In the following weeks, I was in a constant state of chaos. I was trying to take care of Callie and Jessica on my own while also searching high and low for Suzie. Her college friend, Sara, confided in me that Suzie had felt completely trapped during her pregnancy, not just by the physical and emotional toll, but also by my mother’s constant harassment. “She was terrified that Mandy would turn you against her,” Sara explained. The guilt I felt was almost unbearable. I should have been more attuned to Suzie’s feelings, should have protected her from my mother’s toxicity.
Months passed, and there was still no sign of Suzie. Then, one afternoon, my phone buzzed with a text from an unknown number. It was a photo of Suzie holding the twins at the hospital, her face looking calm yet haunted. Below the photo, a message read: “I wish I was the type of mother they deserve. I hope you forgive me.” I tried calling the number, but it was untraceable.
The twins’ first birthday came and went, a bittersweet occasion without Suzie by our side. But then, that evening, a soft knock at the door changed everything. There, standing on the doorstep, was Suzie. She was clutching a small gift bag, and tears were streaming down her face. She looked healthier, but the pain in her eyes was still evident. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered.
I pulled her into my arms, holding her tight as she sobbed. Over the next few weeks, she opened up about how postpartum depression, combined with my mother’s cruelty, had driven her to leave. Therapy had helped her start to heal, but coming back had taken every bit of courage she had.
“I never wanted to leave,” she confessed one night. “But I just didn’t know how to stay.”
I promised her that we would get through this together. And we did. The road to recovery wasn’t easy, filled with ups and downs. But the love we had for each other, our resilience, and the pure joy of raising Callie and Jessica brought us closer than ever. Suzie’s return was a second chance for our family, and I made a solemn vow to never let her feel alone or unprotected again.