He smiled, a gesture that both eased and deepened my guilt. “I didn’t invite you here for an apology,” he said, gesturing towards the painting. “I wanted to share this with you.”

The painting was a vibrant explosion of colors, a dance of light and shadow that evoked a depth of emotion I couldn’t quite place. “It’s beautiful,” I said, still grappling with the flood of emotions swirling inside me.

“It’s called ‘Forgiveness,’” he explained, his voice steady and warm. “It’s about letting go, both of the past and the burdens we carry from it.”