He worked weekends.
He took holiday assignments.
He saved every spare dollar.
And by our third wedding anniversary, he’d saved enough to open a small auto repair shop of his own.
I was incredibly proud of him.
His business grew faster than either of us expected.
The first shop became profitable.
Then he opened another.
Before long, he was managing several successful locations.
For the first time in our marriage, we had more financial security than we’d ever imagined.
Last spring, we purchased a beautiful house near downtown.
My mother didn’t attend the closing.
But as Ethan’s success became impossible to ignore, something strange happened.
Her insults slowly disappeared.
She began visiting us for Sunday dinners.
She asked questions about his business.
She even sent him a thoughtful birthday card.
I wanted to believe she had finally recognized the good man I’d married.
Ethan never challenged that hope.
