Maureen lost her husband of 50 years, William, recently. After he passed away, Maureen was left alone in their Virginia house.
“Mom, please,” Mark, her son said in phone. “I need you to consider moving. Just come and be closer to us — the kids will love having you here.”
“I don’t want to lose my independence, Son,” Maureen said. “Your father and I promised not to get involved in your life like that.”
“You don’t have to live with me,” Mark said then. “I’ll find you a place close by. I’ll start looking and send you options. Okay? Please, Mom.”
“Fine,” she said. “You can start looking, and I’ll start sorting things out here.”
“You’re really going to leave us, Maureen?” Her friend and neighbor Shelley said.
“It’s not set in stone,” Maureen said. “But it makes more sense for me to be around Mark. We’re not getting younger.”
“Then, you’ve got to throw another legendary party before you leave,” Shelley said.
Few days later, while Maureen was packing, “Mom, I found the perfect house,” Mark said to his mother on the phone. “I’ve viewed it, and I think you’ll love it.”
