Chapter 20: Continuation
A few days passed after I wrote the previous chapter, and more information came to light about my mom’s
involvement with the scammers.
Back in December 2023, my mom had gone to a Verizon store.
During that visit, she purchased six phones and shipped them to the scammers.
It was another revelation that put further strain on my dad.
Every new piece of information seemed like another blow.
At the same time, the plans for my mom’s treatment changed again.
We had been only eight days away from her leaving for the facility in Texas. Now that plan was gone, and we
were told she would instead be going to a facility in New Jersey approximately a month later.
Initially, I was furious.
A month felt like an enormous amount of time after everything that had already happened.
I worried about what my mom might do during that time and how much more my dad could withstand.
When my dad first told me about the phones, I misunderstood the timeline and believed she had purchased
them recently.
I told him that, whatever had happened, I would not allow anything to delay her treatment if the decision
were mine.
Then I learned more about why the treatment plan had changed.
My understanding was that the Texas facility was not considered suitable for her needs and that she needed
treatment that could address her PTSD.
With that additional information, I understood the decision better.
I still didn’t like waiting.
Too much had happened for another month to feel safe or comfortable.
But my initial anger had come before I understood the full situation.
That realization mattered to me.
So much of the previous year had been filled with people reacting to incomplete information—including me.
I didn’t know what would happen next.
I worried about my mom.
I worried about my dad.
It felt as though a storm cloud was constantly hanging over our family.
Once again, there was nothing to do but wait.