He swallowed.
“She found an envelope of old family photographs. I opened it because she asked me to look for Grandpa’s picture. But when she saw a photograph of you as a little girl, she couldn’t remember who you were.”
He paused.
“She thought someone had taken her daughter away.”
My mother suddenly began crying again.
“Where’s my little Margaret? She’s only seven. She needs me.”
I sat beside her and took both her hands.
“Mom, Margaret grew up.”
She stared at me.
“She did?”
I nodded through my tears.
“Yes. And she loves you very much.”
For a moment, her eyes cleared.
She touched my cheek.
“My Margaret?”
“Yes, Mom.”
“Oh, sweetheart.”
She pulled me into her arms.
And for those few precious seconds, I had my mother back.
The officers made sure she was safe and advised us to arrange urgent medical follow-up. After that night, Daniel and I agreed that she would never be locked inside a bedroom again.
