The flight home from Bangkok felt like a lifetime. But nothing compared to the lump in my throat when I saw Mom standing by the arrivals gate, arms wide open, tears already spilling.

“Jeremy!” she cried, pulling me into a hug so tight I almost forgot I’d been away for a whole year. The scent of her rosemary oil still clung to her like a memory—and something else I couldn’t name. Worry, maybe.

The drive through Millbrook was a time capsule cracked at the edges. The streets seemed smaller, the houses more worn. Mom chatted nonstop—neighbors, church choir gossip, her book club—but I couldn’t unsee the dark hollows beneath her eyes or the way her hands trembled on the steering wheel.

“I made your favorite,” she said as we pulled into the driveway. “Potato soup with—”

“Extra thyme,” I grinned. “You always remember.”

But the moment we stepped inside, something was off. Dishes were stacked in every corner of the kitchen—on the counters, in the sink, even along the windowsill like makeshift decor gone rogue.

“Mom… what happened?”

She flushed. “The sink’s been acting up. I’ve been washing things in the bathroom.”

I twisted the faucet. It sputtered weakly before groaning to a stop.

“How long’s it been like this?”

“Oh, you know… a few weeks.”

“A few weeks?” I dropped to my knees and peeked under the cabinet. The pipes looked like they hadn’t been touched since cassette tapes were still a thing. “Why didn’t you call someone?”

She shrugged. “I forgot.”

That didn’t sit right. The next morning, I dusted off Dad’s old toolbox and braced myself to play plumber. I had just started loosening one of the rusted joints when her footsteps thundered down the hallway.

“STOP!” Her voice cracked like ice splitting. “Don’t touch that! Please!”

Startled, I banged my head against the underside of the sink.

“What the hell, Mom? You scared me half to death!”

She stood in the doorway, pale and shaking, clutching the counter for support.

“You can’t fix that. I… I need to call someone first.”

“It’s just a clog, not brain surgery.”

“No, Jeremy. Just—leave it alone.”