My pension is paying for my grandson’s court case

Dear Delyara, My grandson was charged after a fight outside a nightclub. He says he acted in self-defense. The other young man suffered serious injuries. My daughter asked whether I could help with legal fees because the family solicitor said early representation mattered. I used the savings meant for my funeral, then part of my pension, then a loan secured against the house. The case has continued for eighteen months. My grandson rarely calls unless another payment is due. Last week, I watched him laughing with friends outside the court while my daughter completed forms beside me. I felt anger so sharp that I was ashamed. I love him. I also do not know whether I am protecting a frightened young man from injustice or shielding him from consequences he refuses to face. The solicitor’s latest invoice is on my table. Paying it will mean cancelling a heating repair before winter. My daughter says we cannot abandon him now. I keep thinking about the injured man’s grandmother, if he has one, and whether she is using her own savings to help him learn to walk again. Debt has made love feel like a legal obligation with no final hearing date.