LINDEN

I talked over the phone for hours with Deirdre, Estelle’s mother. From Estelle’s childhood to her failed marriage, her sacrifices, about Star LLC, to my relationship with her daughter and pregnancy. I was enlightened.

Deirdre was filled with wisdom. She admitted to failing in a lot of things and her success, but she kept her feet on the ground. When I mentioned marrying her daughter, she cried. She was happy and excited to be a grandmother, too. That was days ago.

I’d said something I wasn’t proud of. I’d done something I regretted. When I made mistakes, I made amends for them. Estelle, on the other hand, was strong-willed...