The next Sunday arrived, heavy with anticipation and resolve. As soon as he walked in and took his usual seat, I approached him. “Can we talk outside?” I asked, trying to steady my voice.
He nodded, expression neutral but patient. Outside, the crisp morning air wrapped around us, the silence thick with unspoken words.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked, keeping my voice even.
He exhaled slowly, the weight of years evident. “I didn’t know how. After all the past hurt… I wasn’t sure I had the right.”
“But you did,” I said firmly. “You’re family.”
For the first time, I saw a flicker of vulnerability in his eyes. “I’m sorry, Jess. I tried to help in the only way I knew.”
In that moment, something shifted. The chasm of years and silence began to bridge itself. It wouldn’t erase the past, but it was a start—an opening toward healing.
As he left, he didn’t leave a tip that day. Instead, he left a promise: “I’ll see you next Sunday, Jess.”
And for the first time, I truly believed him.
