My father has always been odd, but he got worse when mom and I started an animal shelter in our backyard.
We thought it would be our donation to the animal community, but dad hated it. We had to install a different HVAC system in the house, and we needed to make changes in the backyard. He walked around grumbling about how much it cost to have an animal shelter, and how he was tired of it, and there weren’t any animals yet. He and mom argued about the cost of the new air filters, and that she didn’t want an air purification system until we talked about the animals. He said he had wanted a new HVAC system, but the cost was always prohibitive. Mom thought that rescuing animals and finding homes for them was more important than the cost of a new HVAC system. I could understand dad’s concerns, but I also knew how mom felt. When dad moved into the garage, I knew it was more serious than I had imagined. He called the HVAC company and had a new ductless HVAC system installed. While waiting for the HVAC system, he had a bathroom installed, complete with a shower, and petitioned off an area for a private bedroom. The lock on the door was the final straw for mom. She said she didn’t get married to sleep alone. Dad told her he didn’t get married to have animals take over his home. I could see my family falling apart, but as deep into animal rescuing as mom was, I could only see it getting worse.