I spent every penny just to see my granddaughter smile on her birthday. But before she could even greet me, Marianne, my daughter’s mother-in-law, called me a beggar and tried to have me thrown out.

Five years ago, I lost my wife Linda and our daughter Emily stopped talking to me, blaming me for not stopping Linda from going out that icy night. I sent letters and called, but Emily never replied.

To survive, I took a janitor job at a preschool, where a bright little girl named Sophie reminded me of my lost family. One day, I noticed her necklace—it was the same pendant I gave Linda decades ago, passed down to Emily.

At Sophie’s birthday party, I arrived with a small gift, but Marianne humiliated me publicly. Then Emily arrived, shocked to hear the truth—Marianne had hidden my letters and lied to her all these years.

Emily finally embraced me, saying, “I’m so sorry, Dad.” Sophie smiled, “So… you do have a granddaughter after all.”

Years lost, but now the best times lie ahead.