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<\/p>\nThe next day, the phone rang while I was drying my clothes outside.<\/p>\n
Hey there! To answer, I put the phone so that it was right between my shoulder and ear.<\/p>\n
\u201cNancy, It\u2019s Peterson.\u201d<\/p>\n
When I heard his voice, my stomach started to hurt. \u201cHi, Mr. Peterson. Does everything meet your standards?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI need you to be away from the house for a week,\u201d he said, sounding as casual as if he were asking me to help him water his plants. He said this in the most relaxed way possible.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d asks. \u201cWhen I held Sophie\u2019s shoes in my hands, I didn\u2019t feel any movement.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy brother needs accommodation when visiting the area.\u201d I told him he could use someone else\u2019s house if he wanted to.<\/p>\n
I thought I got what he was saying wrong because of this. \u201cPlease, wait\u2014this is my residence.\u201d The lease is now ours.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe shot, \u2018Don\u2019t start with that lease nonsense.’\u201d \u201cDo you remember the last time your rent arrived late?\u201d At that point, I could have kicked you out, but I chose not to. That\u2019s something I could have done. You owe me something now.<\/p>\n
I got a better grip on the phone. \u201cI was late by one day,\u201d I said, even though my voice was shaking. \u201cMy daughter was sick and miserable.\u201d That was something I told you\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
He stopped it and said, \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter.\u201d \u201cYour departure has until Friday.\u201d If you don\u2019t move forward, you might never come back.<\/p>\n
I asked Mr. Peterson not to let me show how bad things were for me. \u201cI nowhere else could go.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
He replied in a cold voice, \u201cIt\u2019s not my business,\u201d and the link was cut, ending the conversation.<\/p>\n
While sitting on the couch, I couldn\u2019t take my eyes off the phone I was holding. I couldn\u2019t breathe well, and my heart was beating so fast I could hear it.<\/p>\n
\u201cMama, what is wrong?\u201d With worry in her eyes, my oldest daughter Lily came to the door to ask what was going on.<\/p>\n
I really worked hard to smile. \u201cNothing, my darling.\u201d You and your sisters can keep having fun with playhouse games.<\/p>\n
Even so, it wasn\u2019t without value. There were no family members close, I didn\u2019t have any savings, and I didn\u2019t have any ways to fight back. In the event that I fail to meet Peterson\u2019s requirements, he would find a reason to remove me for good.<\/p>\n
By Thursday night, the few bags we had were only big enough to hold the smallest items. As much as the women were interested, I wasn\u2019t able to fully explain the situation myself.<\/p>\n
By telling them we were going on an adventure, I tried to give them hope.<\/p>\n
\u201cis it far?\u201d Sophie was holding Mr. Floppy close to her chest when she asked the question.<\/p>\n
So she wouldn\u2019t see me, I said, \u201cNot too far.\u201d<\/p>\n
The hotel was much better than I thought it would be. Due to the thin walls, we could hear every cough, squeak, and loud speech on the other side of the room. We could barely all fit in the room because it was so small.<\/p>\n
Emma put her hands over her ears and said, \u201cMama, it\u2019s so loud.\u201d<\/p>\n
I told her, \u201cI understand, my dear,\u201d as I gently brushed her hair.<\/p>\n
While playing \u201cI Spy,\u201d Lily tried to take her sisters\u2019 minds off of what she was doing, but the plan failed for a long time. Sophie began to cry as her face became swollen.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere\u2019s Mr. Flopsy?\u201d While she cried, her voice got slurred.<\/p>\n