A Daughter Left Behind Finds Strength, Success, and the Family That Never Walked Away

from her forehead.

“You are not a burden,” she told her. “You are a blessing.”

In the months that followed, Ivy found comfort in the gentle structure of her aunt’s home. Carol gave her a house key so she could come in after school. She let her paint her bedroom walls sky blue, and when Ivy changed her mind, she simply brought home more paint and helped continue reading …