The next morning started with nonstop phone calls. Ryan called again and again, but I ignored every attempt. Carol left frantic voicemails begging me to answer.

Apparently, the loan had been frozen overnight. The contractor they hired for their expensive renovation had stopped work immediately after learning the financing was under review.

Their plans unraveled faster than I expected. Deposits had already been paid, supplies had been ordered, and nobody knew how to cover the costs.

For years they treated my income like an unlimited resource. Now they were discovering what happened when that resource disappeared-