As we walked to the car, I couldn’t help but reflect on the complexity of family ties. Love, I realized, shouldn’t come with strings attached or be wielded as a weapon. It should be selfless, nurturing, and kind. And though my heart ached for the family I wished I had, I found solace in the family I was creating with Luke.

As the engine roared to life, I glanced at our house in the rearview mirror, the glow from the windows casting long shadows across the lawn. It was a chapter closing, a painful yet necessary step toward healing and growth.