Marcus looked at me, his eyes hollow with heartbreak.
“You have a lot of work to do on yourself before you are worthy of being in their lives,” I told him. “I won’t keep them from knowing who you are. But you will earn every second. You will earn every smile.”
Marcus swallowed hard and gave a single, devastatingly painful nod. “I’ll do whatever it takes. Even if it takes the
rest of my life.”
“Good,” I said.
I picked up my leather coat, zipped it against the cold, and walked toward the door.
As I stepped out onto the porch, the freezing mountain air hit my face. Behind me, the Reynolds house was quiet, buried in snow and long-overdue accountability. Ahead of me, the sky was clear, bright blue, and wide open.
I got into my car and started the engine.
I didn’t look back in the rearview mirror. My life, my strength, and my four greatest blessings were waiting for me at home.
