MY MOTHER LEFT ME BEHIND AT AN AIRPORT WHEN I WAS ONLY EIGHT—WALKING AWAY WITH HER NEW HUSBAND AND HIS CHILDREN WHILE I CLUTCHED A BACKPACK AND A STUFFED BUNNY. WHEN SHE RETURNED, MY BEDROOM WAS EMPTY… AND LEGAL DOCUMENTS WERE WAITING FOR HER.

The noise faded until I sat alone in a sea of vacant chairs, a tiny girl dressed in purple surrounded by silence.

With trembling fingers, I reached into my backpack and pulled out the old cellphone my mother had given me “for emergencies.” My thumb hovered over her number before I finally called.

When she answered, I didn’t hear airport noise in the background.

I heard engines.

Voices.…continue reading …