And Eric was left responsible for explaining the transactions bearing his approval.

Our divorce was relatively straightforward.

I kept my savings.

My career.

And the house I had purchased before our marriage.

Eric kept responsibility for the decisions he had made.

The following November, I returned to Harbor House for Thanksgiving.

Once again, I cooked.

But this time, I did it because I wanted to.

Maya placed a basket of fresh rolls on the table and smiled at me.

“Still making those ‘cheap’ rolls?”

I laughed.

“Apparently.”

The same elderly gentleman from the year before immediately took two.

All around me, people ate, talked, laughed, and thanked one another.

Nobody criticized the food.

I spent two days cooking Thanksgiving dinner. Before tasting anything, my mother-in-law m0cked my food and homemade rolls. I smiled, packed every dish into my car, and left. Four hours later, their calls wouldn’t stop.