The Lie She Told By Emma Robinson
‘Natalie, it’s mum. You need to come home. It’s your father…’ Clutching the phone, my hands shaking, my entire world tilts. For years I’ve run from a family secret which threatened to devastate us all. But with my darling father’s life on the line, I have to face the truth, whatever the cost.
Bursting through the hospital doors, I see my mother and sister waiting in the corridor, worry etched on their faces. Over the years I’ve grown apart from my sister Victoria. She married young and started a family. I chose a different path. I had no choice but to leave so that the rest of my family could be happy.
Gathering at my father’s bedside, I clutch Victoria’s hand like we’re little again. As we start to share our memories of the fun and loving home he created, he leans towards us, uttering words which will turn our world upside down: ‘You mustn’t blame your mother. It was never her fault.’
Victoria reassures me that it must be the medication, that he doesn’t know what he is saying. But I do. Years ago, I thought our mother had betrayed us in the worst possible way. But looking at the stranger standing next to her, I know they are part of the lie my parents were so desperate to hide. The lie I ran from. But if I tell the truth of what I know, will it destroy our lives forever?
My Sanctuary 