Chapter 23 - The Family Meeting
Lorraine called a family meeting.
Tasha almost laughed when Aunt Rochelle delivered the invitation.
“She wants everyone at Raymond’s house Sunday.”
“For what?”
“To talk before this goes any further.”
“It already went further.”
“Tasha.”
“No.”
Rochelle sighed.
“Please.”
That word worked better than pressure.
Tasha went.
Marcus offered to accompany her.
She accepted.
Not because she needed protection.
Because he was involved.
Raymond’s living room held nine relatives.
Aunts.
Cousins.
Two uncles.
Lorraine sat in the center.
Of course she did.
Tasha remained standing.
“This is weird.”
Rochelle whispered, “Sit down.”
“I’m good.”
Marcus stayed near the doorway.
Lorraine looked at him.
“This is family.”
Marcus answered, “My forged signature made me family enough for court.”
Nobody spoke.
Lorraine’s face tightened.
“Tasha, I asked for this because things are being said that can never be unsaid.”
Tasha crossed her arms.
“Then everybody should choose carefully.”
Aunt Rochelle stood.
“We all know mistakes were made.”
“Which mistakes?”
“Tasha.”
“No. Say them.”
Raymond looked down.
Lorraine answered.
“Your grandmother’s estate was handled in a way you disagree with.”
Tasha stared.
“That’s impressive.”
“What?”
“You can turn forgery into a disagreement without changing your expression.”
Several relatives shifted uncomfortably.
Lorraine’s voice remained calm.
“No court has found forgery.”
“Yet.”
“And no court has found me guilty of anything.”
“This is a civil title case.”
“Exactly.”
Tasha looked around the room.
“Does everybody know why?”
Silence.
She continued.
“Grandma’s will left me the house.”
Some nodded.
“A deed appeared weeks before she died.”
More silence.
“The notarial section was copied from another document.”
Rochelle looked sharply at Lorraine.
Tasha continued.
“Grandma’s signature appears to have been copied from an older power-of-attorney form.”
Raymond covered his face.
“And Mom borrowed ninety-two thousand dollars against the house.”
A cousin whispered, “Ninety-two?”
Lorraine snapped, “Money that helped this family.”
Tasha looked at her.
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For finally admitting it.”
Lorraine stood.
“I have never denied helping people.”
“You denied where the money came from.”
“I managed an asset.”
“You stole an asset.”
“We do not know that.”
Marcus spoke.
“We know you took five thousand from me for a sale you had no lawyer, escrow or closing structure for.”
Lorraine turned.
“And you were perfectly willing to buy your child’s mother’s home behind her back.”
The room went silent.
Tasha looked at Marcus.
Lorraine saw the opening.
“Tell them.”
Marcus’s jaw tightened.
“You think he came into this with clean hands?”
Tasha said, “He already told me.”
“Did he tell you what he said about you?”
Marcus froze.
Tasha looked at him.
“What?”
Lorraine smiled sadly.
“Marcus told me you were bad with money.”
Tasha’s face changed.
Marcus closed his eyes briefly.
“When?”
Lorraine answered.
“The first time we discussed the sale.”
Tasha looked at him.
“What exactly did you say?”
Marcus did not hide.
“I said you make emotional financial decisions.”
The relatives disappeared.
The room narrowed to Tasha and Marcus.
“You said that to my mother?”
“Yes.”
“The woman using my finances to control me?”
“I didn’t understand that.”
“You knew she charged me rent?”
“No.”
“You still discussed buying my house with her because you thought I couldn’t manage money.”
“Yes.”
The honesty hurt.
Marcus continued.
“And I was wrong.”
Lorraine laughed.
“Convenient.”
Marcus looked at her.
“No.”
He stepped into the center of the room.
“I was arrogant.”
Everyone went quiet.
“I thought because I had steady income and savings, I automatically made better decisions.”
Tasha stared.
“I thought putting Jayden’s name on money made every decision I made with that money righteous.”
He looked at Tasha.
“It didn’t.”
Lorraine’s expression sharpened.
Marcus continued.
“I tried to control a problem instead of talking to the person living inside it.”
Tasha swallowed.
“That was wrong.”
Aunt Rochelle looked uncomfortable.
Marcus turned toward Lorraine.
“But my mistake does not erase yours.”
Lorraine’s face hardened.
“You think apologizing makes you noble?”
“No.”
“It makes you weak.”
Marcus shook his head.
“No. It makes me accountable.”
The word landed.
Lorraine looked around the room.
“You people are enjoying this.”
Nobody answered.
“All of you benefited from me.”
Raymond whispered, “That’s the problem.”
Lorraine stared at him.
He looked up.
“You made help into debt.”
Rochelle began crying.
“You always remembered every dollar.”
Lorraine stepped back.
“You ungrateful—”
Tasha interrupted.
“No.”
Everybody looked at her.
“This is not about making Mom a monster.”
Lorraine’s expression flickered.
Tasha continued.
“She helped us.”
“Yes,” Rochelle whispered.
“She showed up.”
Raymond nodded.
“She sacrificed.”
More nods.
“And she used all of that to convince herself she was allowed to decide what belonged to everyone.”
The room became quiet.
Tasha looked directly at her mother.
“You did good things.”
Lorraine’s eyes filled.
“That doesn’t cancel what you did.”
For the first time, Lorraine looked old.
Not defeated.
Not innocent.
Just tired.
She picked up her handbag.
“This family will regret humiliating me.”
She walked out.
Nobody stopped her.
Marcus stood beside Tasha.
She did not look at him.
Not yet.
His apology had mattered.
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So had his betrayal.
Both would have to remain true.
