Chapter 71

“Is your mom still with your step-dad?”

“Yep, in fact, they have three children. I don’t have much contact with them as you can imagine. My mom keeps in touch with me, calls and writes when she can. You know I have made peace about what happened between her and me. Trust me, it doesn’t get easier not having your mom as an active part of your life. But it doesn’t get less painful.”

Surprisingly, Linda’s experience didn’t bring me much comfort. It felt strange not hearing my mother’s voice. Since college, we talked at least once a week. For the past four years, every Sunday morning she would call me at 8 A.M. She read The Daily Reflector newspaper, I read the News and Observer, and we would compare stories and catch up with life in the Capital and Down East.