I could see her struggling to keep her facade intact, but there was a crack in her mask now. “You’re overstepping.”

“No, Monica,” I said, stepping closer, “you overstepped the moment you tried to erase Mom from this house and make Emma feel like she was nothing more than an intruder.”

She opened her mouth to retort, but I wasn’t finished. “And if you think you can just shove her out to make room for your new life, you’re mistaken. Emma stays. Period. If anyone’s leaving, it’s you.”

Monica’s face flushed with anger. “I’ll tell your father—”