Pain. The manipulative devil that haunts and mocks the human race. It leaves them engulfed in anguish, helpless and alone. Sometimes it’s hidden in the shadows, mentally torturing you without your realisation, yet sometimes it’s right in your face infecting the empty crevices of your mind, and all you can do is let it drag you down because that’s all anyone can do, just sit and wait.

Nothing could bring me to giving up my most precious memory. Nothing. Yet there I was, rereading the same few words over and over, contemplating whether I should make my biggest sacrifice. I had too. I knew I had too. But so few happy memories filled the vacancies in my mind. If I gave up this memory, I would tip into insanity, if I gave up… her, everyone else would come with me, I couldn’t bring everyone with me. I thought of her precious memory one last time, before it was extinguished…

The pain I felt after that day clung to me, growing bigger and bigger until I was enveloped in my own torment. I was left with an abundant fear, a sorrow that lingered in the back of my mind, yet I was oblivious to the cause.

I sat at the kitchen table holding a letter in my hand. Each word left me more and more befuddled.

Dear Michael,

Thank you! You have made the greatest sacrifice. Our daughter is back home and safe. They didn’t hurt her. Maybe you should see her again. I mean the last time you saw her was in the delivery room when I gave birth to her! Then you left us. Alone. Come visit sometime! I would love to see you again!

Love from Ivy

P.S want to grab some coffee sometime?

I stared at the letter. My eyes flicking from one word to the next. I grabbed a piece of paper and scrawled down 2 words, then sent it away. After that, I returned to my throbbing desolation…

I received a letter in the mail. I recognised the handwriting immediately. Michael.

Two words were scrawled on the page, almost illegible. It took me only a second to read them. It took me an hour to understand what they meant. He really had given up everything to save our daughter. He’d given away his happiest memory. I didn’t realise I was crying until a tear tumble into the corner of my mouth. Those two words changed everything. Those two words: “what daughter?”…