Chapter 3 - The Life They Described
Whenever Ethan called, Jessica answered first.
Arthur was outside.
Helen was resting.
The farmhouse was wonderful.
The garden was thriving.
Everyone was helping one another.
Jessica often mentioned rising expenses.
The septic system needed repairs.
Helen’s prescriptions had changed.
Arthur required physical therapy.
Ethan increased the monthly transfers.
He sent money directly into an account Jessica said she used exclusively for his parents’ needs.
Every few months, Helen spoke briefly.
Her voice sounded tired, but she always said they were fine.
Jessica remained nearby during every call.
“Your parents don’t want to worry you,” she would say.
Ethan believed her because guilt filled the distance between Tennessee and wherever his contract had taken him.
He missed Christmases.
Birthdays.
Arthur’s seventy-fifth.
He told himself the sacrifice still mattered because his parents were safe.
Then his overseas project ended three weeks early.
Ethan decided not to announce his return.
He wanted to see Arthur’s face when he pulled into the driveway.
Instead, he found his father sweeping in ninety-degree heat while Susan ordered him not to dirty her sandals.
Jessica wore a gold bracelet Ethan remembered paying for indirectly through a “cardiology bill.”
Helen’s laundry basket contained Susan’s dresses.
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The medications Ethan funded were nowhere on the kitchen counter.
The house he bought as a refuge had become a place where his parents asked permission to sit down.
