I found Nora two states away, still working in a diner.
Her name was Nora.
Nora had been young, broke, and struggling, but she loved her daughter. Mara had gone into temporary care while Nora tried to get stable housing. She was supposed to work toward getting her back.
Then she was told Mara had died.
I found Nora two states away, still working in a diner.
I went alone first.
Then I showed her a recent photo of Lily.
When I showed her the bracelet, she nearly dropped the coffee pot.
“Where did you get that?” she whispered.
I said carefully, “I think your daughter may still be alive.”
She just stared at me.
Then I showed her a recent photo of Lily.
Her hand flew to her mouth. “No.”
Lily studied her and asked one question.
Tears filled her eyes. “They told me she was gone.”
“I know.”
When Nora met Lily two days later, it was not some movie scene where they ran into each other’s arms.
Lily stood close to me and Ben.
Nora stayed where she was and cried quietly. “I’m not here to take you away from anyone. I just wanted to see your face again.”
Lily studied her and asked one question.
That was the moment everything in me shifted.
“Did you look for me?”
Nora’s face broke. “Every day. Until they made me believe there was nowhere left to look.”
That was the moment everything in me shifted.
Lily started crying.
So did I.
Ben looked like he was barely holding it together.
