The Stolen Moments

A retired attorney sat in silence beside a photo of a young woman in a graduation gown. “That’s my daughter,” she said. “I pulled strings to get her rejected from her dream college. It was across the country and I... I didn’t want her to leave me.” Her voice broke. “She found out. We haven’t spoken in 14 years.” She whispered, “I wish I’d loved her properly, instead of needing her.”