Chloe visited her ailing mother, Helen, every week, feeling the weight of each visit could be her last. Helen’s health was fragile and deteriorating, so Chloe stepped in with groceries, cooking, and care.
Taking care of her once-strong mother was hard for Chloe, yet she knew being there was important. One afternoon, while Chloe stirred a bubbling pot of soup, Helen’s voice cut through the air from the living room.
“At your age, I already had you,” Helen quipped, asking when Chloe planned to have children.
Though hurtful, Chloe was accustomed to Helen’s criticism about her life choices. The usual sting of such comments was no less softened by repetition.
After ensuring Helen was fed and rested, Chloe took to tidying up the house. With her mother’s illness, everything seemed to have fallen apart.
Once Helen nodded off, Chloe launched into the task of sorting out the attic, a place untouched for years. Armed with a broom, she climbed the creaky stairs.
Dust covered everything in the dim attic, making it seem forgotten. As Chloe moved things around, an old cardboard box tucked away piqued her interest.
Inside, she found her childhood doll, Mrs. Cutie, and with it, memories of her innocent plays emerged.
Setting the doll aside, Chloe discovered an unopened, ancient locked box. Determined, she broke it open with tools she found nearby.
Inside were love letters to her mother from her estranged father. Chloe’s heart raced as she read the passionate letters, piecing together a story never shared with her.
As she reached the last, unopened message, its weight of mystery felt heavy. It held the key to questions she longed to answer.
Torn between the urge to open it and respecting her mother’s privacy, Chloe sought Helen’s opinion first.
Upon bringing it up, Helen’s reaction was immediate, insisting the letter remain unread. Despite Chloe’s plea for understanding, Helen firmly refused.
Back in the living room, Chloe contemplated the unopened envelope, tensed by the secrets it held.
Finally, Chloe delicately broke the seal, uncovering soot-stained pages. Among them, a letter reading:
“My beloved Helen, I promise to join you and our child soon. If I don’t make it, let her know her daddy loves you both deeply.”
Behind it was another note from her father’s friend, revealing a tragic hero’s end in a fire during a performance.
Chloe confronted Helen, who reluctantly shared the truth about her father.
Overcome with emotion, Chloe offered to read the letter aloud. Through tears, Helen accepted, ready to face memories once too painful to bear.
As Chloe read, love echoed in Helen’s heart, healing old wounds at last.
