You’re not living here any longer, my son says as he drags my bags into the hallway.
James, you forgot to buy bread! Rebecca shouts from the kitchen, waving an empty bag. I gave you the list!
Forgot, sorry, James sighs, sinking into a chair. My head aches, works a nightmare.
My head always aches! Whos going to the shop then, me?
Nora Whitaker sits quietly in the corner, nursing a cooling cup of tea, trying not to get involved. She has been living with James and his family for eight months, ever since she sold her modest terraced house and handed the proceeds to James for his new business venture. He promised it was only temporary, that they would soon buy a larger flat where everyone could have space.
Ill go, Nora offers softly. The supermarkets just down the road.
Dont, Rebecca snaps. Last time you bought the wrong loaf. I asked for a wholemeal, you brought a white one.
There wasnt any wholemeal
So we should have gone to another shop!
Nora falls silent. Arguing with her daughterinlaw feels pointless; Rebecca always finds something to complain about the wrong bread, the dishes not washed properly, the TV turned up too loud.
James gets up and leaves the kitchen without a word. He always slips away when these arguments start. Nora watches him, barely recognizing the man she once knew as kind and attentive. He now seems distant and cold.
Nora, Rebecca sits opposite her. Lets be honest.
About what? Nora asks warily.
About how cramped it is for you, and for us. The twobed flat is getting tight Emily is growing, she needs her own room. Youre taking up the living room.
But James promised wed buy a bigger flat with my money.
Your money went into the business.
James invested it, right? He said it was an investment that would pay back in six months with profit.
Rebecca purses her lips.
Business is unpredictable. It didnt work out. The moneys gone.
Nora feels a chill inside.
So were not buying a flat?
Not anytime soon. Youll have to find somewhere else to live.
What? My pension is £1,500 a month I cant even rent a room on that!
Thats your problem, Rebecca says, standing. Weve put up with this for eight months already.
She walks out of the kitchen. Nora remains seated, stunned. Is she really being kicked out? Will the son she raised alone, gave everything she had, now throw her out?
That evening she tries to speak with James, who is in the bedroom glued to his computer.
James, can I?
Come in, Mum.
She perches on the edge of the bed.
James, Rebecca says I have to move out.
He doesnt look up.
Yes, we said it was temporary.
But where will I go? I have nowhere to stay!
Mum, you used to work as a teacher. Didnt you save anything?
I saved £120,000. I gave it to you for the business.
See? There was money.
It was all my savings! You promised youd return it with profit!
James finally glances at her.
Mum, I never promised. I said Id try. It didnt work.
But I sold my flat! Now I have nowhere!
You sold it yourself. I didnt force you.
Nora feels her throat close.
James, youre my son. Are you really going to throw me onto the street?
No ones throwing you out. Its just too cramped. Find a room, Ill chip in.
On my pension?
Ill add £500 a month.
£500? Thats nothing. In this city you cant even rent a cupboard for £2,000 a month!
Then look in the suburbs. Its cheaper there.
James turns back to his screen. The conversation ends. Nora leaves the bedroom, walks to the living room, sits on the foldout sofa and weeps silently.
How did it come to this? She spent her whole life supporting her son. Her husband died when James was ten; she raised him alone, juggling two jobs to fund his education. He went to university, she paid for his hall, drove him to his parttime job, helped whenever she could. When he married, she welcomed Rebecca, a pretty, bright woman from a respectable family, though she always seemed a bit aloof.
Their daughter Emily was born, and Nora cared for her while the parents worked. Rebecca never thanked her for that. Then James announced he wanted to start a business, needed cash, promised a profit, and a bigger flat. Nora sold her terraced house on the outskirts, handed over the £120,000, and moved in temporarily.
Eight months later, no new flat is mentioned, and now theyre telling her to leave.
In the morning, Nora wakes to the sound of James moving boxes. She steps into the hallway and stops. Her belongings clothes, shoes, books, photographs lie packed in cardboard boxes.
James, whats this?
He turns, his face hard.
Youre not living here any longer.
What?
I told you youre not welcome. Pack up and go.
Nora grabs the wall for support.
James, what are you doing? Have you lost your mind?
Mum, enough. Rebecca and I decided. You need to move out today.
But where? I have nowhere!
Thats your problem. Youre an adult, youll manage.
Im your mother!
And what? I owe you everything? Im tired of hearing it!
Noras face goes pale.
I never said those things
I thought them every day! I see you looking at me like Im ungrateful!
James, where did that come from?
Rebecca walks in in her nightgown.
James, dont shout. Emilys asleep.
Rebecca, tell him this is madness! Hes throwing me out!
Rebecca shrugs.
Nora, we talked yesterday. You have to find somewhere else. We cant keep living together.
But I gave you all the money!
You gave it to the business, your decision. No one forced you.
And James promised to return it!
He promised to try. It didnt work. That happens.
Nora looks at them, unable to believe her eyes. The son and daughterinlaw stand like strangers, cold and indifferent.
I have no money for rent, she whispers.
Find a cheap place in the suburbs, or a room with someone, Rebecca says.
On a £1,500 pension?
James will add £500 each month.
James nods.
Thats only £2,000 a month. You can barely get a studio in the council estates.
Nora returns to the hallway, shakes out her trembling hands, stuffs her things into the bags. The boxes sit there, but theres nowhere to take them.
Ill come back for the rest later, when I find a place, she says, heading for the stairs.
The door closes behind her. She stands on the landing, unsure where to go, and calls her old friend Lucy.
Lucy, can I stay with you for a few days?
Of course, Nora. What happened?
Ill tell you later.
Lucy lives in a onebed flat alone. Her husband died, her children are elsewhere. She opens the door, embraces Nora.
Oh my God, Nora, are you crying?
James kicked me out, Nora sobs on the sofa. He put my things in the hallway and said Im not welcome.
Lucy sits beside her, holds her shoulder.
Tell me everything.
Nora recounts the sale of her house, Jamess promises, the vanished money, Rebeccas constant criticism.
Im an old fool, Lucy. I gave everything I had and now Im on the street.
You wont be on the street, love. You can stay here, even if its tight.
I cant be a burden. Your pension is tiny.
Well manage. Dont lose hope.
Nora stays with Lucy for a week, searching for a room to rent. Everything is pricey; £2,000 gets you a cramped studio or a shared council flat with shared bathroom. She finally accepts a place in a council estate: a tenmetre room with communal shower and a noisy neighbour in her sixties who asks, Where are you from?
I used to live with my son. Had to move out, Nora replies.
The daughterinlaw gave you a hard time?
She nods. She turned my life into a nightmare.
Nora settles in, brings the rest of her belongings. James helps carry the boxes to the entrance but never follows them inside.
How about a call later? he says curtly.
Nora, can we talk?
Whats there to talk about, James? Its all been said.
He walks away. Nora watches him go, feeling she has lost her son forever.
Life in the council flat is hard. The neighbour plays loud music at night, the corridors echo with teenage chatter, the shower line never ends. Nora adapts slowly, calling James once a week to ask about Emily. He answers briefly, hurriedly.
James, can I visit? Id like to see Emily.
Not now, Mum. Were busy.
When then?
Later. Ill call you.
He never calls back. Months slip by, and Nora feels herself withering.
One afternoon a tenyearold girl knocks on the door.
Are you Nora Whitaker?
Yes, who are you?
Im Emily. I saw your address on Dads phone and ran away.
Their mum will look for you!
Let them. I missed you, Grandma.
Nora hugs the girl tightly.
Emily, how are you living?
Its bad, Emily says, eyes down. Mum and Dad fight all the time. Mum shouts about money, says Dads business failed. Dad is quiet or leaves.
What do they say about me?
Mum says you stole their money and ran.
Thats not true. I gave them everything I had.
I know, Grandma. I remember you selling the house. Mum said wed get a bigger flat, but we didnt.
Emily clings to her.
You didnt abandon us, did you?
No, love. I was asked to move out.
They spend a couple of hours together, then Nora walks Emily back. Rebecca meets them at the door, face twisted with anger.
Where have you been?
Grandmas house.
I told you not to go!
You still went!
Rebecca grabs Emilys arm and drags her inside, slamming the door in Noras face.
The next day James calls.
Mum, dont try to win Emily over!
Im not trying to win her over! She came on her own!
Rebecca says youre turning her against her!
Thats not true!
Dont call us again. And stay away from Emily.
The line clicks dead. Nora hangs up, realizing shes been erased from their lives.
Three months later she finds a parttime job cleaning stairwells in nearby blocks. The pay is tiny, but its something. James stops sending the promised £500 a month. He no longer answers her calls.
One morning a knock sounds at her door. James, looking gaunt and darkeyed, stands there.
Mum, can I come in?
She lets him in. He sits on the worn armchair.
Mum, everythings gone wrong.
What happened?
Rebecca left. She took Emily and went back to her parents, filing for divorce.
Nora sits beside him.
Im so sorry.
She called me a failure, said I wasted your money.
James covers his face with his hands.
Im a fool. I knew the business was risky, but Rebecca kept pushing for that flat. I got involved, lost everything.
Business is risky. It happens.
But I lost your savings! Youre left without a home!
He looks at her, tears in his eyes.
Im sorry, Mum. I was the worst son, listening to my wife instead of my conscience.
Nora embraces him.
Ive already forgiven you, James.
How could I be forgiven? I betrayed you!
Youre my son. I cant not forgive you.
James weeps. She rubs his head as she did when he was a child.
Mum, Ill pay everything back. Ill find work, Ill return every penny, no matter how long it takes.
No, James. Money isnt everything.
It is! Because its why were here.
Maybe, but Ive learned whos who. The important thing is that were together again.
From that day James starts visiting regularly, bringing groceries, a few pounds, helping around. He lands a decent job with a proper salary.
Mum, Im saving for a flat for you. A nice onebed in a respectable area.
No, James. Im used to this place.
No, I must correct my mistake.
A year later James actually buys a modest onebed flat. Nora moves in and, for the first time in ages, feels at home.
Thank you, son.
Youre welcome, Mum, for forgiving me.
They stand together in the new flat, and Nora reflects on the lost money, the year in a council flat, the pain, and the son she finally regained not the one manipulated by his wife, but a grown man who owned up to his errors.
Emily visits on weekends. Rebecca, though cold, no longer blocks the visits. The girl comes to her grandmothers flat, they bake pies, stroll in the park, chat.
Grandma, did you forgive Dad?
Yes, love.
And me?
You were a child then. Youre not to blame.
Nora realizes the biggest lesson: family matters more than money. The flat she lost was just walls; true home is where love and acceptance live. Even when James once told her, Youre not living here any longer, time has rearranged the pieces. The hurt fades, the resentment dissolves, leaving only gratitude for a son who finally found the courage to make things right.
