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A sweet girl named Jenni took our orders, and then we found a table at the corner of the coffee shop. “I like this place,” I said. It had a really nice vibe, with people of all ages hanging out, chatting, doing homework, enjoying their drinks. I wished I could appreciate it more.

Rhett took a sip of his iced tea. “Farrah’s dad owns it.”

My eyes widened. “Seriously? That’s amazing.”

He nodded. “I feel like this is the kind of business you’ll have when you own the salon. Everyone will feel right at home.”

My heart warmed at those words, at his belief in me. “You mean it?”

He nodded. “Absolutely.”

The bell over the door chimed, and I looked over, seeing my mom.

She was visibly older, with extra lines on her face and streaks of gray through her brown hair, but it was her. And this time, she was alone.

“Breathe,” Rhett reminded me.

I sucked in a gasp, but it didn’t seem to do anything. My eyes were already on the verge of watering, and my throat felt tight.

Mom scanned the coffee shop, and I felt it the second our eyes connected. Rhett rose, and I stood by him as we watched her walk our way. She wore a summery yellow dress with flowy sleeves, and her lips lifted into a tentative smile.

When she reached us, she held one arm in her hand, half crossing her chest. “Maggie, Rhett. I’m so glad you agreed to meet me here.”

I always imagined what I would say to my mom if I saw her again, what it would feel like, how she would act, but I never expected howawkwardit would feel. I could tell how nervous she was, and I was nervous too, lost even. What did you say to a stranger who birthed you?

Rhett spoke first. “Would you like me to get you something to drink, Hazel?”

“I’m alright,” she said and gestured at a chair. “Mind if I sit?”

“Of course,” Rhett said.

I watched as she carefully pulled out the chair and sat down. Her nails were painted a soft pink, almost the same color as mine. I wondered if it was a sign.

“How have you been, Maggie?” she asked.

I sat back down and glanced at Rhett, not quite sure what to say, but started talking anyway. “I’ve been pretty good. I’m trying to buy Rhonda’s Salon in Cottonwood Falls, so I’m busy with that. Cam is getting married here in a couple of weeks. Rhett and I are back together.”

Mom smiled between the two of us. “I always thought you two had something special.”

Rich of her to say, since we’d only been dating a few months when she ran out of town.

Rhett cleared his throat. “How are you, Hazel?”

She fiddled with her fingers. “I’m... okay. I was diagnosed with NASH, and that has me rethinking a lot of things.”

“NASH?” I asked.

She nodded. “Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. It’s basically fatty liver disease, but not because of drinking. I’m trying to turn my diet around, or it could lead to liver failure.”

The news had my stomach sinking, our years apart flashing before my eyes. “Are you doing better?” I asked, hope bare in my voice.

She shrugged. “I won’t really know until my next blood draw in a few months.”

I couldn’t think of what to say, but after a moment, she kept talking.

“I know this is strange, seeing me, and I know we have a lot of baggage in our past, Maggie, but I really do love you. I’ve watched you online and I’m so amazed by you, the way you help people, how good you are at what you do. I know I left you when you really needed me, but I want to be here now if you’ll let me.”

My throat was tight, and a mix of anger and hurt swirled in my gut. “Nowyou want to be here? I wassixteen years oldwhen you left. You were there one day and gone the next, didn’t even look back for your daughter or even make a call. I had to go to my senior prom without you. All the other girls had their moms there, helping them get ready, taking pictures, and you were nowhere to be found. Not because I lost you but because youchoseto leave me. What kind of mother does that to her daughter?” I demanded, letting all the words pour out of me. Rhett squeezed my knee, giving me the support I needed to keep going. “Why? Why, Mom? I know things weren’t perfect with Dad but what about me? You made me think I wasn’t worth sticking around for.”