When She Returned

by Lucinda Berry

“Sorry, Meredith, but if you can’t handle it, then you’re going to have to leave the room, because I want to know everything that happened to my mom.”

I let go, and suddenly I was crying in a way I hadn’t done since I was a kid.

“Can we just go to bed tonight and pretend these last five minutes never happened?” “Sure.” I forced a smile for his benefit, but not because I would ever forget.