Promise me that when you’re big and strong, you’ll make sure he never spends a winter freezing just because I’m not there to keep him warm.'” The tears finally spilled over, tracking hot paths down my cold cheeks.

I reached out, my hands trembling, and grabbed the boy by his shoulders.

He pulled me into a tight embrace, and for the first time in five years, the heavy, suffocating weight of my grief felt just a little bit lighter. Tommy finished splitting the wood that afternoon. But he didn’t leave when the job was done. I invited him inside, made us both a fresh pot of coffee, and we sat by the wood stove for hours, talking about the woman who had saved him, and the woman who had loved me.

He still comes by every autumn to split the wood. But he also comes by on Sundays now, just to watch the football game and check in on an old man. Ellen always knew exactly what she was doing. She didn’t just ensure my house would be warm in the winter; she made sure my heart would be, too.