Mary Lou never returned home. Over the next twelve years, Theresa received only one money transfer each year with the same message: “Mom, take care of yourself. I’m doing well.” Instead of reassuring her, the repeated words made her increasingly uneasy.
They spoke by video only once. Mary Lou looked familiar, but her expression seemed distant and distracted. Whenever Theresa asked why she never visited, she simply answered that she was too busy.
Although the money made life easier, Theresa remained deeply lonely, setting an empty place for her daughter every Christmas. After twelve years, she finally bought a ticket to South Korea without warning Mary Lou, determined to discover what “doing well” truly meant.
