Part Six: The New Beginning
We walked out beneath the cold October sky. My hands shook — not with fear, but with freedom.
In the car, I whispered, “Is this really happening?”
“Completely,” Grandma said. “And long overdue.”
At her home — soon to be mine — she looked at me with gentle pride.
“I won’t be here forever, Rachel. But I’ll leave knowing I made it right. You survived them — and stayed kind. That’s everything.”
I choked on tears. “I don’t want your money. I just want you.”
She smiled sadly. “And that’s exactly why you deserve it.”
