“My 76-Year-Old Grandpa Took Me Into the Woods Every Day and Made Me Undress Until I Was Half-Naked. But One Day, My Mother Secretly Followed Us and Heard Strange Screams Coming From Deep Inside the Forest. When She Got Closer and Saw What We Were Actually Doing, Her Heart Couldn’t Take It. She Fell to Her Knees and Burst Into Tears…”

Mary took a trembling breath.

“I wrote to you. I called the old number your family had. Eventually, I heard that you’d moved, and I didn’t know where to find you. Later, I found you online, but I was afraid you would feel uncomfortable seeing me.”

She paused.

“And I didn’t want you to contact me out of guilt. I wanted you to contact me because you still wanted me in your life.”

My mother lowered her head.

“I did want you in my life. I always did.”

“Then why did you stay away?”

“Because I thought I had destroyed yours.”

Mary shook her head.

“You didn’t destroy my life, Sarah. I was injured. I had to rebuild parts of it, and some things became more difficult than I had ever imagined. But I lived. I laughed again. I made friends. I found happiness.”

Her voice trembled.

“And through all those years, I missed you.”