“This is exactly why I don’t do family projects.”
Karen kissed my cheek.
“You love us.”
Unfortunately, she was right.
I loved them both.
Not in the same way.
Not without complications.
But completely.
And that was what I had learned over the years: love didn’t always make life easier. Sometimes it made things more complicated, forced difficult conversations, and required patience when walking away would have been simpler.
But when it was honest, it gave people room to become more than they had been.
Karen had become a business owner, a confident woman, and someone who no longer apologized for wanting a life of her own.
Daniel had learned that loving his mother meant allowing her to make her own choices.
And I had learned that being a good friend didn’t mean controlling the outcome of another person’s life. It meant being honest, accepting consequences, and showing up when it mattered.
