Very dark, and hard-hitting, and what a deceptively simple ending.
Learning when NOT to speak is a tremendous lesson.
"Put up and shut up" was the mantra of my childhood, and I just didn't internalize it. Learning to pass over in silence the things we cannot change - that is a lifelong lesson. Almost never will we inspire anyone to change their attitudes, behaviors, or situations--we must "live and let live"--a challenge for everyone, not just me. Sometimes the only solution is to distance ourselves, if not geographically, then emotionally. What an awesome short story, capturing so many personalities in one home, one family. And you capture the heartbreak of dementia quite aptly. Dark story, yes, but well written.