And so I kept spinning like a top, year after year, without rest.

Finally, Bertram passed the college entrance exams and got married.

Adeline graduated from college too.

The weight on my shoulders eased, just a little.

Once I put Lucius through school, I'd have fulfilled my duty.

I was thirty-six that year. A matchmaker set me up on a blind date.

The woman was from the next village over. Divorced, no kids. She liked me.

I wanted to give it a try. We met a few times, but Mrs. Abbott refused to approve it.

I had no choice but to let it go.

I thought things would slowly get better.

But five years later, Mrs. Abbott was suddenly paralyzed.

Eating, drinking, bathing, using the bathroom—she needed someone for everything.

Bertram said he was too busy with work. Adeline had just gotten married.

Lucius said he needed to focus on his studies.

Nobody was willing to step up.

So I shouldered the burden again, spending every waking hour at her side.

Feeding her. Bathing her. Turning her over. Emptying bedpans.

Day after day, without a single break.

Two years passed like that. Lucius graduated.

He couldn't find a job he liked after graduation, so he insisted on studying for the civil service exam.

He studied for three years.

I supported him without question for all three.

I had poured the best years of my life—half a lifetime of youth and sweat—into this family.

I thought that even if I couldn't claim any credit, at least my suffering counted for something.

But Mrs. Abbott said I was an outsider. That I'd contributed nothing to this family.

Eight million dollars in demolition compensation, and I didn't see a cent.

A shrill ringtone cut through my thoughts.

It was Mrs. Abbott.

"Where are you?"

I looked up and around. "At the orchard."

Twenty-five years. Trial and error. I'd replanted the peach trees three times over. Next year would finally bring a harvest.

Mrs. Abbott's voice was sharp with irritation. "Why aren't you home cooking dinner?"

"Mom, there are some things I need to sort through."

"Everyone's still hungry. Whatever it is, it can wait until after dinner. Get home. Now."

Home? Which home?

The one about to be torn down?

I'd once wanted a home of my own. Because of them, I'd abandoned that dream with my own two hands.

I didn't have a home anymore.

I hung up, but my feet kept moving.

In a daze, I walked to the next village and found myself standing in front of her door. The woman from the blind date.

The door was shut.

After I'd turned her down, she'd left for a job in the city.

I stood there for a while, then turned to leave.

But where was I supposed to go?

A neighbor, Aunt Agatha Chavez, came outside and spotted me. She smiled.

"Tom! I heard the James family got eight million from the demolition. What luck!"

"You've worked yourself to the bone for them your whole life. Mrs. Abbott must be giving you the lion's share, right?"

I smiled. Didn't say a word.

Agatha walked over and patted my hand, lowering her voice.

"Bella Simmons never remarried. Said she couldn't let go of you."

Bella. The woman from the blind date.

"Once the money's divided up, hire a home care nurse for Mrs. Abbott, and go be with Bella. You've given enough. You can't waste your whole life on the James family."

"You've spent the better part of your life living for them. It's time you started living for yourself."

A tremor ran through my body. I stood frozen.

My whole life, I'd been busy for them. Living for them.

I couldn't remember a single day I'd taken for myself.

I thought about everything I'd given over twenty-five years.

I thought about the future I'd thrown away.

I thought about Mrs. Abbott's words: You've contributed nothing to this family.

The tears finally came. I couldn't hold them back.

"If I didn't get a single cent... would she still want me?"

Agatha's eyes went wide. "What did you just say?"

The phone rang again. Lucius this time.

"Tom, where are you? Why aren't you home yet?"

I told him I'd be back soon.

I wiped my tears and said goodbye to Aunt Agatha.

Back at the house, I tied my apron on again and picked up the rolling pin.

I walked into the kitchen without a word and started cooking.

Mrs. Abbott sat in the main room, nodding with satisfaction.

"See? I told you. Your brother-in-law is a man who handles things. He's not going to throw a fit over a little demolition money."

The younger siblings stood off to the side, quietly breathing sighs of relief.

At dinner, Adeline held a bowl and spooned food into Mrs. Abbott's mouth.

Mrs. Abbott watched her, her tone casual, as if she were commenting on the weather.

"Adeline, the demolition money came through. Take two hundred thousand and buy me a place in town."

"Somewhere close to the hospital, preferably. Makes it easier for your brother-in-law to look after me."

Adeline froze for a moment. She glanced at me, then lowered her head. "Okay."

Mrs. Abbott swallowed a mouthful of rice and kept going.

"And from now on, you'll give me ten thousand dollars a month."

"The doctor said if I keep up with physical therapy, I might be able to walk again."

Adeline's brow creased.

She looked across the table at Bertram and the youngest brother, both shoveling food into their mouths, and asked in a low voice:

"How long does the therapy take?"

"I've been paralyzed for six years. Could be six or seven more years at least, maybe ten before there's any real improvement."

Adeline set her bowl and chopsticks down hard.

"Mom, forget the demolition money. Keep it yourself."

Mrs. Abbott glared at her.

"What's that supposed to mean? You think your own mother is too much trouble?"

Adeline's face flushed crimson. She couldn't get a single word out.

I had no appetite at all. I set down my chopsticks, my voice calm.

"Mom, the demolition money came through. Have them hire you a home care nurse."

"I'm leaving. I can't take care of you anymore."

Mrs. Abbott went rigid.

"Leaving? Where are you going?"

"Into the city. To find work."

"What the hell has gotten into you, Tom!"

Mrs. Abbott's voice shot up, shrill and panicked.

"If you leave, what happens to me?"

Her eyes swept the room.

"They got their demolition money. They won't just abandon you."

At that, Bertram and the youngest brother finally looked up, staring at me in stunned disbelief.

Mrs. Abbott's eyes went red, her voice cracking into a whimper.

"Over a little demolition money, you're going to throw a tantrum and abandon me?"

"Have you forgotten how my Florence died? If she were still alive, would I need you to take care of me?"

I looked at her.

"Mom, when Florence had that difficult labor, it was you who—"

I clenched my jaw and swallowed the words pressing against my chest.

"Mom, I've looked after you for twenty-five years. Looked after this family for twenty-five years."

"I've done my part. I'm tired. I just can't do it anymore."

Before she could respond, I stood up and walked into the bedroom to pack.

When I came out, they were all standing by the door.

Staring at me like I was a criminal.

Bertram rushed forward and grabbed the handle of my suitcase.

"You can't leave!"

I looked him dead in the eye.

"Why can't I?"

His gaze darted away. He turned his face to the side.

"You have to take care of Mom. She—"

I cut him off.

"She's my mother-in-law. She's your mother."

"I've taken care of her for twenty-five years. Isn't it your turn?"

Bertram's brow knotted tight.

"I've got a wife and kids to feed. How am I supposed to take care of Mom?"

"Then bring her home. Let your wife and kids help."

"Are you out of your mind? Mom can't even take care of herself. Bringing her to my place would turn the whole house upside down!"

I laughed.

"Mom's been paralyzed for six years. I've waited on her for six years. Since your oldest sister passed, I've taken care of your mother for twenty-five years."

"I'm not her only family. She has four children, doesn't she?"

"But Florence died giving birth to your kid. Taking care of Mom is the least you should do!"

"Besides! Mom's already used to you taking care of her..."

Something seized in my chest. My breath caught.

"Bertram! I'm your older sister's husband, but I'm only two years older than you!"

"I felt guilty about what happened to your sister, so I held this family together for twenty-five years. I've done more than my share!"

"You're just mad Mom didn't give you any money, so you're picking a fight on purpose!"

"Mom's the one who split the money. You can't just throw a tantrum over it and dump her on us!"

I turned and glanced at Mrs. Abbott. Her face had gone ashen.

"Bertram, let me ask you one question."

"What?"

"Mom's been bedridden for seven years now. You'd already been married seven years before that. In all that time, did you ever give her a single dollar? Did you ever take care of her for even one day?"

He went quiet.

I said, "No. You never gave her a cent. And ever since she became bedridden, your wife and kids haven't visited once."

"In seven years, I can count on one hand the number of times you even came to see her. And every time, all you brought was a bunch of bananas."

"You just got four hundred thousand dollars. You could hire a proper home care nurse for her instead of treating it like a given that I'll handle everything."

Bertram's lips moved, but nothing came out.

Mrs. Abbott pounded the armrest of the couch, her voice thick with tears. "Let him go! Let him go!"

"I want to see if he's really heartless enough to let this old woman die alone in this house!"

I had two notebooks in my bag. I pulled one out and handed it to Bertram.

"Everything you need to know about taking care of Mom. I wrote it all down."

I turned to Mrs. Abbott. "Mom, it's not that I don't want to look after you. I'm just tired. I need a rest too."

I grabbed my suitcase and left.

I rented a small studio in the city. Five hundred a month.

On the third day, Lucius called. His tone was sharp.

"Tom, you upset Mom so bad she's in the hospital. She's in the ICU right now. Get back here!"