After eating a quick dinner, she curled up on the couch in her living room, remote in hand.

The hum of the TV filled the room as she flipped through channels, searching for something halfway decent to watch. She wasn’t expecting any visitors.

Just as she settled into the soft cushions, finally landing on a reality show she had been meaning to catch up on, there came a sharp knock at the door.

Ellie froze, the sound breaking the quiet comfort of her evening. Letting out a tired sigh, she rose from the couch and made her way to the door.

She squinted through the peephole. Nothing. The porch light illuminated an empty doorstep.

Her brow furrowed, but she quickly shrugged it off. “Neighborhood kids again,” she muttered under her breath, shaking her head. She turned back, ready to sink into her couch once more.

The next morning, Ellie stepped outside for her usual morning run. She paused on her doorstep, her foot brushing against something.

A stack of notebooks lay there, neatly tied with twine. Curious, she picked them up and flipped open the top one.

Her breath caught. “Property of Julia,” it read in handwriting she hadn’t seen in two decades.

Her hands shook as she stared at the name. Julia. Her mother. Ellie rushed inside.

Pulling an old postcard from her drawer, Ellie stared at the faded ink. Her hands trembled as she compared the handwriting. It was identical—each curve, each loop. There was no doubt. These notebooks belonged to her mother.

Her chest tightened, and she sank onto the edge of her bed. Covering her face with her hands, Ellie let out a shaky breath. Memories came rushing back—her mother’s laughter, the scent of her perfume, the day she vanished without a trace. Ellie’s heart ached.

The day her mother disappeared felt as vivid as if it had happened yesterday.

She had been just 8 years old, clutching her favorite stuffed rabbit as her father, Michael, knelt beside her, his voice trembling as he spoke to the police. Ellie had sobbed, the weight of confusion and fear too much for her young heart to bear.

“Daddy, where’s Mommy?” she had asked, her voice cracking between tears.

Michael had hugged her tightly, his own eyes red-rimmed. “She’ll be back soon, sweetheart,” he’d said, his voice heavy with doubt.

But Mommy never came back. Days turned into months, then years. The police stopped calling, the case went cold, and Michael stopped mentioning her name.

Now, after two decades of silence, Ellie stared at the stack of her mother’s diaries.

Ellie began reading the diaries, her fingers trembling as she flipped through page after page.

Each entry revealed pieces of the life her mother had chosen after walking out on her and Michael.

Ellie’s chest tightened with every word. The diaries chronicled nearly two decades—years filled with moments Julia had shared with another family.

Ellie’s heart sank as she realized the painful truth: Julia hadn’t been taken away or lost. She had left.

Her breath caught as she read an entry dated just a month after her mother’s disappearance. “I know I made the right choice. I love Anthony in a way I never loved Michael. The only thing I regret is not being able to see my little Ellie again. But I know she’ll be fine—Michael will take care of her.”

Ellie stared at the page, her mother’s words slicing through her like a blade. Her mother had chosen to leave.

She had abandoned them—not because she was in danger or forced to, but because she wanted to.

Ellie’s hands shook as she closed the diary, tears streaming down her face.

“How could she do this?” Ellie whispered to herself, the words breaking in her throat. Questions swirled in her mind. Why hadn’t Julia ever reached out? Why bring the diaries back now, after all these years?

Ellie felt like a child again, lost and confused, searching for answers to questions no one would answer.

Ellie wiped her tears and opened another diary. A single name stood out: Anthony.

Entry after entry painted a picture of a life with him—a new home, trips, even a garden Julia loved.

Ellie’s heart clenched. Her mother had moved on, leaving her behind like she was nothing.

The final straw came when Ellie found the name of the small town Julia had called home.

Determined, she packed a bag and called in sick to work. She had to see Julia face to face.

Hours later, she arrived in the town, its quiet streets feeling foreign and unfriendly.

Door after door, she asked, “Do you know Anthony and Julia?” Most people shook their heads.

Others didn’t even bother answering. Hours passed, and Ellie’s determination wavered. Still, she wasn’t ready to give up.

Finally, Ellie knocked on another door. A young man opened it. He looked a little younger than her.

“Do you know where I can find Anthony and Julia?” Ellie asked. Her voice was quiet, and her shoulders slumped. She looked tired and defeated.

The man hesitated. “Are you Ellie?” he asked, studying her face.

Ellie stiffened. “How do you know my name?” she asked, her heart pounding.

The man’s expression softened. “My name’s Chris,” he said. “I think I’m your brother.”

Ellie stared at him, her mouth dry. “I’m not here for you. I need to speak to Julia,” she said, her voice firm.

Chris opened the door wider. “Come in,” he said. His voice was calm, but his eyes showed uncertainty.

“Where is she?” Ellie demanded, her voice shaking. “I need to look her in the eyes. I need to ask how she could do this to me and Dad.”

Chris hesitated, his hands stuffed in his pockets. “That’s not possible… unless you’re willing to dig.”

Ellie frowned, confused. “What are you talking about?” she asked, her tone sharper now.

“My parents, Julia and Anthony, died in a car accident,” Chris said quietly.

Ellie froze. “No. That’s not true,” she said, her voice trembling. “It can’t be. What about the diaries?”

“I left them on your doorstep,” Chris admitted. “I thought you had a right to know.”

Ellie let out a bitter laugh. “How thoughtful,” she said, glaring at him.

“I wasn’t trying to hurt you,” Chris said. “I thought it was the right thing to do.”

“Right thing?!” Ellie snapped. “I spent 20 years wondering where she went! My dad wasted his life waiting for her. And now I find out she left us willingly? She made a new family? She replaced us?”

Chris’s jaw tightened. “It’s not my fault she left you!” he yelled.

“But you had her!” Ellie shouted. “You had a family while I had nothing but a broken dad!”

Chris stepped closer, his voice rising. “I didn’t have her! My parents only cared about each other. I was raised by nannies. At least you had your dad.”

Ellie scoffed. “My dad wasn’t there for me. He was too lost in his own pain. I had to grow up fast, be strong for him.”

Chris’s shoulders sagged. “So, neither of us got what we needed,” he said.

Ellie sat down heavily on the couch. “Yeah,” she muttered. Chris sat beside her, both of them staring at the floor in silence.

After a long pause, Ellie broke the silence. “Did you know she had another family?” Her voice was quiet but tense.

Chris shook his head. “I don’t know if Dad knew. I didn’t. I only found out after they died. I found the diaries in a box of her things. I thought you deserved to know.” He hesitated. “And honestly, I never had a real family. I guess I was hoping… I don’t know what I was hoping for.”

Ellie narrowed her eyes. “So you just dropped them on my doorstep and disappeared? Why didn’t you stay and explain?”

Chris rubbed the back of his neck. “I didn’t know how to face you. How do you even start that kind of conversation? ‘Hey, I’m Chris, your mom abandoned you, ran off with my dad, and then had me.’ It felt impossible.”

Chris gave a small, uneasy smile. “I didn’t think you’d actually come.”

Ellie’s eyes hardened. “How could I not? I spent 20 years wondering where she went. Wondering if she was alive, if she loved us. And now I know she left us for someone else? For you? I had to come.”

Chris looked away. “I don’t blame you. I thought you’d hate me.”

Ellie let out a bitter laugh. “It’s not about you, Chris. It’s about her.”

“Yeah,” Chris said softly. “It’s hard to call someone ‘Mom’ when all she did was give birth to you.”

Ellie nodded. “I guess we both got the same mom then.”

Ellie let out a long sigh. “If you ever want to talk, I’ll leave you my number,” she said. “You already know where I live.”

Chris looked at her, surprised. “You mean it?” he asked, his voice soft.

Ellie nodded. “You’re right. None of this is your fault. You didn’t ask for any of this, just like I didn’t. Mom made her choices, and she’s gone now. Being angry at her forever won’t change anything.”

Chris stayed quiet, watching her carefully.

Ellie gave him a small smile. “Besides,” she said, “I’ve always wanted a younger brother. Might as well give it a shot.”

Chris’s lips turned up into a smile. “I’d like that,” he said.

Ellie patted his shoulder gently. “Then I guess it’s a start.”

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