When I returned, they met me at the airport with flowers and tired faces.

“I’m sorry, Mom,” Javier said. “We forgot how hard it is.”

“They didn’t forget,” I replied calmly. “It was just easier not to see it.”

Now, I still see my grandchildren.

Twice a week.

Because I choose to.

My home is quiet again, filled with flowers, peace, and something I had lost:

Control over my own time.

Because grandparents have already raised their children.

Now…

It’s their turn.