Grief is complicated when the person you’re mourning is actually alive. I learned this the hard way when my son spotted his supposedly deceased mother during what was supposed to be a healing beach vacation.
The elaborate deception still stuns me. Stacey had orchestrated everything with her parents – the fake accident, the rushed funeral while I was traveling, even the story about her body being “too damaged” to view. All to cover her affair and escape our marriage.
Hearing Luke cry “Mommy!” as I carried him away from her haunts me. How do you comfort a child rejected by the person who should love them most? Our healing journey has been slow, marked by therapy sessions and tough conversations about how even parents can fail us.
Now in a new city, we’re creating our own version of family. Luke’s resilience amazes me – his ability to love deeply despite being hurt gives me hope. Sometimes the family you lose makes room for the love you find within yourself.
