I reached across the table and touched her hand. “Hannah, we all make mistakes. What matters is that we learn from them. Family isn’t about perfection. It’s about forgiveness.”
Mark nodded. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this happy, Mom. You seem different.”
I laughed lightly. “That’s because I stopped waiting for life to happen to me. I decided to live it.”
After dinner, we sat by the fireplace while I showed them pictures from my trip. The kids were fascinated by the castles and Christmas markets, and Hannah smiled as I described the people I met. When I showed them the photo of David and me under the Christmas lights, Mark grinned. “So, who’s this mystery man everyone online keeps asking about?”
I felt a blush rise to my cheeks. “Just a friend,” I said with a playful smile.
“A very kind friend,” Hannah leaned in. “He seems special.”
