Two years after leaving home, Eden returns during spring break, carrying the weight of grief and memories of her mother, Miranda, who died of breast cancer when Eden was just fifteen. Since then, Eden has struggled to adjust—haunted by the loss and anger that came when her father, Lucas, introduced Sandra, a gentle but unwelcome presence in their home.
Eden tried to be polite, but Sandra’s quiet erasure of Miranda—removing her artwork, donating her clothes—felt like a betrayal. So, Eden left for college, calling only her younger brother, Asher, every Sunday. But when homesickness grew unbearable, Eden returned, without telling anyone.
She visited her mother’s grave first, expecting solitude. Instead, she found Sandra kneeling in the dirt. Overcome with rage, Eden accused her of invading sacred ground. But then, she noticed the tulip bulbs Sandra had planted—Miranda’s favorite—and an envelope filled with photos of Eden and Asher.
Sandra quietly revealed the truth: she visited the grave weekly, bringing flowers and coffee, updating Miranda on the kids’ lives. The removals in the house weren’t erasure—they were Miranda’s final request, written in a letter she’d left for Lucas. Sandra had honored it when Lucas couldn’t.
Moved, Eden sat beside Sandra, the first warmth between them breaking through the cold. They returned home separately, and when Eden walked through the front door, Asher rushed to her, wrapping her in a hug that melted everything heavy.
That night, over roast lamb and mismatched napkins, Eden felt something she hadn’t in years—not anger, not sorrow. Just love. And finally, home.