One day, she arrived at her parents’ house unannounced, baby in tow. The air felt heavy with unsaid words. “No more denials,” she said, her voice breaking. “Tell me the truth about this scar.” Her mother’s face paled. Her father looked away, jaw tight, the silence louder than any answer.
Her mother’s hands trembled as she reached for the baby’s blanket, stalling for time. Finally, her voice cracked. “When you were three, you nearly died. Your appendix ruptured. They rushed you into surgery..This was before…” The nervous confession landed like a stone in still water, rippling through her, but there was more.