Chapter 13 - Spring Blossoms and New Growth
Winter slowly yielded to the vibrant, pastel colors of spring. The snow melted away, revealing green shoots of tulips and daffodils pushing up through the damp earth around our newly built patio deck.
Life continued with a steady, beautiful rhythm. Amber prepared for her high school graduation track, studying hard for advanced placement exams and touring local colleges with quiet confidence. Mason joined the middle school track team, spending his afternoons running laps around the athletic field while Greg cheered him on from the bleachers.
And June—our resilient, artistic, vibrant June—turned eight years old in late April.
For her eighth birthday, there were no hidden doors, no side rooms, and no manufactured slights. We threw a vibrant garden party in the backyard, complete with a pastel pink cake, a cotton candy machine, and a dozen of her closest school friends running across the lawn.
Janet and Richard didn't call. They didn't send a card. Their absence had become a permanent, peaceful background norm—a closed book we never felt the need to open again.
When June blew out the eight candles on her cake, surrounded by her brother, her sister, her parents, and her friends, she didn't look uncertain or hesitant. She made her wish with absolute confidence, a bright, radiant smile lighting up her face.
May you like
Greg leaned down, whispering in her ear as the applause died down. "Happy birthday, my big girl. You own every room you walk into."
June beamed, leaning her head against his shoulder. "I know, Daddy. Because I always have a seat right here."
