PART 5
The letter changed nothing legally.
James made that clear.
But it changed everything emotionally.
Daniel had not merely inherited a house.
He had promised Dad Mom could live there.
Eric had not merely inherited property.
He had promised to contribute.
Tyler had received money knowing some of it was supposed to remain available for family emergencies.
None of those promises were binding.
But they existed.
I asked James for copies.
He gave them to me.
Then I called Eric.
He answered cheerfully.
“Hey, Rach.”
“Mom is at my house.”
Silence.
“Oh.”
“You knew?”
“Daniel mentioned she might stay with you.”
“Might?”
He sighed.
“What do you want me to say?”
“I want you to tell me what you promised Dad.”
Another silence.
Longer this time.
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m sitting in James Porter’s office.”
Eric stopped breathing for a second.
Then he said,
“That letter wasn’t legal.”
That answered everything.
“You knew about it.”
“Dad talked to me.”
“What did you promise?”
“I said I’d help.”
“How?”
“If Mom needed money.”
“Has she?”
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know because you haven’t asked.”
“That’s unfair.”
“Is it?”
“I sent Daniel money twice.”
“How much?”
“Rachel.”
“How much?”
He sighed.
“Five hundred once.”
“Seven hundred another time.”
I laughed.
“You sold your inherited house for how much?”
Silence.
“Eric?”
“Five hundred twenty.”
“And you sent twelve hundred dollars toward Mom’s care?”
“You don’t know my expenses.”
“I know you bought a house outside Cincinnati with a pool.”
“Don’t start.”
“I haven’t started yet.”
He became defensive.
“You didn’t inherit property, so you think nobody else deserved theirs.”
“No.”
“I think everyone who accepted Dad’s generosity also accepted the convenient parts of his expectations.”
“That includes you.”
“No.”
“It doesn’t.”
“I refused mine in the conference room.”
He went quiet.
That was the difference.
Dad assigned me work.
I said no.
Dad gave them wealth with an expectation attached.
They took the wealth.
Then forgot the expectation.
