“She’s doing great. She told me to tell you that you have a lifetime discount at her store.”

“Oh, that’s so kind of her!”

“So how’s it going? I can’t believe you girls are all grown up and having families of your own! It feels like yesterday that you were rushing into my store to eat candy and read Archie comics.”

“I’m okay, Auntie. Still learning the ropes. I can’t believe how much work being a mom is, and I’ve only just begun this journey.”

“You forget the work and remember the good times. Trust me. It will get easier, too. You probably don’t remember, but your mother made it look easy. It was like she had two little sisters with her all the time.”

I laughed, and we were silent for a moment before she continued. “Oh, Lily, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that.”

“No, it’s okay. It’s funny that you bring her up actually, because I’ve been thinking about her a lot lately. That’s really why I’m calling.”

“You must miss her. I miss her, too.”

“The last time I asked you about her, you said you didn’t know anything. Is that still true?”

“I really don’t know anything, Lily. I wish I did. Swee Hua left no trace. Back then, I called the person who helped us get Alfred to a safe place, but she claimed that your mother didn’t contact her. Even if your mother did ask Cathy for help, she wouldn’t tell me. That’s her job—to keep secrets. I think your mother didn’t want to burden anyone with having to keep things from you.”

“Hmm. Yeah, I was hoping something might have changed.”

“Swee Hua knows me. If she had contacted me, I would have tried to convince her to come home. She also knows I would have told you where she was.”

“Do you think it’s worth contacting that Cathy woman again? It’s been many years, so maybe she could give me a clue if she knew anything.”

“Oh, Lily. Some years back, Cathy suffered a stroke and now lives with her daughter in Calgary. When I visit my cousin Agnes, we sometimes go see her. She can’t talk anymore and is a mere shadow of herself. It’s quite tragic. If she knows anything about your mother, it’s impossible for us to know now.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, Auntie. That’s terrible news.”

“You know, I thought Swee Hua might leave for a few weeks, or a few months, but then she would come back. Not in a million years did I think she would leave for good.”

“I thought she would come back, too,” I said quietly. “I know this sounds silly, but I had all these crazy ideas in my head back then that Mom ran away with Alfred,” I confided.

“The thought crossed my mind too, Lily. Your mother and Alfred were two peas in a pod, but I think they were just friends.”

“You think so? I just remember how close they were.”