My husband brought his mistress and their secret child to my mother-in-law’s birthday party. In front of the entire family, he looked at me and said, “You don’t belong here anymore.”

“That matters.”

“I still don’t know if I forgive him.”

“You don’t have to decide yet.”

Eleanor also tried to reconnect.

First with expensive gifts.

Then with letters.

Tommy ignored them for a long time.

When he was thirteen, he finally opened one.

Dear Tommy,

I was an unfair grandmother. I confused strength with health and a family name with love. You were never less. I was too blind to understand that.

Tommy asked whether I believed her.

“I don’t know,” I said. “People can change. But someone changing doesn’t