Fighting back tears, I told the truth: my brother never sent anything. He had left and never looked back.Michael turned to him with resolve. “You abandoned me, and she raised me. She’s my real mother.”

My brother left without another word.Later, Michael hugged me tightly and said, “I wouldn’t be who I am today without you.” Then he revealed he’d bought a house by the ocean for Carl and me, wanting to give back a fraction of what we’d given him.For the first time, I felt truly seen as his mother — and deeply grateful for the family we built together.