I was given up by my mom at 17, but at 20, I found her. She pushed me away, claiming her powerful husband would leave her if he knew about me. A year later, her husband came to my door, tearfully revealing the truth: everything my mother told me was a lie.
He’d overheard my mom admitting to her mother that she had a daughter. When he confronted her, she coldly claimed I was “dead to her.” Determined to find me, he hired an investigator. When we met, he shared photos of my two half-sisters and gave me money, knowing I needed it. Despite my mother’s refusal to reconnect, he welcomed me to visit my sisters anytime. His kindness showed me what it feels like to have a father, even though I never knew my own.
