Everything changed when Lily’s teacher called me. Concerned about Lily’s behaviour in class, Mrs. Thompson pointed out a drawing she had made of our family without her dad. I was shocked and didn’t know what to think about this news.
When I asked Lily about the drawing, she paused, making it clear that she didn’t know what to say. The truth started to come out when she showed me a scrapbook she had found in the garage. There were pictures in the album of my husband, David, with another woman and their two kids. My whole world turned upside down.
David said that he had been married before and that a car accident had killed his wife and one of their children. He didn’t tell me this because he was afraid it would hurt our relationship. I didn’t know how to handle this new knowledge because it made me feel both angry and sorry for them.
During this hard time, I found out another secret: David had kept a big gift from his late wife from me. I felt lied to, and I didn’t know what else he could be hiding.
At that moment, we got a call from Eleanor, the mother of David’s late wife. So that our kids could meet David’s son from his first marriage, she tried to set it up. This was a turning point for us; it gave our families a chance to get back together and start to heal.
Even though it was hard, the meeting was the start of a new time for our family. There was still a long way to go, but I was determined to build our relationship back up on trust and honesty. I was ready to try, even though it wouldn’t be easy.
