in Nicholas’s name. Months later, Melissa asked if we could talk. I agreed, but told her rebuilding our relationship would take time.
Today, the orchard still blooms every spring. I often sit in Nicholas’s rocking chair and watch the trees sway in the wind. I learned that forgiveness does not mean forgetting, and family does not excuse betrayal. Nicholas and I spent forty years planting trees, but our greatest legacy was the life we created—and I intend to keep it growing.
