It had been four long years since I last saw my son, Brian. After his father died, he disappeared from my life without a word. No calls, no texts, no visits. My heart had broken when he took everything of his father’s—his car, his watches, his money—and walked out the door as though none of it mattered. The boy I once knew, the boy who had been so kind, was gone.
Now, as I stood at the door, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Brian had come back, but not to make amends. Instead, he brought a lawyer—a man in a suit, carrying a briefcase that looked far too formal for this moment. My heart sank as Brian spoke.
“This is my attorney,” Brian said, his voice emotionless. “You need to leave this house by tomorrow, or we’ll take this to court.”
I blinked, unable to process his words. My home? The house that had once been filled with laughter and love, the house I had shared with Brian’s father? Now my son was demanding that I leave. It didn’t make sense.
“You’re suing me for the house?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper, filled with disbelief.
“That’s right,” Brian said, flat and uncaring. “It belongs to me now.”
I looked at the lawyer, hoping this was some kind of mistake, but when I caught his eye, something clicked. He gave me the faintest wink—a gesture only I could understand. And then it hit me—James. James, my high school sweetheart, the man I had loved before life took us in different directions. And now, he was standing here as Brian’s lawyer.
“James?” I gasped, my voice trembling.
He smiled warmly, his eyes softening. “It’s been a long time, Mary.”
The memories came rushing back—the first love, the laughter, the sweet moments we shared in our youth. But now, he was here, with a purpose, and something in his eyes told me he wasn’t here to support Brian. There was more to this than met the eye.
“I think we should have a private conversation,” James said, turning to Brian. “Just a few minutes to clarify things.”
Brian sighed dramatically and rolled his eyes. “Fine. Make it quick.”
As soon as Brian walked away, James leaned in. “I can’t believe he’s treating you like this,” he said, his voice soft and filled with concern. “But don’t worry. We can stop him. He doesn’t know what he’s getting into.”
I shook my head in confusion. “He’s trying to take my home, James. How did it come to this?”
James sighed, his eyes full of empathy. “I know it’s hard. But trust me, he’s way over his head. Let me handle it. We’ll show him the truth tomorrow.”
The next morning, James came by again, this time with a small bag of coffee beans. “I thought we could start the day with a nice cup of coffee,” he said, his smile returning. We sat in the kitchen, sharing old memories as we prepared for the confrontation with Brian.
When it was time, James pulled out his phone and dialed Brian’s number. “What now?” Brian’s voice came through, full of arrogance.
“Brian, we need to talk,” James said calmly. “I need to explain exactly where you stand in this situation.”
Brian scoffed. “I know where I stand.”
“No, you don’t,” James said. “You’re trying to sue your mother for her house, but you’re standing on shaky ground. You took your father’s belongings after his death, sold them without permission—that’s theft, Brian.”
There was a long silence. Finally, Brian spoke, his voice shaken. “Are you serious?”
“Yes,” James said firmly. “You sold things that didn’t belong to you. If you go through with this lawsuit, we’ll bring everything to light. And the consequences could be much worse than just losing the case.”
I could hear the panic in Brian’s voice. “What do you want me to do?”
“Drop the lawsuit,” James said. “Walk away before this gets worse. If you don’t, you’ll regret it.”
The silence stretched on. Then, finally, Brian muttered, “Fine. I’ll drop it.”
James hung up the phone and smiled at me. “Sometimes, the truth is all it takes.”
I smiled, relieved. “You’re something else, you know that?”
“I’ve heard that before,” James replied, winking.
And just like that, Brian was stopped—not by anger or revenge, but by the truth. Sometimes, all it takes is patience and an old friend to make things right.
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