he should give her the money because she needs it more, explaining that she has joint problems and that massage therapies could help ease her pain. In a low voice, my husband replied, “Mike will never come before you, Mom; you’re my blood.”

He went on to say, “It’s not my responsibility to pay for the extra activities he does, but remember that my wife earns very little, and Mike doesn’t have another dad. So, in a way, I feel obliged to take care of him.”