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Your mom gets a text message saying her bank account has been compromised. Your dad gets a call from someone claiming to be a grandchild in trouble. A neighbor in Gambrills receives an email about an unclaimed prize. Each scenario looks different on the surface, but underneath, they share the same anatomy: pressure, emotion, and a demand to act before you can think.
Your parent says everything is fine. The house looks tidy enough when you visit, there's food in the fridge, and the medications seem to be in order. But what happens on the days you're not there?
You've been keeping a mental list for months. The uneaten groceries. The doctor's appointment your parent forgot, twice. The way the house feels different now; a little less cared for, a little less well-maintained. You keep telling yourself things are fine, but that list keeps growing, and at some point, you stopped being able to ignore it.