Anne was looking forward to a quiet night at home with her husband, Edward. They met in college, and at first, her father, Chris, didn’t approve. But that was his gut instinct. He didn’t trust anyone anymore, primarily after building Harrison Group and gaining wealth. But his mistrust started earlier, when Anne’s mother, Fiona, left them forever.

Anne remembered that moment clearly. She was just five, and her parents fought all the time. One night, after yelling for a while, Fiona walked out. Back then, Chris worked three jobs to support his family and only founded his company years later.

Luckily, Chris warmed up to Edward and loved their relationship. He particularly liked that Edward refused the spot he offered at Harrison Group, choosing to work for his passion on his own. Chris respected his ambition and let it go. But Anne did work for him, and she deserved her job despite being the boss’s daughter.

It was hard work, and now, she was returning home looking forward to making dinner and talking to Edward about her day. But when she approached her front door, she saw a post-it note stuck in it.

Please, call me. Love, Mom.

There was a phone number after the message, and Anne couldn’t believe it. Her mother had not made contact in years. What could she want from her now? Should she call? Did she want money? She knew she would never get the answers unless she reached her so she took the plunge.

***

“Hello, darling!” Fiona chirped when she saw Anne entering the restaurant. The younger woman finally dialed the number and agreed to meet her mother for lunch the following day. But now, the moment had arrived, and Anne was nervous. This woman was a stranger.

“Hey, uhhh… Mom,” she replied awkwardly.

“If you don’t feel comfortable calling me that, it’s ok. You can call me Fiona for now,” the older woman said and sat back down, gesturing for Anne to do the same. “Also, thank you for calling me. I’ve been dying to catch up with you.”