When I fulfilled my dream and bought a house for my husband and me, he declared on the very first day: «My mom, sister, and kids will live with us…
I continued paying the mortgage and gradually furnished the house, turning it into a place where I felt truly good and at peace. I renovated the living room, replaced the old plumbing, tidied up the apple orchard.
Every change, every improvement brought me joy—this was my house, my territory, my fortress.
An unexpected turn was Lily’s appearance. One evening, she simply rang the doorbell, standing on the threshold with a small backpack, scared but determined. «Aunt Olivia,» she said in a trembling voice.
«I want to study in the city. Can I live with you?» It turned out the situation in Ethan’s family had become unbearable after the business failure. Patricia blamed everyone for her troubles, Rebecca went on a drinking binge, Ethan disappeared for days trying to find a new income source.
In this atmosphere of mutual accusations and poverty, Lily felt unnecessary and unwanted. She remembered my offer and decided to ask for help. I couldn’t refuse her.
The girl moved in with me, we handled all the necessary paperwork—Rebecca, immersed in her problems, didn’t even object—and Lily started at a new school.
At first, it was hard for her—different students, different requirements, the need to catch up on missed material. But she proved surprisingly determined and capable.
By the end of the school year, she was one of the top students in the class. Her presence changed my house, filling it with life and movement. I, accustomed to solitude, suddenly discovered I liked caring for someone, helping with homework, discussing books and movies, cooking not just for myself.
Lily brought into my life what I had lacked after the break with Ethan—a sense of family. Sophia also became a frequent guest in my house. We grew even closer than before.
She helped with raising Lily, shared her experience, supported me in tough moments. Sometimes we joked that we had become a real family—two sisters and a teenage daughter, unusual but very harmonious.
One day, almost a year after that memorable day when I kicked Ethan and his family out, Lily and I were sitting in the garden under the old apple tree.
It was a warm spring evening, the apple tree was blooming, showering us with white petals. Lily had just gotten the highest grade on an important test and was in high spirits. «Aunt Olivia,» she suddenly said, looking at the setting sun.
«I’m so glad I live here. That you didn’t kick me out then with everyone else.» «I’m glad too, Lily,» I smiled. «You’ve changed a lot in my life, and only for the better.»
«You know,» she turned to me, «when I called you then, warned about Uncle Ethan’s and Grandma’s plans, I was afraid I was doing wrong, betraying my family. But now I understand I did the right thing.
You can’t just invade someone’s life, someone’s house, without permission. It’s unfair.»
«You’re very wise for your age,» I looked at her tenderly. «Much wiser than many adults.»
«I just thought a lot about it,» she shrugged. «About how everything turned out. About what would have happened if we all really moved here…
