I was eager to return home after a business trip that seemed like it went on for a long time. My phone buzzed in my hand, and it was an Uber app alert. “Mike, your driver, will be there in three minutes.” I thought that was great. My only goal was to reach my apartment and enjoy the peace and quiet.

I couldn’t help but feel calmer when the black sedan pulled up.

The driver, a middle-aged man with graying hair and a friendly smile, got out of the car. Even though he looked like he had been through a lot, he was still friendly and open.
He put out his hand and said, “Hi, my name is Mike.”
“Hi Mike, nice to meet you. “My name is Emily,” I told him, shaking his hand.
First he opened the door for me and then put my bag in the trunk. I sat down in the back seat while Mike started the car and drove into the airport traffic.
He looked at me in the rearview mirror and asked, “Long trip?”

I leaned back and closed my eyes for a moment as I said, “Yeah, a week in New York for work.” “It feels good to be at home.”
Mike laughed and said, “I hear you.” “After a trip, there’s nothing better than getting back to your comfy bed.”
For a short time, we talked about the weather and the latest news in our area. As we drove, I felt myself calm down more and more. Mike was soothing to be around, and his friendly chatter took my mind off of things.
“Where are we going now?” Mike asked.
“101 Maple Street,” I told him, giving him my new address which is different from the old one.
After a short pause, Mike spoke again. “101 Maple Street…” That address looks like one you know. Have you moved there recently?”
I turned my head away. “No, I’ve lived there for a while.” The neighborhood is nice.

Mike said “yes,” but his face showed a hint of something I couldn’t quite recognize. Interested? Getting noticed? I didn’t know.

I noticed that Mike seemed to be lost in thought as we drove on. He wasn’t talking as much as he used to, and the car became very quiet. I was wondering if there was something I said that made him feel bad.
He finally spoke again, but this time his voice was lower. “Thank you for your time. May I ask if you know a woman named Linda?”
When someone said my mom’s name, I was shocked. I do have a mom named Linda. “Why do you ask?”
Mike held on tighter to the steering wheel as he took a deep breath. “I think I knew your mom a long time ago. This may sound weird.” In fact, back in high school.”

I blinked as I tried to understand what he said. “Really?” That… wasn’t expected. She never talked about a person named Mike.
Mike smiled, but his eyes were a little sad. “That doesn’t surprise me.” We were good friends back then, but after high school, we hardly talked to each other. “Life took us in different ways.”
There was a moment of silence while I took this all in. It was hard to picture my mom as a teen, with all the friends and stories I didn’t know.
There was a lump in my throat as I said, “She died a few years ago.”
Mike nodded, and his face became sad. “Emily, I’m so sorry to hear that. Your mom was a wonderful person.
I whispered, “Thank you,” my feelings all over the place. “Every day I miss her.”
I could tell Mike was having a hard time because he took another deep breath. He finally spoke again, but this time his voice was barely above a whisper. “Emily, I need to tell you something.” Something that has been with me for a long time.

My heart was beating fast as I looked at him.

“Mike, what is it?”
Seeing me in the rearview mirror, he looked at me with sad eyes. “Your mom and I were more than just friends.” We loved each other.
I felt like the ground had been pulled out from under me when I heard those words. “Loved?” Again, I said it, my voice shaking.
Mike nodded, but his face showed pain. “Yes.” We were young and deeply in love with each other, but we didn’t tell anyone. Our families wouldn’t have known what to think. After high school, we were going to run away together, but something happened that changed our plans.
My mind was so full of questions that I could hardly breathe. “What took place?”
Mike felt bad about what he said. “I was forced to join the military.” We agreed to wait for each other, but I had to go. She wasn’t there when I came back, though. I looked for her but could not find her. I’ve always been interested in what happened to her.
As I heard his story, tears came to my eyes. I said in a soft voice, “She never told me about you.”

Mike gave a sad smile. “She was always strong and on her own.” She probably didn’t want to tell you about her past.
For a while, we drove in silence as the weight of what we had learned settled over us. I thought of my mom, the strong and loving woman who raised me. I was interested in what her life was like before I was born and what secrets she had kept.
Mike parked the car and looked at me when we got to my apartment. “Emily, I’m sorry if this was too much. I felt like I had to tell you that.”
I shook my head and wiped my tears away. “No, Mike. I’m glad you did.” Thanks for letting me know about this.
Mike smiled and nodded, his eyes filled with thanks. “I’m here if you ever want to talk more.”
Even though I was crying, I smiled. “That sounds good to me.”
I felt a strange connection to this man who knew my mom in a way I had never known her. It started when I got out of the car and picked up my suitcase. I felt at peace in a way I hadn’t had in years. It was like a missing piece of my life had been found.

I stood on the sidewalk and looked up at the sky as Mike drove off.

I was sure my mom was watching over me, and I could feel her more than ever. It was funny how life would surprise you and bring people into your life when you least expected it. That was when I knew my mom’s love was still with me in ways I never thought possible.

Mike and I kept in touch over the next few weeks. He told me more stories about his time with my mom when we got coffee together a few times. I found out about their secret dates, the letters they wrote each other while he was away, and their hopes and dreams for the future. Putting together the pieces of my mom’s past was like putting together a beautiful but sad puzzle.
Mike showed me a box of old letters and pictures one afternoon. He gave me the box and said, “I’ve kept these all these years.” “There was no way I could throw them away.”

My heart was beating fast as I opened the box. Inside were letters written in my mom’s lovely handwriting. They were full of love and longing. There were also pictures of a young couple who were happy and smiling, and their eyes were full of hope for the future.
“She was beautiful,” I said as I looked at a picture of my mom laughing and her eyes were sparkling with happiness.
With a tear in his eye, Mike agreed, “She was.” “She could make a room brighter.”

Because I was reading the letters, I felt closer to my mom than ever.

I could picture her as a young woman with lots of hopes and dreams. This was a new side of her I had never seen before. It made me love and be proud of her.
Mike and I chose to go to my mom’s grave together one evening. It was a peaceful spot with trees and flowers all around. The fact that Mike was there with me made me feel better as we stood by her grave.
I whispered, “Hi, Mom,” as I put a bouquet of her favorite flowers on the grave. “Someone wants to say hello.”
Mike took a step forward, tears in his eyes. “Hi, Linda.” It’s been a while. “I hope you’re okay.”
We just stood there and let the moment wash over us. I felt a sense of closure I didn’t know I needed after that beautiful and emotional event.
Mike looked at me as we walked back to the car. Dear Emily, thank you. I appreciate this more than you know.

I smiled because I felt so thankful.

“Thank you, Mike.” For everything.
There were times when life brought people together and showed them hidden links that made the world seem a little smaller and more magical. That was when I knew my mom’s love was still with me in ways I never thought possible.

As the months went by, my friendship with Mike grew. We kept telling each other stories and remembering things, and I looked forward to our talks. It made me feel good and gave me a sense of having a piece of my mom back.

Mike asked me to come over to his house for dinner one day. He said, “I want to show you something,” and his voice was a little excited.

I agreed, being curious. Mike took me to a small room in the back of his house when I got there. There was a beautiful wooden desk inside that was full of papers and pictures.

With his hand on the desk, he said, “This was your mom’s dream.” “She’s always wanted to write.” She wrote poems, stories, and even a book. She never got the chance to show them to everyone, though.

I felt a lump.

CLICK BELOW TO READ MORE…