After my mother left, I was placed into foster care. Initially with the Wests, I soon moved permanently with Mrs. Rose Collier in Manchester. Despite being different from her own children, I felt loved and valued in the Colliers’ bustling home. The community was diverse and mostly accepting, providing a backdrop for a childhood filled with simple joys and communal living. My foster family’s support was constant, though I always wondered about my mother and why she never returned.