And underneath the photograph was something else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A folded piece of paper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My hands began to tremble.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOh, Ivy,\u201d I whispered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She lowered her eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My husband pulled his chair closer to the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhere did you find this?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ivy looked at him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOn the dresser in the bedroom.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I stared at the necklace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It had belonged to my mother.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She had given it to me shortly before she passed away. It wasn\u2019t particularly expensive, but it was the one piece of jewelry I had never been able to replace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I remembered searching for it after Ivy left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I had turned the bedroom upside down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I had checked every drawer, every cupboard, and every box.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eventually, I convinced myself I must have misplaced it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I never suspected Ivy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I looked at her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhy didn\u2019t you tell us sooner?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She gave a sad little laugh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBecause I was eight when I took it. And then I was nine, and ten, and twelve. Every year I told myself I would come back and explain.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She rubbed her palms against her jeans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBut the older I got, the harder it became.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My husband leaned forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDid you keep it all these years?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI did.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn a little box under my bed. Then in a drawer. Then in a suitcase when I moved.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She paused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI carried it through three different homes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I looked at the wooden box again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The edges were scratched, and the little brass clasp had become dull.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou kept it safe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t deserve to keep it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her voice cracked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI know I was just a child, but I knew it wasn\u2019t mine. I knew I had done something wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I reached across the table and took her hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIvy, you were eight years old.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She shook her head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo, sweetheart. I don\u2019t think you understand what I\u2019m saying.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She looked at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen you came to live with us, you were a little girl who had already learned that people and places could disappear. You were trying to find something you could hold on to.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her eyes filled again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t know how to ask you to let me stay.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That sentence broke something inside me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My husband looked away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I squeezed her hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhy didn\u2019t you come back before now?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ivy took a long breath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBecause I didn\u2019t know if you would want to see me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I blinked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She looked down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAfter I left, I kept thinking about this house. I remembered the way you made pancakes on Sunday mornings. I remembered how he used to pretend to be angry when I left my shoes in the hallway.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My husband gave a small smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI was genuinely angry about those shoes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For the first time since she arrived, Ivy laughed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was a quiet laugh, but it sounded familiar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then her expression changed again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI used to wonder if you remembered me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I reached for her other hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEvery year.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She stared at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cReally?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEvery single year.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My husband nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYour name came up more times than you could imagine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ivy covered her mouth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then she began to cry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not the nervous crying from the doorway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not the guilty crying from when she returned the box.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This was different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was the kind of crying that comes when someone has been carrying something heavy for far too long and finally finds a place to put it down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I stood and moved around the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She stood too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And we hugged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For a long time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When we finally separated, she wiped her cheeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere\u2019s something else.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My husband and I looked at her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She reached into her coat again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This time, she pulled out a small envelope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was yellowed around the edges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI found this with the box when I was going through my things last month.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat is it?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She placed it beside the necklace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think you should read it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I unfolded the paper carefully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The handwriting was small and uneven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It took me a moment to recognize it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then I realized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was Ivy\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The letters were crooked, some words written much larger than others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the top, in pencil, were the words:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For when I come back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My eyes blurred.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I began reading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDear Mom and Dad,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I don\u2019t know if I can come back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I don\u2019t know if you will remember me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I wanted to take something because I don\u2019t know how to keep a family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I thought if I had something from your house, I wouldn\u2019t forget you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019m sorry if I made you sad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I was happy here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I hope you were happy too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The letter ended with a little drawing of three people holding hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Underneath it, Ivy had written:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I couldn\u2019t continue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My husband took the letter from me and read it silently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then he placed it back on the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For several seconds, nobody spoke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Finally, Ivy whispered:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI wrote that the night before I left. I was going to put it inside the box, but I got scared. I didn\u2019t know if you would find it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I looked at her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou were planning to leave us a letter?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI wanted you to know I loved you. But I was afraid you would think I was being silly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I reached across the table again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOh, Ivy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She looked at me with tears running down her cheeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI was eight. I didn\u2019t know how to say goodbye.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My husband stood up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He walked around the table and placed a hand gently on her shoulder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t have to say goodbye today.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ivy looked up at him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He smiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve already been gone eighteen years. I think we\u2019ve waited long enough.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She let out a sound somewhere between a laugh and a sob.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then she hugged him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And I watched the two of them standing there, holding each other, while the little wooden box sat open on the dining table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For the first time in eighteen years, it didn\u2019t look like something stolen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It looked like something returned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But I didn\u2019t know yet that the box wasn\u2019t the only thing Ivy had brought back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because later that afternoon, just before she left, she asked me a question I wasn\u2019t prepared for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCan I come back next Sunday?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I smiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOf course.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She hesitated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEven if I don\u2019t have a reason?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I felt tears gather in my eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEspecially if you don\u2019t have a reason.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then she looked toward the stairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCan I see my old bedroom?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I smiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOf course, sweetheart.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And when we walked upstairs together, I realized something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The room wasn\u2019t the same anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But perhaps, in a way that mattered most, it had never really stopped being hers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ivy stood in the doorway of her old bedroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For a long moment, she didn\u2019t move.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The walls had been painted twice since she left. The curtains were different. The little white dresser had been replaced with a taller wooden one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But the window was still in the same place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So was the closet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And the small mark near the bedroom door where my husband had accidentally knocked a toy against the wall years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ivy walked inside slowly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI remember this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She pointed to the corner near the window.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s where I used to sit when I couldn\u2019t sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I smiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou used to sit there and look at the street.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She turned toward me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou remember that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOf course.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She looked around again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI used to think about what would happen if somebody came to take me away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I didn\u2019t know what to say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She ran her fingers along the top of the dresser.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI thought about it every night for a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I sat on the edge of the bed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDid things get better after you left?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She nodded, but not immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEventually.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She told me about the relatives who had taken her in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They were her mother\u2019s cousin and his wife. They lived in another town and had two children of their own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At first, things were difficult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ivy had to adjust to another school, another bedroom, and another set of rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She said the relatives weren\u2019t cruel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They simply didn\u2019t know what to do with a child who was afraid of needing anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her new aunt worked long hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her uncle was quiet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Their children were older and didn\u2019t understand why Ivy sometimes cried over small things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhenever someone raised their voice, I thought I was going to be sent somewhere else,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My heart tightened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDid you ever tell them that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNot really.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She sat down beside me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI thought if I behaved perfectly, nobody would have a reason to move me again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I took her hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou never had to be perfect here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She smiled sadly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI know that now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She told me that when she was eleven, she had finally unpacked the little wooden box.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She had taken out the necklace and held it in her palm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She wanted to call us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But she didn\u2019t know whether she was allowed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At thirteen, she found our old address written on the back of a photograph.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She kept it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At sixteen, she searched for our names online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She found an old photograph of my husband at a community event, but she wasn\u2019t sure it was him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At nineteen, she nearly wrote us a letter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At twenty-two, she found a social media account belonging to someone with my name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But she closed the page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She looked at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBecause I was afraid you had forgotten me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I shook my head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe hadn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She smiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI know that now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We sat quietly for a moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then she said something that surprised me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere\u2019s another reason I came today.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I looked at her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBesides the box?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been thinking about something for a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her hands began moving nervously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI have a daughter.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I felt my mouth fall open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou do?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She smiled for the first time with real excitement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe\u2019s five.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My husband, who had been standing near the doorway, came closer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFive?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ivy nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHer name is Lily.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I smiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s a beautiful name.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe\u2019s funny. Very stubborn. She asks a million questions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My husband chuckled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSounds familiar.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ivy laughed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then she became quiet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere\u2019s something I want her to know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat is that?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat she has people who love her. That family doesn\u2019t have to be something you lose.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She looked at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI want her to meet you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I felt my chest tighten.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou want us to meet her?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf that\u2019s something you\u2019d like.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I stood so quickly that the bed creaked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOf course we\u2019d like that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She smiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then she looked down at her hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBut there\u2019s something else.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I sat back down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat is it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She swallowed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know what to call you anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I stared at her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She continued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen I was little, I called you Mom. I called him Dad. But I don\u2019t know if I\u2019m allowed to do that now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I felt tears immediately gather in my eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I reached for her hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIvy, you don\u2019t need permission to remember what we meant to you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She looked at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBut I don\u2019t want to disrespect your family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I smiled gently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t have to choose between loving people. There is enough room in a heart for more than one family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She covered her face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My husband came over and sat beside us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou know something?\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ivy looked up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen you were eight, I used to think I was teaching you how to ride a bicycle, how to tie your shoes, and how to make your bed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He smiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBut I think you taught us a lot more than we ever taught you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She laughed through her tears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He continued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou taught us that sometimes progress looks like a messy living room, crayons on the floor, and somebody arguing about vegetables.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ivy laughed harder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI hated vegetables.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou still do, probably.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI actually eat them now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, that\u2019s disappointing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For a few minutes, the room felt exactly as it had all those years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not because everything was the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But because the love was still there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before Ivy left, we exchanged phone numbers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She promised to send us a photograph of Lily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the front door, she stopped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She looked at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCan I ask you something?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnything.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWould it be strange if I came here on my birthday?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I shook my head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat about Christmas?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My husband smiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEspecially Christmas.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She looked down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd maybe sometimes when I\u2019m having a bad day?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I stepped forward and hugged her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThose are the days you should come.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She held me tightly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then she whispered something I will never forget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI spent eighteen years thinking I had to earn my way back into this house.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I pulled away just enough to look at her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou never lost your place in our hearts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She cried again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then she left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I watched her walk down the path toward her car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My husband came and stood beside me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Neither of us spoke for a while.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Finally, he said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDo you think she\u2019ll really come back?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I looked at the little wooden jewelry box in my hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think she already has.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The following Sunday, I woke up earlier than usual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I had been awake several times during the night, thinking about Ivy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I kept remembering the way she had stood in the doorway eighteen years earlier, holding that little grocery bag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And I kept thinking about the question she had asked me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Can I come back even if I don\u2019t have a reason?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I had told her yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But I wanted her to know that I meant it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So I made pancakes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The same pancakes I used to make when she lived with us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I even found the old recipe card in the kitchen drawer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My husband came downstairs while I was mixing the batter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He looked at the counter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAre we expecting someone?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I smiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIvy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then he opened the refrigerator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShould I buy strawberries?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAlready bought them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhipped cream?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAlready bought that too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He looked at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve been planning this for days.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I smiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMaybe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He kissed my forehead and started setting the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At eleven fifteen, the doorbell rang.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I practically ran to the door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When I opened it, Ivy was standing there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And beside her was a little girl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She had curly brown hair, a pink jacket, and a stuffed rabbit tucked beneath one arm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ivy smiled nervously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHi.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I looked down at the little girl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHello there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ivy placed a hand gently on her daughter\u2019s shoulder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLily, this is the lady I told you about.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lily looked at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then she looked at Ivy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIs this the house with the pancakes?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I laughed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt certainly is.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lily\u2019s face brightened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ivy smiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe\u2019s been asking about you all morning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I stepped aside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, then, you\u2019d better come in before the pancakes get cold.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lily walked through the door first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She stopped in the living room and looked around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMommy, this house is big.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ivy laughed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt seemed even bigger when I was little.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My husband appeared from the kitchen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He stopped when he saw Lily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, hello there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lily looked at him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAre you the pancake man?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He blinked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then he laughed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI suppose I am.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She nodded seriously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGood. Mommy said you make good pancakes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My husband looked at Ivy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve been telling stories about me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOnly the important ones.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He pretended to look offended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, I hope you mentioned my excellent gardening skills.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ivy laughed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou killed the tomatoes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOne unfortunate season.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lily looked between them, confused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then she started laughing too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And just like that, the house became noisy again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We sat around the dining table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lily ate two pancakes and asked for a third.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She spilled orange juice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Immediately, Ivy reached for a napkin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d Lily said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I looked at her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSweetheart, it\u2019s only juice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lily nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then she went back to eating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I glanced at Ivy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She had gone very quiet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her eyes were fixed on her daughter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I knew what she was remembering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eighteen years earlier, another little girl had sat at that same table, terrified of spilling anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I reached across and touched Ivy\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She looked at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I smiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She smiled back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After breakfast, Lily wanted to see the upstairs bedroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ivy looked at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWould that be okay?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I laughed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOf course.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We walked upstairs together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lily ran ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She looked into the bedroom and immediately spotted the window.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMommy, is this where you slept?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ivy nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDid you have toys?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLots of them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDid you have a pink blanket?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ivy smiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cActually, I had a blue one.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lily climbed onto the bed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCan I sit here?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ivy looked at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I smiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOf course she can.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lily bounced twice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then she noticed the little mark near the door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ivy laughed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s from when I threw a toy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I looked at her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou remember?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOf course.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then she turned toward her daughter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI wasn\u2019t always a very quiet child.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lily grinned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMe neither.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I laughed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo, I don\u2019t think you are.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For a while, we simply watched Lily explore the room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She opened the closet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She examined the curtains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She asked why there were no toys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And then she asked the question that made Ivy freeze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMommy, did you live here because Grandma and Grandpa couldn\u2019t have children?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ivy looked at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I understood immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She knelt in front of Lily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNot exactly, sweetheart.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She gently moved a curl away from her daughter\u2019s face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen I was little, I needed somewhere safe to stay. And these two people took care of me for a while.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lily looked at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDid they love you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I felt my throat tighten.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ivy answered before I could.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She smiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey loved me very much.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lily thought about that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then she asked:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDo they love you now?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ivy\u2019s eyes filled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She looked at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I stepped forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes, sweetheart. We do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lily nodded as if that settled everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then she climbed down from the bed and wrapped her little arms around my legs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThen you\u2019re my family too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I had to turn away for a moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ivy covered her mouth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My husband appeared at the doorway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He looked at the three of us and smiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, I think somebody has made a decision.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lily ran to him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGrandpa, can I have another pancake?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He looked at Ivy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then down at Lily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAbsolutely.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ivy laughed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou\u2019re spoiling her already.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My husband shrugged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s what grandparents are supposed to do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ivy went completely still.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She looked at him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGrandparents?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He smiled gently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf that\u2019s what Lily wants to call us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ivy lowered her head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A tear rolled down her cheek.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then she nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think she\u2019d like that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That afternoon, after Lily fell asleep on the sofa, Ivy and I sat together in the kitchen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My husband was outside with the little girl, showing her the garden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ivy held a cup of tea between her hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCan I tell you something?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOf course.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She stared at the cup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen I was growing up, I used to think that the eleven months I spent here were just a small part of my life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I listened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBut they weren\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She looked up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey were the first eleven months when I started believing I could belong somewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I felt tears gather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She continued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAfter I left, I had difficult years. There were times when I felt unwanted. There were times when I didn\u2019t trust anybody. But I always remembered this house.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She smiled sadly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI remembered that cereal bowl in the sink. The crayons on the floor. The way you used to tell me to put my shoes away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I laughed softly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou never listened.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She took a breath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd whenever things got difficult, I remembered that there had been two people who loved me without asking me to be perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I reached across the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat was never something you had to earn.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI understand that now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then she reached into her handbag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For a second, I thought she was taking out the jewelry box again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But it was something different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A small photograph.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She placed it in front of me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was a picture of her at about ten years old.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She was standing in front of a school building, wearing a yellow sweater.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the back, in faded handwriting, were two words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Still remembering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I looked at her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou kept this?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was taken the year after I left.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I turned it over again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cStill remembering,\u201d I whispered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She smiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI wrote that because I was afraid I would forget your faces.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I reached across the table and hugged her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou could never have forgotten us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She held me tightly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then she said something that made me realize how much that little girl had grown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI used to think coming back meant asking you to take me in again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I pulled back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She smiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI thought I needed to ask whether I could belong here again. Whether I could visit. Whether I could call. Whether I could bring Lily.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She looked around the kitchen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBut now I understand that I don\u2019t have to ask for every little thing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s right.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She wiped her eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI can just come home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I couldn\u2019t speak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because that was exactly what I had wanted her to understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not that she owed us visits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not that she needed to repay us for loving her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not that she had to make up for eighteen years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Just that the door was open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And it always would be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A few weeks later, Ivy came over again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This time, she came alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She had something in her hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The little wooden jewelry box.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I looked at it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She placed it on the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI wanted to give it back properly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I smiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou already did.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She shook her head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo. I mean, I wanted to ask you something.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I sat down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She opened the box.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The silver necklace was still inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She lifted it carefully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI know this belonged to your mother. I know it means something to you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt does.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She looked at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019ve thought about it a lot. I don\u2019t want to keep something that was never mine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I smiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t have to.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She took a breath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBut there\u2019s something I would like to ask.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I waited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWould you let me keep the little wooden box?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I looked at it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe box?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNot the necklace. Just the box.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She touched the faded blue velvet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI want to put something of my own inside it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I smiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOf course.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She looked relieved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then she took out a folded photograph.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was a recent picture of the three of us with Lily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My husband was holding the little girl on his shoulders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I was standing beside Ivy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And Ivy was smiling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not the nervous smile she had given me at the front door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A real smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She placed the photograph inside the box.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then she closed the lid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI want to keep this one,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I looked at her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She smiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBecause this time, I don\u2019t need to take something to remember this house.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She rested her hand on the box.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI have permission to come back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I reached over and squeezed her hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAlways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then she looked toward the living room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDo you think Lily could have a sleepover sometime?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I laughed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe\u2019s already asked me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ivy raised her eyebrows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe has?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe told me she wants to sleep in your old bedroom.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ivy smiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOf course she did.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I looked at her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWould that be alright?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMore than alright.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That evening, after Ivy left, my husband and I sat at the dining table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The little wooden jewelry box was sitting between us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The silver necklace was back where it belonged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The photograph of Ivy, Lily, and us was safely inside the box.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My husband looked at it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFunny, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAll those years ago, we thought we were giving a little girl somewhere to stay.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I smiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He continued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd somehow, she gave us a daughter.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I looked toward the front door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For eighteen years, I had wondered whether Ivy was happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whether she had found a safe place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whether she remembered us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whether she ever thought about coming back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I had imagined all kinds of possibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But I had never imagined this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A grown woman standing on our porch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A little girl calling my husband Grandpa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A wooden jewelry box returned to its rightful place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And a family that had found its way back to one another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before going to bed, I walked upstairs and stopped outside the old bedroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The room was empty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But I could almost hear the little girl who once slept there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I could almost see the crayons scattered across the floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The clothes in the dresser.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The shoes in the hallway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And I remembered the night my husband had looked at me and said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe\u2019s finally being annoying.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I smiled to myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because he had been right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Those little things had been signs that Ivy was beginning to feel safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And perhaps the greatest gift of all was that, eighteen years later, she had finally learned she didn\u2019t have to be afraid of losing us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The next morning, I received a message from her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was a photograph of Lily holding a piece of paper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There were three stick figures drawn in crayon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One was tall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One was shorter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And one was very small.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Above them, Lily had written:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Underneath the photograph, Ivy had sent a message.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe says she wants to visit Grandma and Grandpa next weekend. I told her she could. I hope that\u2019s okay.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I stared at the screen for a long time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then I typed back:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSweetheart, you never have to ask.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A few seconds later, another message arrived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThank you for keeping the door open.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I put my phone down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then I looked at my husband.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He smiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe\u2019s coming next weekend?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He stood up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, I suppose we\u2019d better buy more pancake mix.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And for the first time in eighteen years, I didn\u2019t wonder whether Ivy would come back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I knew she would.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because sometimes family isn\u2019t about who shares your last name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sometimes it\u2019s about the people who make you feel safe enough to leave your shoes in the hallway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The people who let you make mistakes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The people who remember your birthday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The people who keep a bedroom in their hearts even when the room itself changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And sometimes, after years of silence, a little wooden box is enough to bring everyone home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ivy had come to return something she had taken when she was eight years old.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But she left with something far more important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The knowledge that she had never stopped being loved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And this time, she didn\u2019t have to leave anything behind to prove it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She finally understood that the door was open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And she was always welcome to walk through it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
And underneath the photograph was something else. A folded piece of paper. My hands began to tremble. \u201cOh, Ivy,\u201d I whispered. She lowered her eyes. \u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d My husband pulled … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13653,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13652","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-story"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t