hearing her voice sound content on those calls was the thing that got me through the worst weeks of desert heat and homesickness.
In reality, Kloe and Julian had systematically taken over the entire house. They moved into the master suite, relegated my mother to a small windowless room near the garage, the kind of space originally meant for storage or a workbench, and commandeered her monthly three-thousand-dollar allowance to
pay for their fine dining, imported wine, and sports car leases. Worst of all, they treated my mother like an unpaid servant. They made her wash their laundry, cook their meals, and clean the expansive estate while they entertained their wealthy friends on the very patio I’d pictured her relaxing on with her morning tea.
My contract in Dubai finally concluded in late October. Wanting to give my mother the ultimate surprise, I booked an early flight back to Texas
