her life.”
“She doesn’t believe it.”
“She was 16 years old, and she made a stupid decision.”
” Yes. “
“She didn’t deserve four years of abuse because of that.”
” No. “
I wiped my face.
“Does she know we’ve been looking for her?”
Elaine nodded.
“So why…”
I couldn’t finish my sentence.
Elaine spoke.
“Because knowing that you are loved and believing that you deserve to come back are not always the same thing.”
I looked again through the cafe window.
Nora was wiping down a table.
My daughter was 24 years old.
I had missed eight birthdays.
Graduation ceremonies and important moments she had never experienced before.
Jobs, apartments, bad days, good days, and everything else.
“I need to see her.”
“You’ll see her, but first, let me speak to her.”
Michael leaned forward. “What if she says no?”
Elaine was honest. “So you’re going to have to let her say
