A Woman’s Grandma Saved $1,000 for Her Every Year – When She Went to Withdraw It, the Teller Said, ‘Your Mother Took It All Months Ago’

I stared at her.

“Grandma kept asking why you never did.”

Phoebe looked down at the table.

Eventually, Lena opened one of Grandma’s photo boxes.

We sat around the kitchen table looking through pictures.

It was awkward.

We weren’t suddenly three inseparable sisters.

But for once, Mom wasn’t standing between us explaining what somebody else supposedly felt.

***

Four days later, she called me.

I sat down.

“Okay.”

“When it sells, I’ll start replacing the money.”

“That’s all you’re going to say?”

“It’s what you should’ve done, Mom.”

She went quiet.

“Does this fix anything?”

“No.”

“Can it?”urm

I looked at Grandma’s empty chair.

“I don’t know.”

Another pause.

“Can I come over?” she asked.

Lena and Phoebe were in Grandma’s kitchen with me.

“Not tonight.”

Mom didn’t argue.

After we hung up, Phoebe picked up the birthday card I’d taken to the bank.

The final deposit receipt was still inside.

“She really did this every year?”

“A thousand dollars?”

“Whatever she could manage.”

Lena looked at me.

“Are you still going back to nursing school?”

“Yeah.”

I ran my thumb along the edge of Grandma’s card.

“I’ll figure it out.”

Phoebe glanced at the patched coat.

“Did Grandma ever spend money on herself?”

I smiled.

“She liked good coffee.”

Lena laughed.

A minute later, Phoebe pulled another photograph from the box.

“Margot.”

I leaned over.

All three of us were in it.

I was maybe eleven. Lena was little, Phoebe barely more than a toddler.

Grandma stood behind us with one hand on my shoulder.

I didn’t remember the photograph being taken.

I took the photograph from Phoebe.

Then I placed it beside Grandma’s last birthday card, with the things I was keeping.