After years of minimal contact, my mother and Aunt Elizabeth rekindled their bond. Aunt Elizabeth, a nurse, had just finalized a messy divorce. Despite their long estrangement, they quickly picked up where they left off. Their renewed closeness led my mother to plan a New Year’s celebration at my aunt’s house, six hours away in another city.Growing up, my mom and aunt were tight, but life—raising families and juggling careers—pulled them apart. I barely knew Aunt Elizabeth. My only memory was a childhood zoo trip: a chubby woman with curly brown hair, a big smile, and cousins who looked like her mini-mes. I couldn’t pinpoint when they drifted apart, but by the time I got home from school before Christmas break, Mom was glued to the phone with her. I assumed it was Dad, who was overseas for work, but when I asked, she mouthed, “Your aunt.” She even floated the idea of Elizabeth visiting for Christmas.Fast forward to New Year’s Eve, and I’m driving us to her place, still shocked Mom t
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