“My 76-Year-Old Grandpa Took Me Into the Woods Every Day and Made Me Undress Until I Was Half-Naked. But One Day, My Mother Secretly Followed Us and Heard Strange Screams Coming From Deep Inside the Forest. When She Got Closer and Saw What We Were Actually Doing, Her Heart Couldn’t Take It. She Fell to Her Knees and Burst Into Tears…”

Grandpa lowered his head.

“I made one mistake, Sarah. I didn’t realize how difficult it was for Emily to keep this secret. I should have spoken to you sooner.”

My mother stared at us for a long moment.

Then she slowly turned toward Mary.

“Mary… I thought you hated me.”

Mary took her hand.

“Sarah, I’ve spent my entire life waiting for you to hug me again. I never blamed you.”

At those words, my mother fell to her knees.

She rested her head on her friend’s lap and began sobbing.

“Forgive me… I wasted twenty-five years believing I’d ruined your life.”

Mary was crying too.

“You didn’t ruin my life, Sarah. You were my best friend, and you still are.”

Grandpa stood beside me.

His eyes were filled with tears as well.

We stayed in the woods for a long time that day.

My mother and Mary sat on the very same bench where they had last sat together twenty-five years earlier.