When the time came for her mother’s will to be read, Gabby was waiting at the family attorney’s office. Gabby was confident that the family relationship would change. Tension was building as the attorney continued going through their mother’s belongings.
Gabby knew her siblings would want everything, so she didn’t want to be in there but none of them had anticipated what would happen.
Maya, Tasmin, and Robert, Gabby’s siblings, had learned what their mother left them before Gabby, as she was the youngest. But whenever one of them opened their envelopes, their faces turned pale.
As they were confused, Gabby opened her envelope, and instead of the $1 which her mother gave every children, there was a letter. Before Gabby saw it, her sister, Maya, snatched it.
“What the hell, Gabby?” She said,
“You guys,” Maya continued, as she addressed Tasmin and Robert, “This letter says that Mom left everything to Gabby. Her entire estate, the house, and some secret savings account. Really, Gabby? Because you were ‘the only one who cared’?”
Gabby was surprised, and found it harsh from her mother. Gabby was the only child of her mother, who was with her when she got sick, and she did it unconditionally, just because she loved her mother.
On the other hand, her siblings had their own lives, which they didn’t care much for their sick mother when she needed them. Their mother was feeling abandoned by her children, except Gabby.
“I didn’t ask for this,” Gabby tried to explain herself.
They were not listening, as Tasmin was on her phone, and Robert was looking at his watch while Maya was busy with arranging her calendar.
“Listen!” Gabby yelled, “I need you to understand me.” But they didn’t. Her siblings ignored Gabby for weeks. But later, they one by one started to talk with her, not to argue but only talk.
They had a gathering in their mother’s house. They cooked together and recalled their memories. They spoke about the good and bad things.
They slowly bonded again, and in the end they decided to let Gabby hold her apartment as her own, but keep their mother’s house as their family home, to come together whenever they could.
“Let’s split Mom’s savings evenly,” Gabby said, “Not to blow up on lavish and unnecessary things, but as a safety net for each of us.”
As they agreed, they went to the bank together. Gabby believed that her mother would like that, as she only wanted to teach a lesson to her children, one final lesson, that they were a family.
