Mama looked stunned. “Did you say three hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars?”

“Yes, Mama, that’s what the bank has approved on the loan.”

Maggie and I waited for Mama to say something. She was very still and was just looking at her hands that were folded on the table. Then she said, “I’m an old woman. I don’t need that much money to live on and I ain’t gonna take that much money from my children. No, that ain’t right, so you go tell that bank that’s too much money for my house!”

I looked at Maggie in disbelief.

Mama continued, “You kids need your money to raise your family. Mama don’t need no $375,000. No, I’m not gonna take it from you, that’s not right!”

Maggie said, “Mama, it’s okay, we can afford it. We both have good jobs, we can afford it!”

I said, “Maggie’s right, Mama, we can afford it. You can just save the money and give it to your grandkids someday. I’ll set up a trust for you.”

“A trust, what’s that? I like the sound of that!”

“It’s a legal document that sets the money aside, like a will but for you while you’re still alive. You can still have access to the money if you need it.”