“Why keep it?” Christopher asked.

“So you always remember that some apologies arrive long after they have lost the right to ask for forgiveness,” Martha explained wisely.

Christopher placed the letter inside a wooden keepsake box alongside the phone he had used in the basement, his father’s silver medal, and the printed obituary notice June had given them.

He never wore a wedding band again.

He eventually purchased a comfortable home a few miles from Martha’s farm, close enough to visit for dinner regularly while allowing her to maintain her independent routine.