Trapped in the nursing home without a phone or tablet, I penned letters to Tyler day in and day out, pleading for him to come and visit. But letter after letter, day after day, not a single response or sight of him.
Two long years in that place, and all hope of a visitor faded away. “Please, take me home,” I’d whisper in my nightly prayers. But after two years of nothing, I forced myself to give up on that dream.
Then, one unexpected day, my nurse told me a man in his forties was at the front desk, asking for me. “Has my son finally come?” I thought, my heart racing. I quickly grabbed my walker and made my way to the front.
When I got there, a big smile spread across my face, thinking it was Tyler. But what a shock! It was a man I hadn’t seen in ages. “Mom!” he shouted, rushing towards me with open arms. His embrace was strong and familiar, yet I was left dumbfounded. I stared at him, trying to process who he was. It had been so long, but there was no mistaking it — it was my other son, James.
“James?” I gasped, my voice quivering with disbelief. “Is it really you?”
“Yeah, Mom, it’s me,” he said, pulling back to look at me, his eyes glistening. “I’m so sorry it took me so long.”
I was speechless, a whirlwind of emotions inside me. I hadn’t seen James in nearly ten years. He’d moved across the country for work, and we’d slowly drifted apart. I’d spent countless nights praying for Tyler, the son who lived nearby but never showed up. Never in my wildest dreams did I think James would be the one to walk through those doors.
“What… what are you doing here?” I stammered, still in shock. “How did you even know I was here?”
James smiled, but there was a tinge of sadness behind it. “I’m sorry, Mom. I didn’t know you were here until just recently,” he said, his voice heavy. “I came back to town for a business trip and bumped into someone who knew you. They told me… well, they told me where you were, and I knew I had to come right away.”