Chapter 6 - Clean JeansFor the first several weeks, Naomi and I stayed with Grandma. She bought me some clothes. Nothing extravagant. Just clean jeans, comfortable shoes, and a warm winter coat.
The first time she handed them to me, I cried. Not because of what they cost. Because I had spent years believing nobody cared whether I had enough.
Grandma cried too. "I should have come looking for you."
I shook my head. "They misled both of us."
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We couldn't recover every dollar that had disappeared. But much of the trust remained untouched. The independent trustee protected it. I used a small approved distribution to rent an apartment, arrange childcare, and return to my work as a dental hygienist.
I didn't buy a mansion. I had no desire for one. I needed a door Marcus couldn't open. A bank account controlled only by me. And a home where Naomi would never grow up hearing that dependence and love were somehow the same thing.
