gratitude into a debt and convinced himself the trip was a chance to repay it.
Rachel refused to decide for me. Her father had spent years allowing other people to determine what he could want, and she would not repeat that pattern with my life. Matt had encouraged Henry to choose, not obey. I needed to make my own choice too.
Before flying home, I met Henry at our usual coffee shop. I gave him my address and a date six weeks away. My children and grandchildren would be there for Sunday lunch. If he still wanted to know me when Matt was no longer the reason, he could come honestly.
During those weeks, we kept communication small. There were no promises, no talk of destiny, and no guesses about what Matt would have wanted. I began learning who Henry was without my late husband standing invisibly between us.
Henry
