Once upon a time I had a son, as familiar to me as my own hands.

For years, his sweet face betrayed nothing about his struggles.

One day he left unannounced and upon his return two years later, he was no longer my son.

Please smile. I gained a daughter.

Claire Polders is a Dutch author writing short prose in English. More of her work can be found at clairepolders.com. She likes it when readers say “hello” to her on Twitter.