Dear Prudence,My family is not well-off and neither am I. My parents always try to help me where they can because they feel guilty that they couldn’t give me a better financial start in life, which has never been something I held against them. My sister recently had a baby, and I came up to visit and help ferry my mom, who dislikes driving, to and from the hospital. My last morning here, my dad got up early and took my car to get gas.
I came downstairs afterward, and my car keys were on the table with one or two 20-dollar bills folded underneath them. I assumed this was the money they’d offered me to help pay for my sister’s shower. I left it there, but when I came back less than an hour later, it was gone. My mom and I were the only two people in the house. I didn’t say anything because what if I was wrong and I accused my mom of taking money meant for me? But Prudie, I don’t think I am wrong.
I think my sister would tell me to let it go, but I can’t stop thinking about it. It’s not the money itself, I’m fine without it, it’s that my mom would do that. She’s never given me any reason not to trust her. I know things are hard for them, but my mother doesn’t pay the bills or do the grocery shopping. If she took the money, it wasn’t to help them out financially. If my dad knew, this would ruin things between them. I don’t want that, but I’m devastated by the idea that I can’t trust my mom.