Chapter 20 - The Unbroken TableThe following Sunday, we hosted a massive spring dinner at the historic manor.
The dining room table—the very one that had once been manipulated to exclude a ten-year-old child—was stretched to its absolute limit, gleaming under the warm glow of the crystal chandelier.
Every single chair was filled.
Maggie and her family sat near the head of the table, laughing loudly over a plate of roasted vegetables. Maya and her young son occupied the center seats, beaming with newfound confidence and peace. Grandma Ruth sat proudly at the very top, holding court with her characteristic sharp wit and fierce dignity.
And right beside me sat Nora, wearing a bright yellow dress that matched the daffodils we had planted in the garden.
As the chatter and laughter filled the high-ceilinged room, I looked down the length of the table, counting every single seat.
Not a single one was empty.
My phone buzzed softly in my pocket. I pulled it out to glance at the screen. It was an automated notification from a blocked unknown number—another desperate, blocked text from my mother trying to reach out for Mother’s Day.
Without a second thought, I swiped the notification away, deleted the message entirely, and silenced the ringer.
I slipped the phone back into my pocket, picked up my glass of sparkling cider, and tapped it lightly against the rim of Nora’s cup.
May you like
“To new beginnings,” I whispered softly, smiling down at my daughter.
“To new beginnings, Mom,” Nora replied, clinking her glass against mine as the bright, unbroken laughter of our true family echoed all around us.
