I Became “Mom” to My Grandchildren When Their Mother Walked Away — Sixteen Years Later, She Returned

for leaving them. I’m sorry for leaving you to deal with the consequences of my choices.”

“Why did you?” I asked, finally voicing the question I’d carried for sixteen years. “Why did you leave?”

She was quiet for so long I thought she’d hung up. Then: “Because I was drowning. And I thought if I could just get away, just have some space and time to figure continue reading …