One night, I heard my grandmother on the phone. She said, \u201cShe\u2019s ruining his life,\u201d and \u201cI told him to leave her, but he won\u2019t listen.\u201d I realized she was talking about my mom after a moment. My heart sank. I hurried to inform my mom, shocked. She was shocked. She turned to my dad with shaking eyes and asked, \u201cDo you know what your mother\u2019s been saying about me?\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad initially seemed perplexed, but then he looked like he was caught up in something he didn\u2019t want to discuss. He asked what I heard, so I recounted it word-for-word. My mom stared at him, waiting for him to deny it, but he groaned and scratched his forehead. Silence sounded louder than arguments. Even though I was 23, I felt like a kid again.<\/p>\n