"Prudence, I have the money. Let me pay. It's fine."
I slipped her phone back into her pocket, then turned to Cornelia, my voice flat and cold:
"Seth and I have always kept our finances separate. What's mine is mine."
"Today, either I pay this fifteen thousand on my mother's behalf, or you don't see a single cent."
Cornelia glanced at Seth, looking for his answer.
He nodded. Said nothing.
Only then did Cornelia wave her hand, granting permission like she was doing us a favor:
"Fine, fine. Since you gave the James family a son, we'll let it slide this once."
I transferred fifteen thousand dollars to Cornelia on the spot.
The moment the money hit her account, she and Seth were grinning ear to ear.
What they didn't know was that the fifteen thousand wasn't a lodging fee.
It was a lesson.
One they would never forget.
With the money in hand, Cornelia called a cleaning crew right away.
My mother said nothing. She went quietly into the bedroom and started packing her things.
I followed her in and found her in the far corner, wiping her eyes where no one could see.
The second she noticed me, she dried her tears like a child caught doing something wrong.