“Mom… don’t you remember me?” I asked, my voice trembling as tears streamed down my face. She was standing in the middle of a group of strangers, all of them sobbing uncontrollably. I had been searching for her for so long, and here she was, but she didn’t seem to recognize me.
The pain in my heart was unbearable as I watched her turn away from me. I wanted to reach out and hold her, to tell her how much I’d missed her and how much I needed her. But I couldn’t. I was too scared that she’d reject me again.
The strangers around us were all mourning the loss of a loved one. I realized that she was here for the same reason I was. Someone we both loved was gone, and we were both trying to cope with the pain.
We stood in silence for what felt like an eternity, until finally she reached out and touched my arm. She looked at me with a sadness in her eyes that I’d never seen before. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Instead, she hugged me tightly and I could feel her tears on my skin.
That moment was the first time we’d seen each other in years, and it was the last time we’d ever be together. We parted ways without a word, and I watched as she walked away. I was left with nothing but a broken heart and a lingering feeling of emptiness.