The Light We Left Behind

You ever come back to a place that feels like it's both yours and not? That's me, standing under the willow tree that's rooted in so many of my memories. Willow Creek is my hometown, a place I ran from as fast as I could, but now it's drawing me back—probably because I've got no choice. My mother's gone, and I'm left with the house, the garden, and a thousand memories tangled up in this small town. As I sift through the remnants of her life, I find more than old letters and dusty photo albums. I uncover secrets—about her, about myself—that I never expected. It turns out, the woman I thought I knew had a life before me, one filled with love, sacrifice, and choices I never imagined. And now? Now I have to decide what to do with all that I've found. Can I reshape my own life with the pieces she left behind? Or will they pull me under? Come on this journey with me—it's full of quiet revelations, laughter, heartache, and maybe, just maybe, a bit of hope.