I calmly set down my tea and looked her in the eye.
“Yes,” I said. “I gave it to the granddaughter who made me feel like family.”
She stared, stunned. “But it was a Cartier bracelet! You promised it to me for my wedding!”
“And I promised to always support the people who support me,” I replied softly. “You made your wedding about ‘friends,’ remember? So I assumed gifts from family weren’t needed.”
Evian’s mouth opened and closed like a fish gasping for air. “You’re punishing me?!”
“No, dear,” I said with a warm smile. “You made a choice. And so did I.”
She stormed out in silence.
Later that week, Ricca called to say she’d never taken the bracelet off. “I don’t care about the brand,” she said. “I care that it came from you.”
Moral: Love isn’t owed—it’s earned through respect and presence. Being family isn’t just about blood; it’s about showing up, especially for those who never stopped showing up for you.
