Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 116708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 584(@200wpm)___ 467(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 584(@200wpm)___ 467(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
I visited him when I could. It was a long drive, and between my commitments at The Haven and my time with Nate, those trips were few and far between. But when we did see each other, it fueled our souls, reminding us what we were fighting for and renewing the hope that had been lost so long ago.
During one of those visits, we made the decision for him to move in with me when he returned. We discussed it with an attorney to make sure it wouldn’t break any rules in my custody agreement, and then we talked it over with Nate. It was Truett who insisted that my son be completely at ease with the idea before we made any moves. Not only was he okay with Truett moving in, but he was completely thrilled about the idea. His first request was a spicy food competition, the loser having to cross-stitch a picture of the winner’s choice. I grinned the entire time as Truett sweated through the ghost pepper potato chips and proudly displayed the awful needlepoint he’d made after losing that read Have a nice poop over the guest bathroom toilet.
As we expected, Jeff was a prick of epic proportions when he was informed of our new living arrangements. However, after the dressing down Judge Clavet had given him the last time he’d tried to pull a fast one, he never once mentioned taking me back to court.
When Truett finally came home, I spent the first night marveling at the peace I felt with him by my side. He was still very much the man I’d fallen in love with—not just as a naïve girl, but years later as a weathered woman. The difference in his eyes was immense, as if a weight had finally been lifted. Those nine weeks had changed him—not yet healed, but healing.
Truett’s courage and dedication to working on himself inspired me to do the same. I started going to individual therapy again to work through my own issues. But it wasn’t enough for us to only heal separately—we needed to heal together.
Couples therapy had been challenging, forcing us to confront the parts of our relationship we had avoided for so many years. Some days, it felt like we were making no progress at all, maybe even slipping further away, but we kept fighting. The past—our past—wasn’t something that could be fixed overnight. We both knew it would be a journey that would consume us for the rest of our lives, but we were committed to doing it together.
“Mom?” Nate whined. “Please, can I go? This place is boring now that you got rid of all the cool stuff.”
I glanced around the empty living room. The only things that remained were a few stray boxes, the chair Truett was sitting in, and a TV leaned against the wall. We hadn’t just gotten rid of the cool stuff. We’d gotten rid of almost everything. A week after Truett came home, we started cleaning out his house. It had been a slow and often grueling process. There were times he could only manage to part with a single item of clothing or a forgotten piece of furniture. Other times, he tackled entire rooms, stripping them of the memories that had once held him captive. Every item we discarded felt like a massive victory and a step closer to freedom.
Truett made the decision to donate the house to a charity that helped homeless veterans get back on their feet. He came to me with the idea after one particularly difficult day while cleaning Kaitlyn’s bedroom. It just felt right. In a true full-circle moment, the house that had seen so much pain would now be a place of healing for others.
“Please,” Nate begged. “I’m starving.”
Truett smirked over his shoulder. “Wait, I thought you wanted to go because you were bored?”
Nate crinkled his nose. “Yeah, it’s the worst. I’m bored and starving at the same time.”
Truett chuckled, his large hand still stroking Fiona’s soft fur. “Bud, if you want to go hang out with Cooter, you can just say that.”
Nate nodded enthusiastically. “Yes! She’s going to let me wipe down the tables today!”
I rolled my eyes. I couldn’t make the kid put his plates in the dishwasher, but somehow Lucille had him bussing tables and sweeping floors.
The Haven had officially opened the day following our soft launch, and we were almost immediately overwhelmed with business. Everything I’d worked so hard to accomplish had come to fruition, and the pride and satisfaction I felt every time I walked through those doors never got old. Lucille had been spot-on with the staff she’d helped me hire. She’d told me repeatedly that she had no interest in management, but she ran the entire show with ease and expertise. My menu was a hit, the local farmers providing the produce that I dreamed of, which left customers returning time and time again.