Hello?

In the solitude of her room, Mindy wrestled with the torrent of emotions that engulfed her. The weight of her father's deteriorating health, the clash with Jacob's family, and the unexpected discord with her own mother bore down on her shoulders.

The soft knock on her bedroom door interrupted the silence, and Grace cautiously entered, concern etched on her face. "Mindy, can we talk?"

Mindy, still visibly shaken, nodded silently, inviting her mother to sit on the edge of the bed.

Grace took a deep breath before speaking, "I didn't mean to upset you, sweetheart. I just thought, maybe, we should consider what's best for your father."

Mindy, her voice strained from the recent emotional outburst, replied, "Mom, I can't believe you're siding with them. They won't even listen to what I have to say. Dad is our family too, and we can't let them decide everything without considering our feelings."