Chapter 6 - The First Step Home
The Saturday visit was simple. The grandchildren, Chloe and Ethan, wore old jeans and sneakers instead of designer clothes. They helped Margaret plant hydrangeas along the fence, their laughter echoing through the warm afternoon air.
Claire helped Margaret prepare lunch in the kitchen. The atmosphere was tentative, but the hostility had evaporated, replaced by a cautious humility.
"I am sorry, Margaret," Claire said softly, placing a plate of sandwiches on the counter. "For everything. For laughing that night. For thinking money was all that mattered."
Margaret looked at her daughter-in-law. "Apology accepted, Claire. Healing takes time, but this is a good start."
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When they sat down to eat at the kitchen table, Daniel reached out and took his mother’s hand. "We don't expect things to go back to how they were, Mom," he said. "We just want to earn a place in your life again."
"You don't earn a place with money or performance, Daniel," Margaret said, smiling gently. "You earn it with honesty."
