decisions are made in your best interest.”
My heart began to pound. The voice from the night before echoed in my mind.
Do not trust them.
“You want control,” I said quietly. “Not protection.”
Marissa sighed as if disappointed in me.
“Eleanor, please. This does not have to be difficult. If you agree to sell the property and move closer to town, all of this goes away.”
“And if I don’t?”
Lucas looked away.
Marissa answered for him.
“Then we’ll have to move forward without your consent.”
A chill moved through me.
She stepped closer and lowered her voice.
“Farms are dangerous places, Eleanor. People your age get hurt all the time. It would be tragic if something happened before this was resolved.”
I stood so fast my chair tipped backward.
“Get out,” I said.
