Some things haven’t changed.
Your mother’s voice on the telephone asking if you’re eating well.
Your father telling you not to worry about the money and that he'll 'take care of it'.

But you’ve changed.

And where you'd once reply, carelessly arrogant,
“Why do you care?” and “I don’t need your help!”,
you now understand:
a gift of wisdom from the other people who never cared, never helped,
after you left to be with them.

And now, gently reassuring them,
you only smile into the phone
and ask about the weather.