There's somebody standing in the corner of my room.

Did you not hear me?
Let me say it again.

There is somebody standing in the corner of my room.

A blonde little girl sucking her thumb and staring back at me with these big brown eyes. She wears a ragged green dress that she held fisted in the hand that wasn't in her mouth.

"Hi," she muttered around her thumb. "Someone told me you could help me."

I stared back at her dumbstruck with my jaw on the floor. After I picked it up I asked, "Who exactly are you?"

"Don't you remember me?"

I shook my head. "How did you get in here?"

She smiled, "You left your door unlocked. You probably shouldn't do that. Bad people could sneak in and hurt you."

I rolled my eyes at the irony. "What do you need my help with?"

"You should already know. After all, you kinda are my mom. . ."

My eyes widened. "No. Out now." I pointed her to the door.

So my past had come to call. Great. Now I recognized her. The brown eyes were mine. The blonde hair was mine.

That look in her eyes was all his. And that was all it took to make me break down in tears right in front of my long forgotten daughter.