Chapter 19 - The RosesJennifer stayed for dinner.
They talked until the stars filled the Arizona sky.
Bessie told her about the promissory note.
The lawsuit.
The evidence.
The courtroom.
The divorce.
The rebuilding.
Jennifer listened carefully.
Before leaving, she asked:
“Are you angry with Lennox?”
Bessie thought about it.
“Yes.”
Then she smiled.
“But I'm not living there anymore.”
Jennifer looked toward the garden.
The roses were glowing beneath the moonlight.
“You really survived all of this.”
Bessie touched one of the petals.
“No.”
She paused.
“I grew through it.”
The next morning, Terrence called.
“Mom, I've got good news.”
“What?”
“I got promoted.”
Bessie laughed.
“I knew you would.”
“And I'm almost done paying you back.”
She closed her eyes.
May you like
Her son was no longer the man Lennox had created.
He was becoming the man she had raised.
