My son said, “My wife, the kids, and my mother-in-law are coming to live here. They’re cramped in the apartment. There’s no point in complaining… it’s decided!” He went to get them, but when they returned… they were sh0cked by what they saw.

When the door closed, I felt like I had won the first major battle of this war and I felt more powerful than I had in years. I sent a message to Beverly letting her know that the meeting with Penelope had gone exactly as expected.

On Thursday night, Randall arrived at my house in a total rage and he did not even bother to say hello. He burst into the living room while I was watching a show and demanded to know what I had said to his wife.

“I told her the truth which is that you never asked for my permission to move into my home,” I replied calmly. He started shouting that I was being difficult and that I was acting like a selfish child.

“Any normal mother would be happy to help her son when he is in a difficult situation,” he yelled. I asked him when the last time was that he had helped me with anything without me having to ask him first.

He could not answer because he only ever came over when he needed money or a babysitter for the kids. I told him that I had spent forty five years being the mother who always said yes but that those days were officially over.