“It’s a beautiful place by the sea. There’s a big beach just behind the house. It has a vineyard. There’s a garden in the atrium. My grandmother designed the house herself, and she loved it so much. We have so many memories there. The whole family would gather at Grandma’s house for every holiday. But she died a few years ago, and now my uncle wants to sell. I’d love to turn it into a bed-and-breakfast, but we can’t afford to buy his share. So now there’s a battle over the house. He’s suing us. The lawsuit has been going on for three years. Nobody is speaking to each other. My mother is depressed. Meanwhile the house is rotting away. It needs renovation. Last winter there was a strong storm that caused a lot of damage. And it’s been burglarized several times. It’s like a beautiful part of my life is ending and deteriorating. I used to feel so happy and protected there. I felt like I could control what happens in life.”