Chapter 837

When Aunt Mel saw that I repeatedly refused to visit, she finally broke down in tears and asked if I still resented her. She wanted to know what she could do to earn my forgiveness.

I wasn't sure if I could ever be magnanimous enough to forgive them completely, but I knew I would eventually accept them, only because they were Colin's family. I could disregard Aunt Mel's feelings, but I couldn't ignore Colin's.

Mardi Gras was approaching, and aside from the occasional social media update, Colin remained silent. I yearned for him to come back and spend the holiday with me but feared that such a rash decision might lead to irreversible consequences, leaving his debt of gratitude unpaid.

My anxiety grew with each passing day.

On sleepless nights, I would hug the little backpack Colin had given me, stroking it as I closed my eyes and reminisced about our times together. Eventually, those memories would lull me to sleep.

More than a decade had passed, and the backpack was no longer in