Chapter 10 Two years later in spring, I used my savings for a down payment on a two-bedroom apartment in town. On moving day, lots of people from the village came to help. Aunt Martha's eyes were red as she held my hand and said: "Elena, honey, you've made something of yourself, but don't forget to come back and visit." The new place wasn't big, but it had great sunlight. I decorated a little room for my child with cartoon stickers all over the walls. My child was two and a half now, could say lots of words, and loved calling me "mommy" most of all. Every night before bed, he'd hug my neck and say: "Mommy worked hard today." That feeling of being needed and loved made life feel complete and fulfilling. In the new environment, I made many friends. Lisa downstairs was a lawyer who often gave me legal advice. Mrs. Stone across the hall watched her granddaughter, and the two kids played together well. Life was peaceful and full - I thought it would continue like this forever. Until that snowy winter when I ran into Gabriel at the supermarket. He looked much older, with graying hair, wearing an ordinary down jacket and pushing a cart while shopping for discounted items. The moment he saw me, he froze, then looked with complicated eyes at the child beside me. My son was three now, looked a lot like him, but had a completely different personality - lively and cheerful, pulling my hand and pointing at toys on the shelf. "Elena..." Gabriel started to say something. "Is there something you need?" My tone was flat, like I was talking to any ordinary stranger. Gabriel looked at the child, then at me, and finally said nothing, pushing his cart away. At checkout, the cashier whispered to me "That man was watching you two the whole time, his eyes were all red." I didn't look back and felt nothing at all. The person who once caused me so much heartache was now truly just a stranger in my eyes. After getting home, while giving my child a bath, he suddenly asked "Mommy, why was that uncle staring at us?" I paused, then said softly. "Maybe he thought we looked really happy." "We are really happy!" my child giggled "I have the best mommy in the world!" Yes, we were happy. No lies, no betrayal, no grievances or tears - just simple, pure love and being loved. That night, I stood on the balcony watching the snowflakes dance, feeling more peaceful than ever before. All the past pain and struggle had shaped who I was now. If I hadn't experienced that darkness, I never would have known that one person could live such a wonderful life. Spring came, and my child was starting kindergarten. While packing his little backpack, I found a drawing he'd made - two people holding hands in front of a house, one big and one small. "Mommy, this is our home," my child pointed at the drawing. "Just the two of us - it's the best." I hugged him and kissed him over and over. Yes, our home with just the two of us was the best. All those past experiences that once caused me pain had now become the most precious treasures of my life. They taught me what real love was, what real happiness was. The me now no longer needed anyone's charity or pity. I had my own career, my own home, and the little angel who loved me most in this world. That was enough - truly enough. Outside the window, spring was beautiful, and my child's and my life was just beginning.