I’m Ren, a college senior living on my own near campus. I’ve already got a job offer lined up, so I’m pretty much just coasting until I turn in my thesis. My parents were always incredibly close, but three years ago, my dad died in an accident. Now, my mom lives all by herself back home. Losing him was devastating, but Mom and I leaned on each other and finally managed to start moving forward. Or so I thought—now, she’s the one fighting a terminal illness, and she’s been told she doesn’t have much time left.
Seeing how much my mother had changed since I last saw her left me completely speechless. Before I could even find the words, I just started crying. Why didn’t I notice sooner? Why didn’t I check in more often or make the time to go home and see her? I couldn’t stop the regrets from flooding in. Even though I was the one breaking down, the way Mom reached out to stroke my hair felt exactly the same as when I was a kid. That’s when I realized—I don’t have time to mope. I need to do everything in my power for her right now. But just as I resolved to be strong, Mom started telling me something unbelievable: before she ever married Dad, she had been married to someone else.