He smiled.
“We did it, Mom.”
Because he knew that every achievement carried the sacrifices of the woman who had raised him.
And somewhere in his memories stood an elderly judge who had believed in him before he knew how to believe in himself.
Chapter 8: Returning to the Place Where Everything Began
Several years into his legal career, Adam returned to the neighborhood where he had grown up.
The streets looked smaller than he remembered.
The library where he had worked was still there.
So was the grocery store on Maple Street.
Mr. Collins had retired, and his daughter now managed the business.
Adam stood outside for a moment, remembering the frightened teenager who had once walked through those doors with thirty-seven cents in his pocket.
Then he entered.
The familiar bell rang overhead.
A woman behind the counter greeted him.
“Can I help you?”
Adam smiled.
“I used to come here when I was young.”
