I bought a vintage blazer for my mom at a thrift store, a simple gift. But when she opened it, her face went pale. Inside the pocket was an old note from her first love, Edward, who had disappeared years ago. The note revealed he had never shown up when she was pregnant with me.
Mom had never talked about him, but the blazer brought everything to the surface. I went back to the thrift shop and tracked down Edward’s contact information. The next day, I convinced Mom to join me as we visited him. When we arrived, we met his daughter, Alice, and learned Edward had Alzheimer’s and couldn’t remember much, but kept the note as his “compass.”
At their home, Mom whispered his name, and Edward slowly remembered. He had been trying to buy flowers for her when the accident happened. They shared a quiet, emotional reunion at the park where they once met, surrounded by blooming cherry blossoms.