Cathy and her husband, Ian, had gone their separate ways. Adjusting to her new life was difficult, but as a mother, she knew she had to accept reality and move forward for the sake of their son, Alex.
One day, Cathy noticed Alex wearing brand-new clothes and expensive headphones. Surprised, she asked where he got them. Without looking up from his phone, he simply replied, “From Dad.”
However, something felt off. Both Cathy and Ian had always been practical, avoiding name-brand items, so the expensive new things raised her suspicions. To clarify, she reached out to Ian and asked if he had recently bought anything for Alex. His answer was no.
This only deepened Cathy’s concern, and she became determined to uncover how her 14-year-old son could afford such pricey items.
The next day, she overheard Alex talking on the phone and decided to follow him. After some time, she saw him get into a car she didn’t recognize. A blonde woman sat in the driver’s seat, but Cathy was too far away to identify her. When she got closer, she was stunned—it was her sister, Lia.
Lia had vanished from Cathy’s life years ago without a word. She never said goodbye, never reached out, and now here she was, suddenly reappearing—through Alex.
Cathy confronted her. “Why are you with my son, Lia? You disappeared without a trace, and now you’re back, interfering in our lives?”
Lia’s expression was layered with emotions, reflecting the complicated past they shared. “No, Cath,” she said softly. “I’m not here to meddle. I found Alex on Facebook and reached out. I hoped we could repair our relationship through him.”
Tears welled in Cathy’s eyes. “You can’t just walk back into our lives like this. And Alex is not a way for you to fix what you left behind.”
Lia, remorseful, responded, “I know I hurt you and the family. I made mistakes, but I’ve changed. I just want the chance to make things right.”
Cathy didn’t know how to feel. She turned to Alex, whose pleading eyes silently begged her to forgive Lia.
As they walked home in silence, Alex finally spoke. “Mom, I like Aunt Lia. She’s been good to me. She bought me the new things, not Dad.”
Cathy sighed. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t want to upset you. You’ve been going through so much after the divorce.”
At that moment, Cathy realized how deeply the divorce had affected Alex—something she hadn’t fully grasped before.
Despite her anger toward Lia, Cathy felt grateful that her sister had been there for Alex when he needed support. After much thought, she decided to give Lia another chance. In time, even their parents forgave her for disappearing.
With Lia back in their lives, their family felt whole again.
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