The Day Diane Learned Who Her Real Family Was
“Mom, I want to go with you,” eight-year-old Diane said, clutching the hem of her mother’s coat as Erika rushed around the room, packing her bags. Her small voice trembled with fear of being left behind.
Erika barely looked at her. “I’m sorry, child. I’m going on a business trip. You can’t come with me this time. When I come back, we’ll go to Disneyland together, okay?” she said with a forced smile.
Diane frowned. “But where will I stay?”
“You’ll be with your Aunt Karina and Uncle Roger. Isn’t that exciting? My sister loves you so much,” Erika explained, brushing Diane’s hair away from her face before picking up her luggage.
Diane didn’t really understand what was happening. She thought maybe her mom really would come back soon. Erika drove her to Karina’s house, hugged her briefly, and waved goodbye.
Uncle Roger smiled kindly. “You’re going to have so much fun here, kiddo! When your mom comes back, you won’t even want to leave.”
And at first, it did feel fun. Aunt Karina cooked delicious dinners and helped her with schoolwork. Uncle Roger played games with her every evening.
But as days turned into weeks, then months, Diane realized something—her mom wasn’t calling much anymore.
When Erika did call, it was short and distant. “I’ll be home soon, darling,” she’d say. “I’ll bring you so many gifts, you’ll love them!”
But the gifts never came. And neither did she.
Years passed. Diane celebrated birthdays, holidays, and school events with Karina and Roger. They clapped for her at school plays and comforted her when she fell sick.
Yet, every night, Diane still looked out the window, wondering when her mom would come home.
Then, one afternoon, the phone rang. Diane, now twelve, ran to answer it—her heart jumped when she heard her mother’s voice.
“Hi, sweetheart,” Erika said. “I’m sorry, but I’m staying in Italy. I met a wonderful man, and we’re getting married. Italy is beautiful—you’d love it here.”
Diane’s voice cracked. “Ok… but then I’ll come live with you in Milan, right?”
Erika sighed. “That’s not possible right now. You need to finish school first. Everything here is different. Maybe when you go to college, you can come then. How does that sound?”
It didn’t sound good at all, but Diane forced a small, “Okay, Mom.”
But deep down, she knew the truth—her mom wasn’t coming back.
By the time Diane turned sixteen, she’d stopped waiting. One day, she quietly blocked her mother’s number. “I don’t want to talk to her again,” she told Aunt Karina firmly. “You and Uncle Roger are my parents now.”
Karina hugged her tightly. “Oh, sweetheart. We love you like our own. You don’t need to explain.”
For years, life was peaceful. Until one evening, during Diane’s senior year, Karina walked into her room holding the phone.
“Sweetheart,” she said gently, “it’s your mother. She really wants to talk to you.”
Diane hesitated. “Why now?”
“She said it’s important. Please, just hear her out,” her aunt pleaded.
With a deep breath, Diane took the phone. “Hello?”
“Darling!” her mother’s voice sang through the line. “It’s been so long! Guess what—I think it’s time for you to come to Milan!
Your stepfather wants to meet you, and we can visit colleges together. It’ll be so exciting! You’re going to love Italian boys—they’re so cute and charming!”
Diane didn’t even know what to say. But her aunt and uncle encouraged her to go.
“You never know, honey,” Karina said softly. “Maybe this is your chance to see Europe… and maybe even fix things with your mom.”
So, Diane agreed. She packed her bags, said goodbye, and got on a plane to Milan.
But the moment she stepped off the flight, her mother’s smile vanished.
“What are you wearing?” Erika asked with a frown, her eyes sweeping over Diane’s jeans and hoodie.
“Hello to you too, Mom,” Diane said sarcastically. “I just got off a plane. I wanted to be comfortable.”
Erika sighed. “That won’t do. You can’t meet my husband looking like that. I’ll lend you something proper when we get home.”
In the car, her mother talked endlessly about herself—her friends, her husband, her house, her lifestyle. The only time she mentioned Diane was to criticize.
“You’re fatter than I expected,” Erika said casually. “But don’t worry, we’ll fix that. A few salads and some exercise will do the trick.”
Diane bit her tongue. She wanted to scream, but instead she looked out the window, watching the Italian streets blur by.
When they arrived at her mother’s mansion, she was forced into a tight dress to have dinner with her stepfather—a serious-looking man who barely glanced her way.
“Nice to meet you,” he said politely. “Can you pass the salt?”
That was it.
The dinner felt endless. Erika acted like the perfect mom, laughing softly and calling Diane “sweetheart,” pretending they were close. Diane sat silently, wondering why she had come at all.
Then, halfway through dessert, her mother suddenly said, “Honey, you’ll be staying here from now on. You’ll have the best time! This city is so much better than our boring old town.”
Diane froze. “Wait—what? I thought this was just a visit! You said we’d talk about college.”
Erika shrugged, sipping her wine. “That makes no sense. You’re staying here. My husband always wanted kids, and since I can’t have any now… you’ll have to do.”
The words hit Diane like a slap.
So that’s why she wanted her back. Not because she missed her daughter—but because she needed someone to play “perfect family” for her husband.
That night, Diane pretended everything was fine. Then, the next morning, she smiled and said, “Mom, can you give me some money for a taxi? I want to explore downtown.”
Erika hesitated but handed her some bills, trying to look generous in front of her husband.
But Diane never went downtown. She went straight to the airport. She exchanged her ticket and got on the first flight home.
Hours later, she stepped through the familiar front door of Aunt Karina’s house.
“Sweetheart!” Karina gasped. “What are you doing here? Did something happen?”
Diane’s eyes filled with tears. “I couldn’t stay there. She doesn’t love me—she just wanted me to be her husband’s daughter because she can’t have kids.”
Uncle Roger put his arm around her. “Oh, honey. You know you always have a home here. We’re your family, and that’s never going to change.”
Diane hugged them both tightly. “You’re my parents,” she whispered. “And that’s all I need.”
From that day on, Diane never tried to contact her mother again. She realized that family isn’t about who gives birth to you—it’s about who stays.
What can we learn from this story?
- The people who stand by you are your real family. Diane’s aunt and uncle raised her with love and became her true parents.
- Trust your instincts. Diane’s heart knew her mother hadn’t changed, and in the end, she was right.
