This was the house my husband and I had bought after we got married. It was my home—mine and my daughter's. Why should I be the one to leave?
I refused. So they shoved me down the stairs and killed me.
When I opened my eyes again, I was back at my husband's funeral, the service barely over.
Kay Perry was crying, clutching my hands, begging me to stay. Matthew Gray and his wife stood nearby, nodding along. Relatives and friends crowded around, all of them urging me to give in.
……
A pair of weathered hands gripped mine tight.
"Jeanette, I know I shouldn't force you to stay. I'm old and sick—I'd only be a burden."
Her voice cracked. "But I still hope you and Caroline will stay. When I see you two, I feel like my son is still here."
I lifted my gaze to the woman holding my hands.
Kay Perry. My mother-in-law.
Matthew Gray stepped forward to back her up.
"Jeanette, Mom just lost my brother. If you and Caroline leave too, it'll destroy her."
"Stay and take care of her, and we'll pay you a salary every month. A fair one."
"Medical bills too—we'll cover everything. Just stay. Please?"
"Exactly," Leila Lawrence chimed in, her voice dripping with warmth. "Mom needs someone by her side right now."