The Patchwork of Our Lives

“Honey, I got something to tell you,” he started again. He cleared his throat several times and tried to start again but words would not come. She noticed there were tears forming in his eyes. At that point his wife intervened, having no trouble spitting out the words, “You’ll have to move, Katie. That’s just the way it is! Thirty days from now we expect you to be out of the house.” “But why, why do you want me to move? I’ve taken good care of it, and I pay my rent. I love that old house, it is home. Why do I have to move?” she was trying to be calm, was nearly crying by this time. Her aunt very calmly told her, “Well, Katie, my daughter by my first marriage, and her family have decided they would like to move out to the country. That would be a perfect place for them, so we are going to let them move in. You need to move so they can get moved in before the school year starts, so their daughter can start school out there.” Katie had taken it for granted that she would continue living in grandpa’s house, gradually fixing it up and eventually purchasing it from her uncle. She was astounded when they mentioned her moving. How could this be?