“It’s okay,” I murmured, even though nothing about the situation felt okay.

From that moment forward, they became my responsibility.

Raising two toddlers at sixty-three was far from easy.

My savings disappeared quickly, so I returned to work. I worked long shifts at a small grocery store during the day and stayed up late in my kitchen experimenting with herbal tea blends.

Chamomile, mint, orange peel—simple mixtures at first.

A neighbor suggested selling them at the farmers’ market.

So I gave it a try.

The first weekend I earned forty-seven dollars.

A month later it was three hundred.

Slowly, my little project turned into something bigger. I sold tea blends every weekend until my hands trembled with exhaustion.

Within two years, I had an online store. People loved the flavors.

By the time the twins reached middle school, the business had grown far beyond what I ever imagined. There was a warehouse, employees, and deals with coffee shops across the state.

But to the boys, none of that mattered.