The next morning over a quiet breakfast, Ellie finally explained the heartbreaking reality of her weekend visit. She described arriving at Adams house only to find Ryan living in her bedroom with all of her belongings packed away in hallway closets. Adam had decided to let his unemployed brother move in indefinitely without discussing the arrangement with Ellie beforehand. He expected her to simply sleep on the living room couch for the four nights a month she visited them. When she politely suggested sharing the closet space or leaving her books on the shelves, he completely dismissed her feelings and accused her of being unreasonable. He even told her she did not need a whole bedroom just for four nights a month. Hearing how he measured her place in his life broke my heart completely. Later that morning, Claire returned with the rest of her belongings and offered a sincere apology for her own role in the sudden eviction. She explained that she brought Ellie back to me because she refused to let her sleep on an uncomfortable couch feeling entirely unwelcome in her own fathers home.
