When Ellie was 13, her father abandoned her and her mother, leaving them heartbroken. Ten years later, while driving home, she spotted a hitchhiker with a little girl and felt an unsettling familiarity. It was her dad, now called Bill, standing next to a girl named Sarah.
“Need a ride?” Ellie called out, her heart racing. The car ride was tense, filled with silence. Ellie confronted him: “Do you have any idea what you did to us?” Bill apologized, but Ellie was filled with resentment. “Sorry won’t erase ten years of absence,” she replied.
As they approached his destination, Sarah innocently asked, “Are you Bill’s friend?” Ellie hesitated but smiled softly, replying, “Something like that.” After dropping them off, she felt a weight lift. Realizing she didn’t need his love to be whole, she texted her mother, “On my way, Mom. I love you.”
Driving away, Ellie embraced the truth: “Sometimes, the family you choose is more important than the one you’re born into.” She had her mother, the strongest force in her life.
