Melinda sighed and mentioned the cost of housing. She said they had to put up with the old burden for now.
I quietly closed my bedroom door and sat on the edge of the bed. My hands were trembling but I did not let the tears fall.
I looked at my hands and remembered how they held newborns and closed the eyes of the dying. Melinda thought they were just tools for serving her family.
Rosie’s voice echoed in my mind again. Something cracked inside me like ice on a river.
The week after that conversation dragged by. Melinda’s words rang in my ears every time I saw her.
On Friday evening, I was dusting the living room when Melinda came home early. She said we needed to talk.
I set down the duster and asked if something happened. She said she got a promotion and was now the manager of the laundry chain.
I told her congratulations. She said she had to do some work from home and needed a home office.
She said she was thinking about using my room. I froze and asked where I was supposed to sleep.
Melinda shrugged and suggested the storage room. She said it was too big for one person and I only slept there anyway.
A wave of anger rose in me. I said I needed to think about it.