used to think my daughter Nina and I were inseparable. At 25, she was independent but still made time for Sunday dinners, birthdays, and movie nights. Then the visits stopped—first missed occasions, then holidays, then months of distance. Her excuses sounded polite but hollow, and her voice carried a strange detachment I couldn’t ignore.

One afternoon, I ran into her at the grocery store. She looked healthy but startled to see me. Outside, she finally told me why she’d stayed away: my husband, Richard, had found her old diary during a visit. He mocked her most private pain—her miscarriage—laughing and belittling her until she felt unsafe in my home.

I left Richard that night. Filed for divorce. Cleared the house of his presence and moved into my own apartment. Then I went to Nina with a key lime pie and the truth: I hadn’t known what happened, but I would never choose him over her again. She took my hand and said she’d missed me too.

We rebuilt slowly—Sunday dinners, Wednesday takeout, and monthly baking days. Months later, Nina, her partner, and I were in my kitchen making apple crisp, the air full of cinnamon and laughter. For the first time in years, life felt ordinary. And in choosing my daughter, I’d finally chosen myself.