I was carrying the Christmas cake when I overheard my mother say, “Don’t bother asking her. Let your sister have the apartment for free.”
“I have spent my entire adult life trying to be the daughter you wanted. I paid back every naira you lent me for the down payment. I paid every mortgage. I paid every bill. I built a home with my own hands, and I did it without asking you for anything.”
“Ada, that’s not—”
“I am not finished.”
She stopped.
“Three weeks ago, I stood behind a door and listened to you decide that my home should belong to Chioma. You didn’t ask me. You didn’t consider me. You simply decided, because you assumed I would be too afraid to say no.”
“That’s not true—”
“It is true. And what hurt more than anything was the reason. You said I was the responsible one. You said I would understand. You said family comes first. But somewhere along the way, Mom, I stopped being family. I became the family’s safety net.”
I heard her breathing on the other end.
“I am not your safety net anymore.”
“Ada—”
“I love you. I love Dad. I love Chioma. But I will not set myself on fire to keep you warm. Not anymore.”
