Not Every Absent Adult Child Is CruelAsk Darling NikkiFeb 09, 2026∙ Paid11ShareThere’s a familiar story we tell ourselves about aging parents and adult children.It usually goes like this:If a child truly loved their parent, they would show up.If they didn’t show up, something must be wrong with them.This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.SubscribeBut that sto…Continue reading this post for free, courtesy of Ask Darling Nikki.Claim my free postOr purchase a paid subscription.