When I arrived that evening the house looked strangely formal with polished dishes and my mother Elaine Turner hovering nervously near the stove. My sister sat beside her husband Dustin Walsh, a man who talked constantly about business ideas that rarely succeeded, and my father remained at the head of the table with a glass of whiskey.
We chatted politely for about twenty minutes until my father slid a large manila envelope across the table and told me to open it.
“What is this?” I asked cautiously while touching the edge of the envelope.
“It is paperwork for Brittany’s new house,” my father replied calmly. “The bank just needs another name on the mortgage so they will approve the loan.”
Brittany smiled sweetly. “We only need you to co sign as a guarantor,” she said. “It is not a big deal.”
I looked around the table and immediately realized what they were asking because my job involved reviewing financial risk every day. “You have already been denied for the loan once, haven’t you,” I said slowly while studying Dustin’s face.
“It was just a temporary credit problem,” Brittany answered quickly. “We are close to closing on the house and your help would push everything through.”
My father took a sip of whiskey and watched me carefully. “You are the responsible one,” he said.
I set my fork down and replied carefully because I knew how dangerous that request could become. “If something goes wrong with the payments I would be legally responsible for the debt.”
“Nothing will go wrong,” Brittany insisted with an impatient laugh. “We are family.”
That word family hung over the table like a rope waiting to tighten. I told them I would think about it and left the house feeling uneasy.
The next morning I met my closest friend Danielle at a small café near my office and explained the situation while staring into a cup of coffee that had already gone cold. Danielle listened quietly and then leaned forward with a serious expression.
“Abby, do not sign anything,” she said firmly.
“If they stop paying that loan the bank will come after you and you will spend years fixing the damage.”
“They are my family,” I said weakly.
“They are counting on that,” Danielle replied gently. “You have helped them before and they expect you to rescue them again.”