When Abi’s mom was rushed to the hospital with severe stomach pain, doctors confirmed she needed emergency surgery for appendicitis. Just before being wheeled into the operating room, her mom made a strange request: Abi had to go home and burn a black notebook on her bedside table, without reading it. Confused but wanting to keep her mom calm, Abi promised she would.

Curiosity got the better of Abi, and she opened the notebook. Inside were stunning sketches of her father, filled with love and heartbreak. On the last page, a note read: “I loved you, Adam. Even when you didn’t love me back.” Abi realized the notebook was her mom’s private way of coping with the pain of her father leaving them after his affair.

When her mom woke up after surgery, Abi confessed she hadn’t burned the notebook. Instead of being angry, her mom tearfully admitted she’d been terrified her ex-husband might find it and see how deeply she still loved him. Abi comforted her, saying there was nothing shameful about her feelings and promised to keep the notebook a secret.

Together, they decided the drawings would remain safe between them. Abi finally understood the depth of her mother’s pain and love, and their bond grew stronger as they faced the future openly, no longer hiding from the past.