Mom surprised everyone by asking Richard to take her to Eleanor’s grave the following Sunday. She wanted to pay her respects to the woman whose love had helped shape the man standing beside her. At the cemetery, Mom placed a bouquet of flowers beside the headstone and whispered, “Thank you for loving him. I’ll do my best to make him happy, too.”

Richard began crying, and Mom gently held his hand. From that day forward, his Sunday visits continued, but he no longer left without explaining where he was going. Sometimes Mom accompanied him, and sometimes she stayed home. Eventually, they began building their own traditions together. Watching them taught me something important: loving someone new doesn’t erase the love that came before. And when Mom laughed again, I knew she had finally found happiness without having to forget the past.