He swallowed.
“You spent weeks making something beautiful for us, and I acted like it wasn’t worth anything.”
Eleanor gently touched his hand.
“Daniel…”
“I don’t expect you to forgive me immediately,” he whispered. “I just wanted you to know I finally understand how badly I treated you.”
She began crying.
Then she wrapped her arms around him.
I watched from the doorway.
My anger hadn’t disappeared.
But something important had changed.
For the first time in years, Daniel wasn’t asking us for money.
He wasn’t requesting another loan.
He wasn’t expecting us to solve a problem for him.
He was simply trying to repair a relationship he’d nearly destroyed.
And that gave me hope.
Rebuilding our relationship took time.
Daniel began working for a construction firm.
The job wasn’t glamorous, but it was steady.
He paid his own rent.
Managed his expenses.
