{"id":35990,"date":"2026-05-21T09:48:46","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T09:48:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/?p=35990"},"modified":"2026-05-21T09:48:46","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T09:48:46","slug":"three-days-after-mom-died-my-brother-and-sister-sat-at-the-dining-table-dividing-everything-her-house-her-savings-even-her-jewelry-you-can-have-this-my-brother-said-cold","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/?p=35990","title":{"rendered":"Three days after Mom died, my brother and sister sat at the dining table dividing everything\u2014her house, her savings, even her jewelry. \u201cYou can have this,\u201d my brother said coldly, pushing an old sewing machine toward me. I laughed through my tears. \u201cThat\u2019s all Mom left me?\u201d But when I opened it, my hands started shaking. Hidden inside was something Mom had prepared long before she died\u2026 and it changed everything."},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"flex max-w-full flex-col gap-4 grow\">\n<div class=\"min-h-8 text-message relative flex w-full flex-col items-end gap-2 text-start break-words whitespace-normal outline-none keyboard-focused:focus-ring [.text-message+&amp;]:mt-1\" dir=\"auto\" data-message-author-role=\"assistant\" data-message-id=\"708d6000-ef3e-45fa-b70b-d7a5a1f3b8f5\" data-message-model-slug=\"gpt-5-5-thinking\" data-turn-start-message=\"true\">\n<div class=\"flex w-full flex-col gap-1 empty:hidden\">\n<div class=\"markdown prose dark:prose-invert wrap-break-word w-full light markdown-new-styling\">\n<p data-start=\"11\" data-end=\"139\">Three days after my mother died, my brother Mark and my sister Claire sat at her dining table like grief had an expiration date.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"141\" data-end=\"384\">The casseroles from neighbors were still stacked in the fridge. The sympathy cards still leaned against the lamp. Mom\u2019s favorite mug, the blue one with a chip on the handle, was still beside the sink because I couldn\u2019t bring myself to wash it.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"386\" data-end=\"423\">But Mark had already opened a folder.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"425\" data-end=\"528\">\u201cThe house should be sold,\u201d he said, tapping a pen against the papers. \u201cWe split the money three ways.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"530\" data-end=\"676\">Claire nodded, twisting Mom\u2019s gold bracelet around her wrist as if it had always belonged to her. \u201cAnd the savings account. The jewelry. The car.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"678\" data-end=\"995\">I stood in the doorway, still wearing the same black dress from the funeral. For the last eight months, I had moved back home to care for Mom after her cancer returned. I gave her medicine at two in the morning. I held her hair when she got sick. I slept in a chair beside her bed because she was scared to die alone.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"997\" data-end=\"1016\">Mark visited twice.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1018\" data-end=\"1038\">Claire sent flowers.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1040\" data-end=\"1080\">\u201cDid Mom leave a will?\u201d I asked quietly.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1082\" data-end=\"1146\">Mark looked at Claire, then back at me. \u201cShe left instructions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1148\" data-end=\"1250\">He slid an envelope across the table. My name was written on it in Mom\u2019s shaky handwriting: <strong data-start=\"1240\" data-end=\"1250\">Emily.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1252\" data-end=\"1276\">Inside was one sentence.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1278\" data-end=\"1353\"><strong data-start=\"1278\" data-end=\"1353\">For my youngest daughter, I leave my sewing machine. She will know why.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1355\" data-end=\"1419\">Claire let out a small laugh. \u201cWell, that\u2019s sweet. Sentimental.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1421\" data-end=\"1593\">Mark stood, walked to the corner, and pushed Mom\u2019s old Singer sewing machine toward me. Its wooden case was scratched, the metal dull, the handle cracked from years of use.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1595\" data-end=\"1657\">\u201cYou can have this,\u201d he said coldly. \u201cThat\u2019s what Mom wanted.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1659\" data-end=\"1700\">I stared at it. \u201cThat\u2019s all she left me?\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1702\" data-end=\"1771\">Mark\u2019s jaw tightened. \u201cDon\u2019t start, Emily. You lived here rent-free.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1773\" data-end=\"1844\">I felt something break inside me. \u201cI lived here because Mom was dying.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1846\" data-end=\"1862\">No one answered.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1864\" data-end=\"2019\">With shaking hands, I lifted the machine\u2019s lid. At first, there was only dust, thread, and folded fabric. Then I noticed the false bottom under the drawer.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2021\" data-end=\"2038\">I pulled it open.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2040\" data-end=\"2118\">Inside was a thick envelope, a small velvet box, and a letter addressed to me.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2120\" data-end=\"2171\">When I opened the letter, my knees nearly gave out.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2173\" data-end=\"2201\">At the top, Mom had written:<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2203\" data-end=\"2279\"><strong data-start=\"2203\" data-end=\"2279\">Emily, by the time you find this, they will have shown you who they are.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2292\" data-end=\"2400\">I read the letter right there in front of them, though my voice trembled so badly the words came out broken.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2402\" data-end=\"2423\"><strong data-start=\"2402\" data-end=\"2423\">My dearest Emily,<\/strong><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2425\" data-end=\"2666\"><strong data-start=\"2425\" data-end=\"2666\">You were the one who stayed. Not because you wanted anything, but because your heart would not let you leave me. Your brother and sister have asked me about money many times. You never did. That is why I had to protect what matters most.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2668\" data-end=\"2704\">Mark stepped closer. \u201cWhat is that?\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2706\" data-end=\"2763\">I pulled the pages against my chest. \u201cA letter from Mom.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2765\" data-end=\"2834\">Claire\u2019s face changed. The smug smile faded. \u201cWhat else is in there?\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2836\" data-end=\"3016\">I reached into the machine and took out the velvet box. Inside was not a diamond necklace or some expensive family heirloom. It was a simple silver ring with a tiny sapphire stone.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3018\" data-end=\"3040\">I knew it immediately.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3042\" data-end=\"3234\">It was the promise ring my father had given Mom before he left for the Navy. She used to wear it while sewing dresses for women in town, telling me, \u201cLove is not loud, Emily. Real love stays.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3236\" data-end=\"3308\">Under the ring was another envelope. This one contained legal documents.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3310\" data-end=\"3357\">The house had not been left to the three of us.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3359\" data-end=\"3415\">It had been transferred into my name six months earlier.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3417\" data-end=\"3475\">Mark grabbed the paper from my hand. \u201cThis can\u2019t be real.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3477\" data-end=\"3520\">\u201cIt\u2019s notarized,\u201d I said, barely breathing.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3522\" data-end=\"3579\">Claire\u2019s voice sharpened. \u201cShe wasn\u2019t in her right mind.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3581\" data-end=\"3629\">That was when another voice came from behind us.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3631\" data-end=\"3652\">\u201cShe absolutely was.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3654\" data-end=\"3663\">I turned.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3665\" data-end=\"4014\">Standing at the front door was Daniel Harper, Mom\u2019s attorney\u2014and the man who had quietly become my closest friend during the worst year of my life. Daniel had come by often to help Mom with paperwork. Afterward, he would sit with me on the porch, bringing coffee I never asked for but always needed. He never pushed. Never pitied me. He just stayed.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4016\" data-end=\"4211\">Daniel walked in, his expression calm but firm. \u201cMargaret made every decision herself. I witnessed her sign the transfer. Her doctor also provided a letter confirming she was mentally competent.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4213\" data-end=\"4235\">Mark\u2019s face went pale.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4237\" data-end=\"4291\">Claire shook her head. \u201cSo she gave Emily everything?\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4293\" data-end=\"4379\">\u201cNo,\u201d Daniel said. \u201cShe gave each of you exactly what you had already taken from her.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4381\" data-end=\"4402\">The room went silent.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4404\" data-end=\"4607\">He opened his briefcase and placed copies of bank withdrawals on the table. Checks made out to Mark. Credit card payments for Claire. Loans Mom had forgiven. Thousands of dollars I had never known about.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4609\" data-end=\"4638\">Mom\u2019s final letter continued:<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4640\" data-end=\"4793\"><strong data-start=\"4640\" data-end=\"4793\">I helped them because they asked. I helped you because you never would. The sewing machine is not a punishment. It is proof. Look beneath the fabric.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4795\" data-end=\"4840\">With numb fingers, I lifted the folded cloth.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4842\" data-end=\"4989\">Underneath were old photographs, receipts, and a deed to a small storefront downtown\u2014the empty tailor shop where Mom had worked when she was young.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4991\" data-end=\"5029\">And taped to the last page was a note:<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"5031\" data-end=\"5082\"><strong data-start=\"5031\" data-end=\"5082\">Make something beautiful out of what broke you.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"5095\" data-end=\"5127\">For a long moment, no one moved.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"5129\" data-end=\"5275\">Mark looked at the papers like they were a personal betrayal. Claire wiped at her eyes, but I couldn\u2019t tell if she was crying from shame or anger.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"5277\" data-end=\"5329\">\u201cYou planned this with her,\u201d Mark snapped at Daniel.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"5331\" data-end=\"5420\">Daniel didn\u2019t flinch. \u201cYour mother planned it. I only made sure her wishes were honored.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"5422\" data-end=\"5546\">Claire turned to me. \u201cEmily, come on. You know Mom loved all of us. You\u2019re not really going to keep the house and the shop.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"5548\" data-end=\"5828\">I looked at my sister\u2014really looked at her. I remembered calling her when Mom\u2019s fever spiked. She said she had a dinner reservation she couldn\u2019t cancel. I remembered Mark promising to come over on Christmas, then texting that traffic was bad, though he lived fifteen minutes away.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"5830\" data-end=\"5896\">I also remembered Mom squeezing my hand the night before she died.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"5898\" data-end=\"5967\">\u201cDon\u2019t let loneliness make you accept less than love,\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"5969\" data-end=\"6043\">So I folded the letter carefully and placed it back in the sewing machine.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"6045\" data-end=\"6109\">\u201cI\u2019m going to honor Mom,\u201d I said. \u201cThat\u2019s what I\u2019m going to do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"6111\" data-end=\"6214\">Mark stormed out first. Claire followed, bracelet still on her wrist, though she couldn\u2019t meet my eyes.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"6216\" data-end=\"6259\">When the door closed, I finally broke down.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"6261\" data-end=\"6313\">Daniel stood quietly beside me, then asked, \u201cMay I?\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"6315\" data-end=\"6457\">I nodded, and he wrapped his arms around me. Not too tight. Not like he was trying to fix me. Just enough to remind me I wasn\u2019t alone anymore.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"6459\" data-end=\"6505\">\u201cI don\u2019t know how to run a shop,\u201d I whispered.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"6507\" data-end=\"6563\">\u201cYou know how to love people,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s harder.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"6565\" data-end=\"6930\">Six months later, I opened <strong data-start=\"6592\" data-end=\"6619\">Margaret\u2019s Stitch House<\/strong> in that little downtown storefront. I kept Mom\u2019s sewing machine by the front window, polished but untouched, like a witness. At first, I only repaired hems and replaced buttons. Then women started bringing wedding dresses, baptism gowns, prom dresses, and old coats that still smelled like someone they missed.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"6932\" data-end=\"6979\">Every stitch felt like a conversation with Mom.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"6981\" data-end=\"7146\">Daniel came by every Friday with coffee. One evening, as I locked the shop, he took my hand and said, \u201cYour mom once told me you were the strongest person she knew.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"7148\" data-end=\"7192\">I smiled through tears. \u201cShe told you that?\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"7194\" data-end=\"7308\">\u201cShe told me a lot,\u201d he said. \u201cMostly that I\u2019d be an idiot if I didn\u2019t ask you to dinner when the time was right.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"7310\" data-end=\"7373\">For the first time in a year, I laughed without feeling guilty.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"7375\" data-end=\"7549\">I lost my mother, but inside that old sewing machine, she left me more than property. She left me proof that real love watches, remembers, and quietly prepares a way forward.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"7551\" data-end=\"7610\">And maybe that is the kind of inheritance no one can steal.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"7612\" data-end=\"7753\" data-is-last-node=\"\" data-is-only-node=\"\">If you were in Emily\u2019s place, would you forgive Mark and Claire\u2014or would you walk away and protect the peace your mother fought to leave you?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"z-0 flex min-h-[46px] justify-start\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"mt-3 w-full empty:hidden\">\n<div class=\"text-center\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"inline-flex border border-gray-100 dark:border-gray-700 rounded-xl\">\n<div class=\"bg-token-main-surface-tertiary w-px flex-1 self-stretch\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Three days after my mother died, my brother Mark and my sister Claire sat at her dining table like grief had an expiration date. The casseroles from neighbors were still stacked in the fridge. The sympathy cards still leaned against the lamp. Mom\u2019s favorite mug, the blue one with a chip on the handle, was [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":35991,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-35990","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-life-new"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Three days after Mom died, my brother and sister sat at the dining table dividing everything\u2014her house, her savings, even her jewelry. \u201cYou can have this,\u201d my brother said coldly, pushing an old sewing machine toward me. I laughed through my tears. \u201cThat\u2019s all Mom left me?\u201d But when I opened it, my hands started shaking. Hidden inside was something Mom had prepared long before she died\u2026 and it changed everything. - True Stories<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/?p=35990\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Three days after Mom died, my brother and sister sat at the dining table dividing everything\u2014her house, her savings, even her jewelry. \u201cYou can have this,\u201d my brother said coldly, pushing an old sewing machine toward me. I laughed through my tears. \u201cThat\u2019s all Mom left me?\u201d But when I opened it, my hands started shaking. Hidden inside was something Mom had prepared long before she died\u2026 and it changed everything. - True Stories\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Three days after my mother died, my brother Mark and my sister Claire sat at her dining table like grief had an expiration date. The casseroles from neighbors were still stacked in the fridge. The sympathy cards still leaned against the lamp. 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Mom\u2019s favorite mug, the blue one with a chip on the handle, was [&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/?p=35990","og_site_name":"True Stories","article_published_time":"2026-05-21T09:48:46+00:00","og_image":[{"width":558,"height":1000,"url":"http:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/A_dramatic_realistic_American_family_202605211648.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"true love","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"true love","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/?p=35990","url":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/?p=35990","name":"Three days after Mom died, my brother and sister sat at the dining table dividing everything\u2014her house, her savings, even her jewelry. \u201cYou can have this,\u201d my brother said coldly, pushing an old sewing machine toward me. 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Hidden inside was something Mom had prepared long before she died\u2026 and it changed everything. - True Stories","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/?p=35990#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/?p=35990#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/A_dramatic_realistic_American_family_202605211648.jpeg","datePublished":"2026-05-21T09:48:46+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/#\/schema\/person\/5c3397997033ec1244d0e345888afa8e"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/?p=35990#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/?p=35990"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/?p=35990#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/A_dramatic_realistic_American_family_202605211648.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/A_dramatic_realistic_American_family_202605211648.jpeg","width":558,"height":1000},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/?p=35990#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Three days after Mom died, my brother and sister sat at the dining table dividing everything\u2014her house, her savings, even her jewelry. \u201cYou can have this,\u201d my brother said coldly, pushing an old sewing machine toward me. I laughed through my tears. \u201cThat\u2019s all Mom left me?\u201d But when I opened it, my hands started shaking. Hidden inside was something Mom had prepared long before she died\u2026 and it changed everything."}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/#website","url":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/","name":"True Stories","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/#\/schema\/person\/5c3397997033ec1244d0e345888afa8e","name":"true love","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7edec003db6c2d994c618a5c9257e4836d0823076211ef1f440ea5b2dfb07eb1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7edec003db6c2d994c618a5c9257e4836d0823076211ef1f440ea5b2dfb07eb1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"true love"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org"],"url":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/?author=2"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35990","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=35990"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35990\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35992,"href":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35990\/revisions\/35992"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/35991"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=35990"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=35990"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=35990"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}