Then I set the letter aside for a day before reading it again.

When I reread it, I removed sentences written only to make him feel guilty.

I kept the truth.

I mailed it on a clear morning and went for a long walk.

By then snow had hardened along the edges of the sidewalk, and a woman across the street was putting up a bird feeder.

I helped her lift the pole into place.

She thanked me and invited me to join a neighborhood garden club in spring.