My son had tears in his eyes.
“You would do that. After everything, you would still want to fix our relationship.”
“You’re my son,” I said, my voice trembling. “You made terrible mistakes. You failed me. But you’re my son, and I’m not going to give up on you without trying.”
Daniel stood up, walked around the table, and knelt in front of me.
“Forgive me, Mom. Please forgive me.”
I held him and cried with him.
Emily watched from her chair, destroyed.
“And me,” she asked in a small voice. “Is there anything I can do to… to earn your forgiveness?”
I looked at her directly.
“You can start by treating the tenants I’m going to put in your house well. You can start by valuing what you have. And you can start by teaching my grandchildren that respect is not optional.”
She nodded, wiping her tears.
