As the months passed, our relationship changed.
At first, I was there because of the promise she had made.
But eventually, I stopped thinking about the inheritance.
We started having dinner together.
We watched old television shows.
She told me stories about her childhood.
She told me about her husband.
She told me about the years when money was tight and about the mistakes she wished she could undo.
And slowly, I began telling her things too.
I told her about my mother.
About my father.
About foster care.
About what it felt like growing up without knowing where I belonged.
One evening, Mrs. Rhode looked at me for a long time.
“You’ve been alone for a long time, haven’t you?”
I nodded.
She reached across the table.
“Not anymore.”
I didn’t answer.
But I remember those words.
Part 6 — The Morning Everything Changed
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