Lessons about the power of accessing seem to come from everywhere now. I remember Dean Harrison’s advice. If she was right about that, was she right about everything else, including the magic? She was certainly right about the miracles, which was confirmed when I spoke to my mother yesterday after the test. In one phone call, she revealed four miracles. Then I shared mine. Five in total.

“I got somethin’ I gotta tell you,” she says as soon as I answer the phone. “It’s been heavy on my spirit and now that I’m in AA, I’m working on makin’ ’mends to the people I ain’t done right by. That’s the eighth step. And I… oh boy, this is hard. I don’t know how to say dis’, but…”

I wait for her to say what she already did in the other realm. I never thought she would tell me the truth in real life. She has been so burdened by it, I was sure she would carry it to the grave.

“Baby, look… you know when dat thang happ’n to you when you was younger? And I wasn’t dere for you? I shoulda been dere for ya. It’s just, I couldn’t handle it. Lord knows I been through er’y battle dere is, but dat… dat was mo’ den I could bear. I want you to know I stood outside dat hospital fo’ an hour. Tryin’ to find da courage ta go in.

“I couldn’t watch my baby girl be destroyed like I was. I ain’t neva recovered and I couldn’t believe, as much as I tried ta protect you, dat it found you too. Right den and dere I decided dat it wutin’ no peace, no justice, no rightness. Not in dis’ world. And I went ta da only place I could thank of ta find freedom from all dat. Righteousness don’t matter in da crack house. Neither do peace or justice. Tried to kill myself dat night, but somethin’ stop me. Some force put a hand on my shoulder. Was da same night Cleveland had all dem colorful lights in da sky. First and only time. Dat’s where I was while you was goin’ through all dat. In da crack house. I ain’t gon’ ask for yo’ forgiveness—”

“I forgive you,” I interrupt. “You were a diamond covered in shit. I forgive you.”

We are silent, only for several seconds, but it feels like an eternity. That’s how long we have both carried this sin, not even our own, finally released.

“It won’t happen again in our family,” I tell her. “I don’t want any kids. It can end with me. Unless Dre and Rone have kids, which we should pray to all the gods never happens.”

Laughter. Joy. Tears. Healing. A miracle. I know her realization is somehow linked to the work I did in the healing timeline.