When I pulled into the driveway, I wasn’t expecting anything unusual.
I’d been away for a month—at a college prep program—and I was honestly looking forward to the quiet. Coming home. Sleeping in my own bed. Maybe even sitting in my mom’s favorite chair and just… remembering her.
But the second I stepped onto the porch, I felt it.
Something was wrong.
There were suitcases lined up neatly by the front door.
My suitcases.
My chest tightened as I shoved the door open—and stopped dead in my tracks.
There, sprawled across the living room couch like she owned the place, was a woman I had never seen before. And worse?
She was wearing my late mother’s robe.
The one I hadn’t been able to move from the closet. The one that still smelled like her.
She looked me up and down, slow and smug.
“Oh,” she drawled. “You must be the girl Rick’s been letting stay here.”
The girl.
Not the homeowner. Not even a name. Just “the girl.”
My fists clenched.
“Who are you?” I asked, coldly.
She stretched and yawned, like this was just another lazy Sunday. “I’m Sylvia. Rick’s girlfriend.”
I didn’t care. But she kept talking.
“He said you’d be gone for good by now. I went ahead and packed up your things. Saved you the trouble.”
I stared at her. At my things. At the robe.
“This is my house,” I said evenly.
Sylvia chuckled. “Sweetie, no. This was your mother’s house. Rick’s been kind enough to let you stay, but it’s time you grew up and moved on.”
In that moment, I had never wanted to scream more in my life.
But I didn’t.
I breathed.
And said calmly, “I’ll wait for Rick to give me my deposit back.”
She laughed again. “Oh please. I’ll give you the money myself if it means you leave faster.”
She grabbed her purse, pulled out a wad of cash, and tossed it on the table.
I picked it up. Grabbed my bags.
Walked out the door.
And sat in my car.
But I didn’t drive away.
I waited.
For an hour, I watched her through the windshield. Smug. Triumphant. Parading around in my mother’s robe.
And then?
My lawyer arrived.
David. Mid-40s. Quiet, sharp, no time for games.
He took one look at the bags on the porch and sighed. “Yeah. Thought it might be this bad.”
He already knew about Rick. About my promise to my mom. About how I’d honored it for a whole year. But this?
This crossed every line.
David straightened his tie, grabbed his briefcase, and we walked up together.
Sylvia’s smirk vanished when she saw him.
“Who are you?” she snapped.
David didn’t flinch. “I’m the attorney representing the legal owner of this property. That would be her.” He gestured to me.
Sylvia sputtered. “That’s ridiculous. Rick lives here—he’s been taking care of everything—”
“Temporarily,” David interrupted. “Out of kindness. And that time is now up.”
Right then, the front door opened again—and Rick walked in.
He stopped cold when he saw me. Then he glanced at David. And then at Sylvia, who was suddenly very pale.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
David didn’t hesitate. “You’ve overstayed your welcome. This house belongs to my client. You both need to leave.”
Rick tried to laugh it off. “Hey, come on. We just thought—”
“No,” I said, stepping forward. “You thought. You thought I’d stay gone. That you could take over my house without a fight.” I looked him in the eye. “You were wrong.”
Sylvia’s voice wavered. “This can’t be happening. Rick, you said I could live here! I don’t have anywhere else to go!”
Rick muttered something, avoiding her eyes.
David wasn’t moved. “Unless you can produce a lease agreement, you’re trespassing. You have until tonight.”
Sylvia snapped, “You can’t do this! We have rights!”
David raised an eyebrow. “No, you don’t.”
And then he held out his hand. “The keys. Now.”
Rick stood frozen. Then, slowly, he handed over the house key.
Sylvia folded her arms, glaring at me like I had done something wrong.
“This is so unfair,” she hissed.
I exhaled, feeling the weight lift from my chest.
“No,” I said. “What’s unfair is trying to kick someone out of their own home while wearing their dead mother’s robe.”
They scrambled to grab their things. Sylvia kept muttering. Rick avoided my eyes.
And I just stood there.
When they were finally gone, David turned to me and handed me the keys.
“Welcome home,” he said with a small smile.
I nodded, gripping them tightly.
“I gave Rick time. I honored my mom’s last wish.”
I looked at the house—my house.
“But now it’s time for me to move on.”