The man Mom and I loved to the core tore our hearts apart and abandoned us when I was 13. Ten years later, I pulled over for a hitchhiker, only to see my dad with a little girl by his side. The scars never faded. Will this new encounter heal them or deepen the wound?The day my dad left, the world lost its color. I remember standing in our driveway, watching his car disappear around the corner. The rubber of his tires on the asphalt made a sound I’ll never forget, like hope being slowly crushed…”Dad!” I screamed, running after him. “Dad, come back!” But he didn’t. He just… left. No explanation, no goodbye. Just gone. I turned to look at my mom, Crystal. She stood in the doorway, her face brimming with shock and disbelief.

Mom?” I whispered, my voice small and scared. She blinked, seeming to remember I was there. “Oh, Ellie, come here, baby.”I ran into her arms, burying my face in her shirt. It smelled like home, like safety. But even as she held me, I could feel her shaking. “Why did he go, Mom?” I had asked, my words muffled against her. “Why did Dad leave us?” She stroked my hair, her touch gentle but unsteady. “I don’t know, sweetie. I just don’t know.”As we stood there, clinging to each other, I made a silent promise to be strong for her. I had to be. “We’ll be okay, Mom,” I said, trying to sound braver than I felt. “We’ve got each other.” She squeezed me tighter, and I felt a tear drop onto my head. “Yes, we do, Ellie. We always will.”Ten years passed in a blur of struggle and slow healing.