Grandpa put his fork down.
No one expected what came next.
“No,” he said quietly. “I asked Ethan.”
My stomach dropped.
Dad leaned back in his chair. “Dad, don’t start.”
Grandpa kept his eyes on me. “How much?”
I swallowed. “Eight hundred a month.”
My grandmother whispered, “Eight hundred?”
Mom quickly stepped in. “It’s not rent. It’s helping with household expenses.”
“I live in the basement,” I said before I could stop myself. “I buy my own groceries. I pay for my phone, car insurance, gas, and half the utilities.”
Claire’s head snapped up. “You make it sound like you’re being abused.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“But you’re acting like it,” she said. “I have two children, Ethan. Do you know how expensive daycare is?”
I stared at her. “You don’t pay daycare. Mom watches them five days a week.”
Claire’s cheeks flushed. Dad slapped his palm lightly against the table.
