You moved away years ago, maybe for a job, maybe for a partner, maybe because life just carried you somewhere else. And for a long time, the distance didn't matter much. Your parent was healthy, independent, and thriving near Acworth or Kennesaw or wherever they've built their life in Cobb County.
You've been carrying this conversation in your pocket for weeks, maybe months. Every phone call where your parent sounds a little more confused, every visit where you notice something new that worries you, it builds. You know assisted living is the right step. But saying the words out loud to the person who raised you? That's a different thing entirely.
You're helping your parent unload groceries when you notice three identical cartons of orange juice already in the fridge and an expired gallon of milk shoved behind them. It's a small thing. But later that night, you lie awake thinking about it.