They reminded Marcus that a home could still contain joy after someone died.
But raising a child alone was exhausting.
Some nights, after Jordan fell asleep, Marcus sat at the kitchen table surrounded by unpaid bills and school notices, wondering whether he was giving his son enough.
His own mother lived several hours away.
His younger sister, Denise, visited when she could, but she worked full-time and had responsibilities of her own.
Friends offered help.
Some followed through.
Others became less available as the months passed.
Marcus did what millions of single parents did every day.
He kept going.
Then he met Vanessa.
It happened at a community fundraising event organized by Jordan's elementary school.
Vanessa was helping manage a table of donated books and children's clothes. She had two children of her own: Caleb, then ten, and Mia, then six.
She was beautiful, confident, and remarkably attentive.
When Jordan approached the table looking for a book about dinosaurs, Vanessa crouched beside him.
"What kind of dinosaurs do you like?"
Jordan looked surprised.
"All of them."
She laughed.
"That's a lot of dinosaurs."
He smiled shyly.
Then began describing the enormous creatures he'd recently learned about in school.
Vanessa listened without interrupting.
Marcus watched from a few feet away.
For the first time in a long while, he saw a woman showing his son the kind of warmth he'd been afraid Jordan was missing.
When Vanessa learned that Grace had died, her expression softened.
"I'm so sorry."
Marcus nodded.
"Thank you."
She looked toward Jordan.
"He's a sweet boy."
Marcus smiled.
"He's my whole world."
Vanessa placed a hand over her heart.
"Then whoever comes into your life should understand they're joining both of you."
Those words stayed with Marcus.
They sounded exactly like what he wanted to hear.
Their relationship developed gradually.
Vanessa worked in administrative support for a private medical office. She described herself as organized, independent, and devoted to her children.
She had separated from Caleb and Mia's father several years earlier.
Their relationship had ended badly, she explained, and she'd worked hard to rebuild stability for the children.
Marcus respected that.
He knew how much effort parenting required.
He also admired the way Vanessa maintained her household.