7 Years Lost

They moved closer to love their granddaughter. Someone made sure they couldn't.Alex and Darla thought the hardest part was over. After twenty years in the military and one move after another, they finally made the decision that mattered most: selling their home in Tuscaloosa and relocating to North Alabama to be closer to their son's family and their beloved granddaughter, Elizabeth. The invitations were warm, the messages were frequent, and for the first time in years, it felt like they were truly welcome.But something shifts behind closed doors. What begins as small slights and quiet distance slowly becomes an unbearable wall between Alex and Darla and the grandchild they adore.Despite every effort, every car full of groceries, every kickball game in the yard, and every gift chosen with care, the couple finds themselves pushed further and further to the margins of Elizabeth's life. Cultural divides, hidden agendas, and family loyalties they never anticipated conspire to sever a bond they believed was unbreakable.Now, on the eve of Elizabeth's eighteenth birthday, a scrapbook and a letter sit waiting in a lawyer's office. Seven lost years of love, longing, and silence have led to this moment. Will it be enough to reach her? 7 Years Lost is a powerful story of family, estrangement, and the fierce, quiet courage it takes to fight for a relationship the world seems determined to destroy.