As Stella walked away, I found myself rooted in place, watching her silhouette against the setting sun. The waves rolled in and out, mirroring the emotions swirling inside me—regret, relief, and something dangerously close to hope.
Nico tugged at my dress. “Mummy, can we go find another crab?”
I looked down at him, his innocent face glowing with excitement. My heart clenched. He was my reason to keep going, the only thing in my life that made sense.
I crouched to his level, brushing a stray curl from his forehead. “Of course, sweetheart.”
As we walked along the shore, my mind kept replaying Stella’s words.
"I forgive you. I don’t forget, but I forgive."
I never thought I’d hear those words from her. And yet, there they were. A lifeline I didn’t know I needed.
But the weight of the p
