Finding out that your child is hiding a painful truth is the worst thing that can happen to a mother. Heather’s “that moment” came when Lily, her five-year-old daughter, drew a picture of her family without her dad.
Heather felt sad as she thought about why Lily was so mean about leaving her father out of the drawing. She tried to tell herself it was just a phase, but the worry stayed. But Heather didn’t realise something was very wrong until she got a call from Lily’s teacher.
Lily’s teacher was worried that the girl seemed shy and upset when she was asked about her dad. Heather tried to convince the teacher that everything was okay, but she knew in her heart that she had to talk to Lily about the drawing.
Heather’s life would never be the same after that exchange. Lily said she had found a scrapbook in the shed that was hidden and was full of pictures from her dad’s past life that Heather didn’t know about.
Heather found a shocking truth as she looked deeper into the journal. David, her husband, had been married before and had a son from that marriage. The news shocked Heather, making her feel misled and hurt.
Heather had a lot of feelings in the days that followed as she tried to understand David’s lies. There were more secrets she found out, like a big inheritance David had kept from her. Heather wasn’t sure if her marriage could ever be the same after the trust was broken.
Heather knew she had to do something different when she saw Lily. David’s past was a part of him, and she knew she had to accept it if she wanted to keep their marriage together.
Heather was determined to get better, even though the path was long and hard. She and David started to fix their relationship by being open and honest with each other. So that their families could get to know each other better, they introduced Lily to her half-brother Ethan.
As Heather watched her kids play together, she felt hopeful and ready to start over. She saw that lies and secrets had almost killed their family, but she also knew that love and forgiveness could fix anything.
Heather learnt that being married means accepting each other’s flaws and secrets, and that love can get through even the worst facts.
