At 24, I lost my job and became homeless.

At 24, I lost my job and became homeless. With two little kids, I had nowhere to go, so I knocked on my mother’s door. She said, “My boyfriend would not let you stay. I’m sorry.” I told her to forget me. She passed away five weeks later. It was all so sudden. \

I felt numb. That night, her boyfriend came in tears to reveal the truth. I froze. Turns out… she had been sick for months and never told me. She didn’t refuse me because of him. She was trying to protect me from seeing her weak, from carrying the burden while I was already struggling. She had argued with him, wanting to let us stay, but feared we’d watch her fade. Before she passed, she made him promise to give me the small savings she hid for my kids. I broke down, realizing she loved me all along.