"Like I'm not doing anything? Do you know what it takes to be a doctor and a lecturer at the University? Not to mention Michael just received a new appointment. We may have to move to New York. Besides I thought you were power of attorney and the executive of his estates… What happened to all of his money?"
"Are you kidding me? Are you really this dense?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Pops owed a truckload of money for mom's hospital bills. He was carrying two mortgages on the house… the house is actually in stage one of foreclosure not to mention he hasn't paid property taxes in three years. His credit cards are maxed out, they repossessed the Hummer and do I really need to tell you how much he owes on our school loans?"
Dinah sighed heavily and stood up hastily.
"So what you want me to do?"
"We have two choices…"
"And?"
"Pops needs to be watched twenty-four-seven. He has to take his medications. You do remember the incidence last year at the police station? Thank goodness we were able to keep it out of the media."
"Yea but still… I've got a life too… I just can't turn my whole life upside-down like this; and it's not like he's our real father."
"Dinah! Would you rather we write him off as a ward of the state? Do you think mom would be happy with us?"
"I know I'm sorry… I didn't mean it… It's just that I'm under so much stress right now… I know he was better to us than our real father. I didn't mean anything by it."
"We can either put him here and split the cost or bring him to our homes alternating every other month."
"How much is here?"
"Twenty-seven hundred dollars a month."
"Are you insane?" Dinah huffed. "You couldn't find any place cheaper?"
"For the kind of care he needs; this is on the cheap side."
Dinah sucked in her teeth and pouted. She folded her arms across her chest and paced around the small table weighing out her options.
"Okay fine, we'll try it and see how it goes. But I'm telling you now that if we have to move to New York, I can't be responsible for this."
"Fine, we'll try it and see how things go."
* * * * * * *
Jayden sat in the background watching Mia, Lacy, Avery and Nita play a game of four-handed pinochle. His mom hadn't been big on socializing, dancing or card playing, thus he had never learned how to play any real card games. It was interesting watching them get so worked up and being passionate about a card game.