So she shows up out of the blue on the snowiest, coldest day of the year with boxes of shit. She makes no attempt to ring my doorbell, knock on my door, or see my son. Instead, she starts unloading box after box of stuff into my driveway. She also left a huge black trash bag of stuff too. Then she left.

My mother did something similar. My brother has been no-contact with her for several years. She called the night before my birthday wanting to do something with me that day when I'd already had plans to do something with my brother. She got really upset, and I'd finally had enough and told her among other things that I think she needs therapy. I've been staying with my dad since the start of the pandemic. She showed up to the house a couple of days later when I was at work to hand my dad a couple of bags of childhood photos of me and my brother, every letter or card either of us had ever sent her, and said she's 'done' and we're all evil and she wants nothing to do with us.

She tried getting in contact a few months later like nothing had ever happened, and I said I didn't think it would be a good idea for us to spend time together when she'd not apologised for her actions that day. Haven't heard from her since. I'm not even in 'no contact' as far as I'm concerned. I'm open to talking, but it depends on her. I just want some acknowledgement that her behaviour was inappropriate and a commitment to changing it. I don't expect perfection, just some effort to work on problematic behaviours and have a healthy and mutually respectful adult relationship. Not gonna hold my breath.