Chapter 127: An Unexpected Visitor

It was a quiet, serene morning at the gallery, the kind I had come to cherish. The gentle hum of the air conditioning and the soft rustling of visitors moving from one exhibit to another created a peaceful ambiance. I was in my office, going through some paperwork, when Marissa knocked on the door and peeked in. "Lily, there's someone here to see you," she said, her voice tinged with uncertainty. "Who is it?" I asked, looking up from my desk. "She says she's your mother." The words hit me like a freight train. My mother? We hadn't spoken in years, not since the fallout that had driven a wedge between us. I felt a knot form in my stomach as I stood up, my mind racing with a mix of emotions—anger, confusion, and a reluctant curiosity. "Send her in," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. Moments later, my mother walked in. She looked older than I remembered, with a few more gray hairs and lines etched on her face. Her eyes, though, were the same—soft and kind, with a hint of the st