“You survived something terrible.”
“You looked for her.”
“You never stopped loving her.”
Margaret shook her head.
“But I stopped searching.”
“You were threatened.”
“I still stopped.”
Sophie took her hand.
“You were trying to keep Nathan alive.”
Margaret looked away.
“I lost them both anyway.”
Sophie squeezed her fingers.
“No.”
“You lost years.”
“That is not the same as losing them forever.”
PART 7
A month later, a letter arrived.
Margaret stared at the envelope for nearly an hour.
The return address was Minneapolis.
The name was Claire Patterson.
Margaret could not open it.
Sophie sat beside her.
“You want me to?”
Margaret nodded.
Sophie opened the envelope.
There were four handwritten pages.
She began reading aloud.
Dear Margaret.
I do not know what to call you yet.
Margaret covered her mouth.
Sophie continued.
For forty years, I believed my mother died when I was seven.
I have almost no memories from before Minnesota.
