I paused.
“You’re right. I was. I was jealous that you got parents who showed up, who paid attention, who flew across the country to see you unpack boxes, but wouldn’t drive across town to watch me get married.”
“That’s not fair.”
“No, Madison, it’s not. None of it was fair.”
“This is why they like me better.”
Silence.
“I know,” I said.
I hung up. My sister said the quiet part out loud, and I realized I didn’t care anymore. January 3rd, 2026, Charlotte called.
“Their attorney wants to settle already. They reviewed the evidence. They know they’ll lose if this goes to court. Plus, court means public record. They don’t want that.”
“What are they offering?”
“Full restitution. 150,000 plus 38,000 in interest. They’re asking us to waive the additional student loan interest claim and legal fees.”
“What do you recommend?”
“Take it. You get your money. They admit wrongdoing in the settlement, and it’s over by mid-January. Fighting for the extra 20,000 could take months.”
“Okay.”
“Nancy, this is a win. They’re admitting they were wrong.”
“Will it say that in writing?”
“It will say they improperly withdrew funds from your custodial account and agree to full restitution.”
“That’s legalese for they stole from you.”
“Then yes, let’s settle.”
January 10th, 2026, I signed the settlement agreement. My parents agreed to pay $188,000. $100,000 by January 15th, the rest by February 15th. To pay it, they had to sell the house they’d owned since 1992. It was worth $320,000. They moved to a two-bedroom rental condo. Madison got zero from Aunt Helen’s estate. I got the full $45,000. All in writing, all legally binding. January 15th. The check came by courier at 10:45 in the morning. $100,000 from Vernon and Carol Austin to Nancy Austin. Memo: settlement payment one of two. Jaime asked,
“How does it feel?”
“Like it’s mine. For the first time, something is actually mine.”
We went to the bank at 2 that afternoon, Hills Bank, Iowa City. The teller processed the deposit.
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