While helping her estranged mother pack, Lucy stumbles upon a cryptic note on a list: “Do not show Lucy.” Her curiosity is piqued, leading her to discover a dusty videotape hidden in a safe. What secrets could her parents be keeping from her? Why did they never want her to discover them?
I remember that day very well, the tension in the car was strong enough to be cut with a knife.
Dad drove, his fists clenched on the steering wheel, while I stared out the window, furious.
The rhythm of the tires on the road didn’t calm me; it only amplified the silence between our arguments.
“Why do I have to do this on my day off?” I snapped, crossing my arms. “Couldn’t you have taken a cab or asked a friend?”
Dad gave me a look, his voice sharp.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
“Lucy! How can you say that? Your mother needs help! Isn’t it too much to ask you to help her pack?”
I huffed, the familiar frustration surfacing.
“Dad, you know exactly what my relationship with her is…”
“I know!” he interrupted me, his voice louder now.
“You haven’t spoken in over ten years. You’ve always been stubborn, just like her.”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
“Stubborn?” I said, my voice shaking with anger. “She ruined my life, Dad!”
“Don’t exaggerate. She just wanted you to have a decent education,” he retorted.
“All I did was study and follow her plans! I just wanted her to be proud of me, but it was never enough…”
“She did it because she loves you,” he said, his tone softening.
I turned away, staring at the houses passing by.
“It’s funny how my life started getting better the moment I stopped talking to him.”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
Dad sighed. “Lucy…”
“That’s all,” I interrupted.
“I don’t want to talk about this anymore. Let’s get this over with.”
When we pulled up to my parents’ house, I couldn’t contain the storm within me.
I slammed the car door and walked toward the house, my emotions spilling out with every step.
I walked into the house, the smell of dust and old wood filling my nose.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
The living room looked the same as I remembered it—familiar yet distant, like a faded photograph. Todd followed close behind, his steps heavier than mine.
“So what exactly should we take?” I asked, trying to hide my irritation.
Todd reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. He squinted at the tiny print, holding it closer to his face.
Watching his struggle, I sighed and picked him up gently.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
“Let me help you.”
“Thank you, sweetheart,” he said, handing it to me with a sheepish smile.
I unfolded the list and read it aloud:
“A lamp, some dishes, books, photo albums and valuables from the safe.”
It’s pretty simple. Todd nodded and headed to the kitchen while I went up to the bedroom.
The room felt heavy with memories, the air almost thick with them. I grabbed a bag and began packing, carefully checking off items as I went.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
A book here, a photo album there: everything was methodical, almost thoughtless. But when I reached the end of the list, something stopped me in my tracks.
At the bottom of the list, in smaller handwriting, there was a note:
“Don’t show Lucy.”
My heart raced. What was so secret that they were keeping it from me? My curiosity was ignited, my mind began to explore all the possibilities.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
“Lucy! I’m done here. Do you need help?” Todd’s voice boomed from the kitchen.
“No, Dad, I’m almost done!” I shouted back, my voice higher than usual.
My hands were shaking as I typed in the code written on the list. The safe clicked open, and I peered inside.
There was the jewelry box, as expected. But deep inside, something else caught my eye: a small, dusty package.
I unwrapped it carefully, my fingers unsteady. Inside was a video cassette, its black case worn with age.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
A host of questions flooded my mind. Why was this tape here? Why did it have to be hidden?
Ignoring the note’s warning, I slipped the cassette into my coat pocket. Whatever it was, I had to know.
“Are you done? Todd asks me when I’ll reappear.
“Yes, let’s go. I don’t have much time,” I replied briskly, heading for the door, the tape weighing heavily on my thoughts.
As we pulled into the nursing home parking lot, I gripped the steering wheel until my knuckles turned white.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
The building loomed before us, sterile and unwelcoming.
My chest felt heavy, weighed down by the resentment I’d carried for so many years. The thought of seeing my mother, of facing her, made my stomach churn.
Todd glanced at me, his expression a mix of concern and frustration. “Are you coming with me?” he asked, his tone gentle but insistent.
I quickly shook my head, avoiding his gaze. “No, go ahead. I’ve packed everything on the list,” I replied flatly, my voice clipped.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
“But Lucy… she’s your mother,” he said, his voice softening, almost pleading.
“Please, let’s not do this again,” I snapped, finally looking at him. “I don’t want to see her or talk to her. Period.”
Todd sighed heavily, his disappointment evident. He paused for a moment, as if searching for the right words to convince me, but he finally gave up.
“All right, just know, she loves you very much,” he said, his voice resigned. He grabbed the bags from the backseat and headed toward the building.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
I watched him leave, a knot of guilt forming in my chest. But I pushed it away, telling myself I was right.
Once Todd disappeared inside, I pulled out of the parking lot and drove home, the silence in the car deafening.
Back home, I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling. My thoughts kept returning to the cassette hidden in my coat pocket.
I rummaged through the closet, pushing aside old boxes until I found the old VCR, covered in a layer of dust.
I wiped it down and set it up with the old TV, squinting at an online guide to figure out how to connect the outdated device.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
“Let’s hope it still works,” I whispered, panting, as I inserted the cassette and pressed play.
The screen began to flicker and grainy images invaded it. Horizontal lines distorted the image, but I could make out the characters.
It was my parents, young, smiling, full of life like I hadn’t seen in years. My mother held the camera, her laughter echoing faintly through the static.
My father was crouching, arms outstretched, playing with a little girl.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
I approached, squinting at the screen. The little girl looked just like me, with her dark hair and bright smile. But I had a feeling something was wrong.
Then I heard it.
“Chloe! Come here, Chloe! You’re such a smart girl!” my mother’s voice called out, warm and affectionate.
I froze, my heart pounding in my chest. Chloe? Who was Chloe? My parents only had one child. Me. And they always called me Lucy.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
The video continued to play, but I couldn’t focus. My mind raced, trying to piece together what I had just seen.
Was there something I didn’t know about my family? Something they had been hiding from me all these years?
I turned off the television, my hands shaking. I needed answers. And there was only one person who could give them to me.
I grabbed my keys, preparing myself for what I had to do next. It was time to see my mother.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
Determined to get answers, I gripped the steering wheel tightly, my mind whirling with questions.
The walk to the nursing home was a blur of streetlights and memories.
My hands were shaking as I parked and walked inside, the cold air of the lobby only amplifying my nerves.
At the reception desk, a woman with a friendly smile looked up from her computer. “Hello, can I help you?” she asked politely.
I cleared my throat, trying to steady my voice. “My mom is here. I need to talk to her,” I said.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
She tilted her head slightly. “I don’t think I’ve seen you here before. What’s her name?”
“Emma. Her name is Emma,” I replied.
His eyes widened in recognition. “Are you… Lucy?”
The surprise in his tone made me pause. “Yes. How do you know?” I asked, confused.
Her smile softened. “Your mother talks about you all the time. She’s often asked to see you. It’s so nice to finally meet you.”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
“Yes, well, we have… a complicated relationship,” I said, feeling a pang of guilt rise in my chest.
“She’ll be delighted to see you,” the attendant said warmly and led me down the hall to her room.
When I entered, the room seemed quiet, almost too quiet. Emma and Todd were sitting by the window, talking quietly.
They both turned toward the door, their expressions frozen in shock.
“Hello, Mom. Hello, Dad,” I said, forcing my voice to be firm, which I didn’t feel.
“Lucy! Oh, my love, I’ve missed you so much!” Mom exclaimed, her voice trembling as tears filled her eyes. She opened her arms, reaching for me to hug her.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
I hesitated, instead waving my hand to keep my distance.
“Mom, I need to talk to you,” I said, my tone serious.
Todd understood immediately. He stood up, brushing the invisible dust off his pants.
“I’ll leave you two alone,” he said kindly, and slipped out of the room, closing the door behind him.
I took the tape out of my bag and held it up. “I found this in your safe,” I said, watching his face closely.
“‘Don’t show Lucy.’ Care to explain?”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
Her eyes widened and she visibly paled. Her lips trembled as she tried to form words. Finally, she collapsed, tears streaming down her cheeks.
“Lucy… I’m so sorry. We never meant for you to find out this way.”
“Discover what?” I persisted, my heart pounding.
She clenched her hands, her voice breaking.
“Chloe… Chloe was our first daughter. She was everything to us. But she died in a car accident when she was just a little girl.” Her voice broke as she spoke.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
I froze, stunned. “I don’t understand. Who am I then?”
Mom’s tears flowed as she continued.
“We adopted you, Lucy. You were a baby when we brought you home. We loved you so much we promised never to tell you. To us, you were—and always will be—our daughter, in every way that matters.”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
I sat back down, the weight of her words sinking in. My mind raced, but looking at her tear-stained face, I felt nothing but relief.
The truth didn’t change how I felt. It hadn’t changed us.
I stood up and hugged her tightly for the first time in years. “You’re my mother. That’s all that matters,” I whispered. And for the first time, I felt free.
Tell us what you think of this story and share it with your friends. It might inspire them and brighten their day.
If you liked this story, read this one: When Jake agreed to help his shy best friend on a first date, he didn’t expect to be part of the story. But a secret note slipped into his jacket by the girl changes everything—leaving him between loyalty and the chance for something more. Read the full story here .
This story is inspired by the daily lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to real names or places is purely coincidental. All images are used for illustrative purposes only. Share your story with us; it might change someone’s life. If you would like to share your story, email us at info@amomama.com .
Để lại một phản hồi