“Of course, Linda.”
“Do you not miss living in your house?”
I stood thinking. It was a question I had asked myself several times.
“I miss the idea of the house, but I do not miss the anxiety of feeling I had no control over my own space.”
“Do you think one day you will want to return?”
“Maybe when I feel it is really my home and not just a house where others make decisions for me.”
Robert entered from the garden with hands full of dirt.
“Mrs. Emily, the roses we planted last week are sprouting very well.”
It was true. Robert had transformed the garden into something beautiful. He had planted vibrant-colored flowers, fixed the irrigation system, and created small paths between the bushes.
“It looks precious. Robert, do you want us to plant something special somewhere?”
“What do you suggest?”
“There is a corner by the living room window that gets sun all morning. It would be perfect for an aromatic herb garden.”
“I love the idea.”
While Robert explained his plans for the garden, I realized this was what I had imagined when I bought the house: quiet conversations about simple but important things, plans made together with mutual respect.
“Linda, Robert,” I told them suddenly, “can I ask you something?”
“Sure, ma’am.”
“Are you happy with this arrangement?”
They looked at each other and smiled.
“Mrs. Emily,” said Linda, “it has been years since we felt so calm.”
“Why?”
“Because you treat us like people,” explained Robert. “You ask our opinion, respect our decisions, make us feel useful without making us feel like a burden.”
“It is exactly how I like to be treated,” I answered them.
That afternoon, when I was returning to the hotel, I met David in the square.
“Mrs. Emily, do you have a minute?”
“Of course, David. What is it?”
We sat on our usual bench.
“This morning, a young woman came to my house asking for you. She said she was your daughter.”
My heart sped up.
“Sarah went to look for you.”
“Yes. She asked me if I knew where you were living.”
“And what did you tell her?”
“I told her it was not my business to give information about you without your permission.”
“How did she react?”
“She got very upset. She told me you were her mother and she had a right to know where you were. And I told her the only right she had was the one you wanted to give her.”
I was surprised by David’s loyalty. We barely knew each other for two weeks, but he was protecting me as if we were lifelong friends.
“What else happened?”
“Then she went to the house and knocked on the door.”
“Linda opened it?”
