Maya watched, her earlier tension slowly easing as she saw Eleanor’s acceptance. This was not the encounter she had expected, but it was one she had hoped for. The grandmotherly affection in Eleanor’s eyes was unmistakable.

“We have a lot to talk about, Maya,” Eleanor said, a new determination in her voice. “And I want to know everything about you both. Jonathan brought you into his life for a reason, and that makes you important to me too.”