They watched me.
Then I added:
“But kindness should never require you to forget the truth.”
None of them asked about Vanessa again.
Not aloud, anyway.
THE RECIPE CARDS GREW WITH THEM
Over the years, the girls started writing on the cards themselves.
One morning, Sophie returned the hot-chocolate card to me.
On the back she had written:
Still works.
Months later, Clara added underneath:
Especially when there are marshmallows.
After a miserable day at school, Lily slipped another card into my apron pocket at the bakery.
I turned it over.
Three words.
Love you, Grandma.
I cried over a sink full of mixing bowls where nobody could see me.
And life kept moving.
One ordinary day at a time.
Until Vanessa returned to Willowcrest Lane fifteen years after leaving.
THE WHITE GIFT BAG
Sophie came downstairs carrying a white gift bag tied with a gold ribbon.
Vanessa accepted it immediately.
