Chapter 14 - EASTER AGAIN

One year later, I stood in the same kitchen.
The rosemary sauce simmered.
The same recipe.
Thirty-three years now.
But this Easter was different.
There were only fourteen guests.
Family.
Friends.
People who actually knew my name.
Rosa laughed in the dining room.
My attorney brought dessert.
Daniel arrived early to help.
He was carrying flowers.
"Where should these go?"
I pointed toward the table.
"Anywhere except the ceiling."
He laughed.
I hadn't heard him laugh like that in years.
Then the doorbell rang.
I opened it.
Daniel stood there with his father’s old watch.
"I found this."
He handed it to me.
I stared at the familiar leather strap.
"This was in storage."
He smiled.
"I thought you should have it."
I held it to my chest.
For years, I had believed Easter was about tradition.
Now I understood.
It was about resurrection.
Not of the dead.
Of relationships.
Of dignity.
May you like
Of the parts of yourself you thought you had buried forever.
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