Chapter 30
I’m writing this now on a plane.
Flying home from that conference.
Sophie and Ethan are picking me up at the airport.
Ethan is driving now.
He got his license last month.
Scared me to death the first time he pulled out of the driveway.
But he’s a good driver.
Careful.
Responsible.
Just like everything else he does.
Sophie is bringing me my favorite iced coffee.
Extra cream, extra sugar.
She knows me too well.
Max is at home, waiting by the door.
Old now.
Gray around the muzzle.
Moves a little slower.
But still just as happy to see us.
I look out the window at the clouds below.
And I think about everything.
About that wedding day.
About the card.
RESERVED FOR TRASH.
Four words that changed everything.
Four words that could’ve destroyed us.
That almost did.
But didn’t.
Because we chose each other.
Because we chose to fight.
Because we chose to turn pain into purpose.
Hurt into healing.
Darkness into light.
People always ask me if I regret what happened.
If I wish it had never happened.
And I always say the same thing.
I wish no one had ever called my son trash.
I wish no one had ever tried to hurt him.
I wish my mother and sister had been capable of love instead of cruelty.
But I don’t regret the life we built after.
I don’t regret the job.
The friends.
The purpose.
The strength.
The closeness.
The family we chose.
I wouldn’t trade any of it.
Not for a perfect wedding.
Not for a fake, toxic family that only pretended to love us.
Not for anything.
The plane starts to descend.
I can see the city below.
My city.
My home.
Where my kids are waiting.
Where my dog is waiting.
Where my life is.
Full.
Happy.
Loved.
May you like
And I know.
Whatever comes
