My mother had slipped, and Mary
had tried to help her.
After that incident, Mary suffered a serious injury and had struggled to walk for years.
My mother had blamed herself for what happened.
Mary’s family moved to another city, and the two friends never saw each other again.
Grandpa spoke through his tears.
“Three months ago, I ran into Mary by chance. She told me she’d wanted to see Sarah again for years but couldn’t bring herself to do it. And then I remembered this place.”
I quietly continued.
“Mom, Mary wanted to return to the bench where you two used to sit together. But the old path had been blocked.”
Grandpa pointed toward the wooden crossing we had built.
“With the help of volunteer specialists, we built a safe crossing here. Emily helped me measure the depth of the water, carry lightweight materials, and check the path.”