Diane’s mother left her with her relatives while she traveled through Europe, meeting different men. Diane waited for her mother to return, but her hope faded when years passed without her coming back.

“Mom, I want to go with you,” eight-year-old Diane pleaded as her mother, Erika, packed her bags.

“I’m sorry, and child. I have a business trip to attend. You can’t come this time. When I return, we’ll visit Disneyland together,” Erika replied to the little girl.

Her mother left her with her uncles. | Source: Shutterstock

“But where will I stay?” Diane asked.

“You’ll stay with your aunt Karina and uncle Roger. Isn’t that exciting? My sister cares about you very much,” Erika explained. She drove young Diane to Karina’s house and said goodbye to everyone.

“You’ll have so much fun here that when your mom comes back, you won’t want to leave with her,” Uncle Roger told her. Diane enjoyed her time, but days turned into weeks, and her mother rarely called, only once every few days.

She promised to come back soon with plenty of presents for Diane, but she never did. Years passed, and Diane grew accustomed to living with her aunt and uncle. Still, she held onto hope of her mother’s return until she got a phone call one day.

“I’m sorry, Diane. I’m staying here because I met a wonderful man, and we’re getting married. Italy is beautiful,” her mother explained.

“Okay, but then I’ll come live with you in Milan, right?” Diane asked.

Her mother promised that she would go to Milan for college. | Source: Pexels

“That’s not possible right now. You need to finish school. Everything here is different. I think it’s best to plan for you to come for college. How does that sound?” Erika said. Diane agreed but felt disappointed.

She also wanted to see her mother’s new home and meet her stepfather. Years later, Diane realized her mother didn’t want her to come at all. She blocked her calls and told Aunt Karina she would never speak to her mother again.

Her aunt and uncle became her parents in the most important sense, and nothing would change that. But near her high school graduation, Aunt Karina entered her room holding the phone.

“Sweetheart, it’s your mom. Please, answer the call. She really wants to see you,” Aunt Karina said. Diane hesitated but agreed reluctantly.

“Hello?” she said after placing the phone to her ear.

“Darling!” her mother exclaimed. “It’s been so long. I think it’s time for you to come to Milan! Your stepfather wants to meet you, and we’ll visit colleges. It’s so exciting! You’ll love Italian boys—they’re so charming and playful.”

Diane nodded and agreed to go to Milan. | Source: Pexels

Aunt Karina and Uncle Roger encouraged her to meet her mother. “You never know, Diane. This is your chance to see Europe, and maybe you can make things right with her,” her aunt said.

Diane packed her things, uneasy about the trip because her mother had become a stranger to her. Still, she hoped her aunt was right. She didn’t want to miss seeing a European city.

But she didn’t expect her mother to scowl as soon as they saw each other. “What are you wearing?” Erika asked with disdain.

Erika was very self-absorbed. | Source: Pexels

“Hello, Mother. What do you mean? I just got off a plane. I wore comfortable clothes,” Diane said, confused.

“Well, that’s not acceptable. You can’t meet my husband dressed like that. I’ll give you something when we get to my house,” Erika replied.

On the drive, her mother talked about her life but didn’t ask about Diane unless it was to criticize her. “You’re heavier than I expected, but that’s okay. We’ll put you on a diet,” her mother said, more talking to herself than Diane.

She was made to wear a fancy dress for dinner with her stepfather, who was apparently a wealthy businessman. Diane hated every minute and wished she hadn’t come.

At dinner, her stepfather barely acknowledged her beyond greeting and passing the salt. She was supposed to meet him, but he hardly paid attention. Her mother acted as if she was the most caring person there.

“Honey, you’ll stay here from now on, and you’ll have a great time. This city is so much better than back home,” Erika said after an awkward hour.

She couldn’t sit through it anymore. “What? I thought this was just a visit, and then I’d pick my college,” Diane said, surprised.

“That makes no sense. You’re staying here,” her mother said casually. “Your stepfather has always wanted children, and now that I’m too old, you’ll do,” she added. That was her real reason for inviting Diane.

Diane couldn’t handle it. “Mom, can I get some money for a taxi? I want to check out downtown,” she asked. Her mother hesitated but was too worried about seeming bad in front of her husband to refuse.

She took a cab directly to the airport and swapped her return ticket for the earliest flight home. Hours later, she arrived back at Uncle Roger and Aunt Karina’s house.

“What are you doing here, honey?” her aunt asked. Her uncle looked equally surprised.

“I couldn’t stay there. You guys are my real family,” Diane said. “She only wanted to show me off because she can’t have more kids.”

She felt happier with her genuine family. | Source: Pexels

“Oh, sweetheart. You know you always have a home here,” Uncle Roger said and hugged her. Diane decided to forget about Erika forever because she already had a loving set of parents.