I never expected to find my childhood sweater in a laundromat—20 years after my mom vanished. But the moment I saw her embroidery, I knew the truth Grandma told me was a lie. And I needed answers.

I had never been one for nostalgia. My life was too busy for that. Between caring for my three-year-old son, Liam, and looking after my grandmother, I barely had time to breathe.

“Ellie, did you take your vitamins today?” Grandma asked, peering over her glasses.

“Yes, Grandma,” I answered, even if I hadn’t.

“Single mothers need to stay strong,” she reminded me as if I hadn’t already figured that out.

She raised me after my mother abandoned me. And even though I had a child of my own, she still treated me as if I was the one who needed raising.

“Bring me my tea, dear,” she’d call from her armchair.

“Grandma, you can get it yourself.”

A dramatic sigh.

“Is this how you talk to the woman who raised you?”

I loved her, I did. But it was exhausting. That day, I just wanted a break. A simple, quiet moment while doing laundry.

In half an hour, I dumped the clothes into the washing machine at the laundromat, pressed the start button, and grabbed a cup of coffee from the vending machine. Routine.

As I waited, I wandered over to the basket of lost clothes. And then I saw it. A small, blue sweater. The fabric was worn and stretched thin from years of use.

Something tugged at me. I picked it up and flipped the collar inside out.

There, stitched in delicate, nearly faded thread—was my name.

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The laundromat around me blurred, my heart pounded.

That was impossible. I traced the tiny embroidered letters with my thumb. Memories came crashing back.

I was five, lying on the couch, wrapped in a blanket. My mother sat by the window, carefully stitching into the fabric.

“My little star, I will always be here…”

But she wasn’t.

My father had died. I’d been sick. My mother struggled to find work, and the only person who helped us was my grandmother.

Then one day…

I remembered how my mother had hugged me longer than usual. How she had smoothed my hair and whispered:

“Be strong, my little star. You will be okay.”

And then she was gone. Grandma said she had left us. That she didn’t care. We moved away to another state.

Finally, twenty years later, I was standing in a laundromat, holding the one thing she had made for me.

I swallowed hard and looked around.

Near the dryers, a thin, tired-looking woman sat wrapped in an old coat. Two small children played at her feet. I approached her.

“Excuse me… Is this your sweater?”

She looked at it, then at me, then back at the sweater.

“Yes. My daughter wears it.”

“Where did you get it?”

She let out a slow sigh.

“From a charity center near the old church. There was a woman there…”

My breath caught.

“What woman?”

“A kind soul,” she murmured. “She always helped those in need. Sewed little embroideries on children’s clothes. Once, when I came in, she told me a story…”

My fingers clenched around the sweater.

“What story?”

“She said she lost her daughter,” the woman continued. “That she had searched for her for twenty years.”

I couldn’t breathe. The woman looked at me more closely.

“She said after twenty years of searching, she finally gave up and donated the sweater to the shelter.”

I forced a breath, trying to steady myself.

“Do you remember her name?”

“She never told me.”

“Can I…” My voice cracked. “Can I borrow this sweater? Just for a day.”

The woman studied me for a long moment, then nodded.

“Of course.”

I had no idea what I was going to do next. But I knew where I needed to start. I needed to talk to my grandmother.

***

When I returned home, Grandma was exactly where I had left her that morning—sitting in her armchair, a cup of tea beside her, a newspaper spread open in her lap.

I stood there for a moment, gripping the soft blue sweater in my hands, my heart hammering against my ribs. Then, without a word, I placed it on the table in front of her.

She didn’t even look up.

“Just a coincidence,” she muttered, turning the page of her newspaper as if I had just dropped a grocery receipt instead of a piece of my childhood.

“This is not a coincidence, Grandma. Why did you lie to me?”

She finally lifted her head, her sharp gray eyes locking onto mine.

“Lied?” she scoffed. “What nonsense are you talking about now?”

I took a step closer.

“You told me Mom abandoned me. But I just met a woman who got this sweater from a charity, where my mother gave it away. After searching for me. For twenty years.”

“She left us, Ellie. That is the truth.”

“No,” I shot back, my voice rising.

“And what of it?” she sighed, picking up her teacup. “If she truly wanted you, she would have found you.”

“You took me away. You hid me from her!”

Grandma’s hands trembled slightly as she placed the teacup back down.

“I did what I had to do.”

“I’m going to find her. Whether you like it or not.”

Grandma sighed dramatically, shaking her head as if I were an unruly child.

“Do what you want,” she said, waving a hand dismissively. “But if you leave to find her, don’t come back.”

I stared at her, my whole body numb.

For years, I had tried so hard to be a good granddaughter. I took care of her, listened to her, and let her shape the way I saw the world. But finally, she showed her real face.

I didn’t know where to start. But I knew one thing— it was my turn to fight for my mother.

***

The following morning, I grabbed my bag, sweater in hand, ready to leave. I reached for my car keys. They weren’t there.

I checked my bag. My wallet was missing, too. Then I heard her voice behind me.

“You don’t need to go, Ellie.”

I turned slowly. Grandma stood in the doorway, completely calm.

“Where are my keys?”

She tilted her head.

“You have a child to think about. Do you really want to drag him into this nonsense?”

“Give them back.”

“I won’t let you do this. Not to yourself. Not to your son.”

“What are you talking about?”

“If you leave, Lucas stays with me.”

I felt the ground shift beneath me.

“What?”

“You heard me. I won’t let you drag that boy into this madness. You’re running after a woman who left you once. She will do it again. And when she does, what will you have? You’ll return here with nothing, but I won’t let you walk through that door again.”

“You’re saying you’d throw me out?”

“You’re making your choice, Ellie. And I’m making mine.”

I let out a dry laugh, though nothing about this was funny.

“You can’t take my son away from me.”

“I don’t have to. You’re leaving him behind.”

“You can’t even take a step without me helping you,” I snapped, my voice shaking. “You need me. You can barely handle making your tea, let alone look after a three-year-old.”

“I’ll hire a nanny. A good one.”

Tears burned my eyes. I wanted to scream at her, to tell her she was wrong.

But what if she isn’t? What if I’m chasing a ghost?

I looked at my son playing with his toy cars, blissfully unaware of the storm around him. I couldn’t risk losing him.

“Fine. I’ll stay.”

Grandma thought she had won. But she didn’t know the truth. My plan hadn’t changed.

***

Later that day, I took Lucas to the playground. That was what I told Grandma, anyway. In reality, everything was already planned.

I had the address of the charity center and borrowed a friend’s car.

“We’re going on a little adventure, sweetheart.”

“Adventure?”

“Yes, baby. We’re going to meet someone very special.”

I lifted him into my arms, his tiny hands wrapping around my neck, and walked to the car. As I drove, my pulse pounded in my ears.

Will she recognize me? Will she want to see me? Will she love Lucas?

Then, I shook the doubts away.

***

The community center wasn’t far. I stepped inside. Lucas clung to me.

The scent of freshly baked bread and fabric softener filled the air. Somewhere in the distance, children were laughing.

A woman at the reception desk looked up and smiled.

“Can I help you?”

“I… I’m looking for someone. A woman named Anna.”

Her face softened. “Anna’s out back, in the garden.”

I nodded, forcing my feet to move. The garden was peaceful, bathed in the golden light of the setting sun. At first, I didn’t see her. Then I did.

She was sitting at a wooden table, sewing a tiny pink dress. Her hair was pulled into a loose bun. Her posture was familiar, her hands working the needle with quiet focus.

I stopped. It was her. My mother. I clutched the small sweater in my hand. And then, as if sensing me, she looked up. Everything stopped. Her fingers froze.

“Ellie…?”

Suddenly, I didn’t need words. I took a step forward. Then another. And then, she was there. Mom’s arms wrapped around me, tight and trembling.

I buried my face into her shoulder, breathing in the scent of fabric softener, warmth, and something familiar. She was sobbing. So was I. Mom pulled back slightly, her hands shaking as she cupped my face.

“My baby… my little star… I thought I lost you forever…”

Lucas squirmed between us. Mom’s eyes flickered down, and she gasped.

“Oh… oh my god. Who is this?”

I wiped my tears. “This is Lucas. My son.”

She reached out a trembling hand, hesitating.

“May I…?”

Lucas looked at her curiously, then at me. I nodded, gently setting him down. He took a hesitant step forward. My mother knelt, placing a hand over her heart as she studied him.

“You look just like your Mom when she was a little girl…”

Lucas tilted his head.

“Are you my grandma?”

“Yes, sweetheart. Yes, I am.”

Lucas smiled, then did what he always did when he felt safe—he touched her cheek with his tiny hand.

My mother looked up at me.

“I never thought I’d get another chance.”

“Why, Mom? Why did you leave?”

“Your grandmother… she gave me a choice. She told me I had to leave and get my life together. She promised me that I could take you home when I came back.”

“But when you came back…”

Her lips trembled.

“You were gone. The house was sold. There was no trace of you. I searched everywhere, but I had no money and no resources. I had lost everything.”

“She lied to us both.”

Tears blurred my vision. So many years. So much pain.

“We don’t have to let her win anymore. Will you come home with us?”

“To her?”

“She needs to let go of the past, Mom. She needs to stop blaming you for Dad’s death.”

My mother let out a bitter laugh, glancing away.

“She needed someone to blame. And I was the easiest target.”

“Maybe she’s not ready to hear the truth. But she needs to. And you must stop punishing yourself for something that wasn’t your fault.”

My mother wiped her face, then exhaled deeply. Then she looked at Lucas, at me.

“Let’s go home.”

For the first time in my life, I wasn’t chasing a ghost. My Mom was there. She was real. And I wasn’t letting go.

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