My son won the lottery, kicked me out of the house, and said: “You’re worthless! Go live in a nursing home.” I wandered aimlessly to clear my mind. When I sat down on a bench, a homeless man walked up to me, smiled, and said: “You look just like my late wife…”

“This house has memories, Richard. This is where we built our life together after your father died.”

“My father?” He practically spat the words. “You know what? I’m glad he’s dead. At least he doesn’t have to see what a failure his wife became.”

The cruelty in his voice made my knees weak. I grabbed onto the back of a chair to steady myself. “How can you say that? He loved us both so much.”

“Love doesn’t pay Bill’s mother. Love doesn’t buy respect. And love certainly doesn’t win the lottery.” He waved the ticket again. “This does. This changes everything. And the first thing that’s changing is you. You’re leaving.”Plan Gardens

I felt tears starting to burn behind my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. Not yet. “Where am I supposed to go?”

“There’s a state-run nursing home about 20 minutes from here, Sunset Manor. I already called them. They have a bed available.”