The Walkie-Talkie That Exposed Everything I Gave Away

How do you give so much and end up invisible? How do people look at your love and see only what they can take? I scrubbed dishes until my fingers cracked, until I couldn’t feel anything but exhaustion.

I skipped meals so they wouldn’t have to. And in the end, what was I to them? A walking rent check. A silent source of income.

That’s when I realized—if I didn’t stop them, they’d keep taking until I had nothing left but emptiness. Saturday was my 60th birthday. I arranged a small dinner, though my hands shook the entire morning.

Thomas and Lila arrived with a store-bought cake and stiff, practiced smiles that didn’t reach their eyes. “Happy birthday, Mom!” Thomas kissed my cheek. “You look tired.