ON MY SON’S WEDDING MORNING, OUR FAMILY DRIVER PUSHED ME INTO THE TRUNK AND THREW A BLANKET OVER …

Not healed completely.

That would take time.

But lighter.

“He slept through the nights now. Sometimes he even smiled.”

“How are you doing, Blake? Really?”

He sat down, answering honestly.

“Some days are harder than others, but I’m okay. Therapy helps a lot.”

“Dr. Williams says I need to rebuild trust slowly. No rushing into anything.”

I felt pride swell in my chest.

“That’s very wise.”

“I’m taking time. Focusing on work, on family, on myself.”

He paused.

“Dad would be proud of how I’m handling this, right?”

“Your father would be incredibly proud.”

Blake smiled slightly.

“I hope so.”

He gestured to the folders.

“Business is doing well. The Miller project should be approved next week.”

“By the way,” Blake added, “I officially started calling Frederick Uncle Fred.”

“He actually teared up.”

I laughed softly.

“He’s earned that title. He earned it himself.”

Blake’s expression shifted.

“I heard from the prosecutor. Natasha’s sentence came down. Five years—fraud, bigamy, identity theft. She’ll serve at least three with good behavior.”

I nodded.

Justice was served.

“I don’t hate her,” Blake said quietly. “I just… I feel sorry for her. She destroyed everything and got nothing.”

“What about Brett and Zoe?”

“Brett sent me a message. He and Zoe are doing much better.”

“You helped with their divorce legal fees. It was the right thing to do. They were innocent in all this.”

Blake smiled.

“Brett said Zoe still asks about the nice lady at the church. She means you.”

“She’s a sweet child. None of this was her fault.”

Blake stood.

“I am heading home. Dinner this weekend, always.”

He hugged me.

Genuine.

Warm.

“Thank you, Mom. For everything.”

After he left, I sat alone, looking at Bernard’s photograph again.

We did it, Bernard, I whispered.

Our son is safe.

They say a mother’s instinct is the greatest gift.

I wish I’d trusted mine sooner.

But in the end, I did what Bernard always taught me.

I protected my family.

Blake is healing slowly.

Carefully.

But genuinely.

He’s learned to recognize warning signs, to trust his instincts, to ask questions before giving his heart away.

The business is thriving.

Frederick is officially part of our family now.

Not just an employee, but an uncle, a protector, a friend.

Brett and Zoe are safe.

Randall is in prison.

The threats are gone.

I helped with their legal costs because that’s what decent people do when innocent lives get caught in someone else’s destruction.

And Natasha—she’s serving five years for fraud and bigamy.

I don’t wish her ill.

But I don’t regret what I did.