Chapter 3 - The Threat of Incapacity
The gravel crunched beneath our boots as Thomas, Marcus, and I walked down the long, curving driveway toward the front gate. The cold air stung my cheeks, clearing away any remaining hesitation.
When Brandon saw me approaching, he threw his hands up in theatrical exasperation. "Finally! Mom, what on earth is wrong with you? We’ve been freezing out here for twenty minutes!"
Jessica stood on her tiptoes, peering through the iron bars. "Mom, please tell this man to open the gate," she said, nodding toward Marcus's uniform jacket. "We don't need strangers involved in family matters. Who is this?"
"This is Deputy Marcus," I replied evenly, stopping three paces from the gate. "And you know Thomas Reed."
Brandon’s eyes flicked to Thomas, and for a fraction of a second, his confidence cracked. "Thomas? What are you doing here? This is a private family discussion about Mom's living arrangements."
"As Eleanor’s legal counsel, Brandon, my presence is entirely appropriate," Thomas said smoothly. "Especially given the nature of the documents you are attempting to coerce your mother into signing."
"Coerce?" Chloe gasped from behind them, her voice full of artificial outrage. "We are trying to save her life! She had a cardiac incident three months ago. She wanders around this giant house by herself. She's clearly experiencing cognitive decline, Thomas. She locked her own children out of the property on Christmas week! If that doesn't prove she's incapable of managing her own daily affairs, I don't know what does."
I looked Chloe straight in the eye. "Cognitive decline, Chloe? Is that the story you told yourselves so you could sleep at night?"
"Mom, don't be ridiculous," Jessica snapped, stepping closer to the bars. She pulled the folder out from Brandon’s hands and shoved it against the metal lattice. "Look at the medical evaluations we pulled from your hospital discharge. The physician noted you required immediate lifestyle adjustments and home monitoring. If you refuse to cooperate, we have already consulted with an elder-care attorney. We can file an emergency petition with King County Court on Monday morning to have Brandon appointed your temporary guardian. You will lose the right to make decisions anyway. We're offering you the dignity of signing these papers voluntarily."
The casual cruelty of her threat took my breath away for a moment. They hadn't just come to ask; they had prepared an ambush to strip me of my freedom, my dignity, and my home. They wanted me locked away in an institution so they could carve up Robert’s estate like a holiday roast.
"You really believe you can have me declared incompetent?" I asked softly.
"You left us no choice!" Brandon shouted, his face turning red with fury. "You've been distant, hostile, and paranoid ever since Dad died. You stopped sending our holiday stipends. You didn't even send money for the kids' winter sports leagues this month! You are sitting on millions of dollars that Dad earned, hoarding it while our families struggle with inflation and mortgages! That money belongs to this family, Eleanor. Dad would want us taken care of!"
"Your father spent his entire life taking care of you," I said, my voice cutting through the wind like a razor. "And the moment he was gone, you couldn't even spare ten minutes to drive your mother home from the hospital."
"We were busy!" Brandon roared. "People have jobs!"
"Then hire an attorney and figure it out yourself," I replied, throwing Brandon’s exact words back in his face.
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His jaw dropped. Jessica stared at me in stunned disbelief.
Thomas stepped forward and unzipped his leather briefcase. "Before you discuss emergency petitions with the county court, Brandon, there are a few legal realities you need to understand."
