Chapter 4: The Cost of Sacrifice

Two months later, Natalie showed up on the porch, thinner and rougher than before, but grinning like she’d won the lottery. Her voice was bright, almost desperate, as she launched into stories of her new life.

"Dad, you know what I finally get? Anyone can have a kid, but being there for them? That’s what really counts. My mother-in-law collects cans for cash, buys steak for Derek, and eats beans and bread herself. I’m doing the same now—working hard so Derek can have a good life. I feel so accomplished!"

Her eyes sparkled, oblivious to the concern in mine or the heartbreak in Grandma’s. She sounded like someone trying to convince herself.

Mom wiped her eyes and hurried to make Natalie’s favorite mac and cheese, whistling softly to herself. But when Natalie saw it, she shook her head. "Derek’s never had anything this good. I can’t eat it—he needs it more."

She packed up the whole casserole, grabbed the leftover cheese, and didn’t even leave the pot. I stared, speechless, as she raided the kitchen. Grandma’s hands froze mid-reach, her eyes filling with tears. The kitchen felt emptier than ever. The only sound was the slow drip of the coffee pot and Grandma’s quiet, shaky breaths.

After that, things started vanishing—a massage gun, lipstick, towels, even my old college hoodie. One night, Mom called me in, clutching her jewelry box. "Son, have you seen my wedding bracelet? It’s gone."

The box was empty, her hands shaking. At that moment, Natalie breezed in.

"Oh, that? I thought it would look good on my mother-in-law, so I gave it to her."

Grandma’s hand froze mid-air, eyes welling up. I reached out, fist trembling, memories of Natalie as a little girl flashing through my mind. But the anger won out—I slapped her. The sound echoed. Natalie jerked back, eyes wide, a flicker of hurt crossing her face before her expression hardened in defiance.

"Go get the bracelet back. If you don’t, don’t bother coming home again."

She glared at me. "My mother-in-law deserves it. You, an old woman who does nothing, don’t."

Mom clutched her chest and collapsed. I scrambled for her medicine, the chaos a blur of panic and sirens. Natalie didn’t care—she just leaned against the counter, nails picking at her skin.

"By the way, Dad, Derek doesn’t have a job. Can you get him a spot at your college? It’s nothing big."

The audacity left me speechless. Thirty years I’d worked to become a professor, and she wanted me to risk it all for Derek?

"Absolutely not. With his education, he’s lucky to get a job on a construction site."

Natalie burst into tears. "Why do you look down on Derek? He’s someone my mother-in-law raised all by herself. Who do you think you are?"

I slumped in my chair, head in my hands. I remembered every sacrifice—driving her to SAT tutoring in the rain, staying up late for science projects, buying her a house so she’d never struggle. Did it all mean nothing?