Chapter 15: The Last Chance
Emily could hear the quiet hum of the baby monitor in the background, but it felt like an eternity between the moments when she could breathe. Every corner of the house seemed to close in on her as the weight of the decision crushed her chest. The time for decisions had come, and Emily could no longer put off the inevitable. The phone calls from the other family had been relentless, each one a reminder of the decision she had yet to make, a decision that would change everything.
She stood by the crib, looking down at the baby, who was still peacefully sleeping, blissfully unaware of the storm that had been brewing around her. Emily’s heart tightened. This child, who had looked up at her with wide eyes and filled her life with warmth, was not hers by blood, and yet—she was hers in every way that mattered. Wasn’t that what being a mother meant? It was the love, the bond, the care, the sleepless nights and the laughter shared over bottles and diapers. It was the moments of joy and frustration that came with raising a child.
But now, the truth was there. And with it, the other family stood at the precipice of a reunion they had waited for. Emily’s mind raced. Was it fair to keep her? Was it right to keep a child that was biologically someone else’s, even though she had been everything to Emily for months?
The phone rang again, snapping Emily out of her thoughts. She stared at the screen, the familiar number appearing once more. The other family. She hesitated for a long moment before answering.
“Hello?” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Emily,” the woman’s voice on the other end was filled with uncertainty, but also the unmistakable sound of hope. “We just wanted to check in. We’re still waiting for your call. We know this is hard, but… we need to know where we stand.”
Emily felt a sharp pang in her chest. The woman wasn’t demanding, wasn’t angry. But Emily could hear the desperation in her tone. This is her daughter, the woman was saying in every word unspoken. And Emily felt like a thief, holding onto something that didn’t belong to her.
“I just… I need more time,” Emily said, though she knew the truth—there was no more time. The decision had already been made for her.
The silence on the other end of the line was palpable. The woman sighed deeply. “We understand. But Emily, time is something we don’t have. We’re ready to begin, and we just need you to make the decision. We don’t want to rush you, but this can’t go on forever.”
Emily’s throat tightened as she closed her eyes. This was it.
She stood there for a long moment, the weight of her own breath filling her ears.
And then she spoke, her voice barely audible: “I’ll come by tomorrow. We’ll meet.”
To be continued…
What will happen when Emily meets the other family? Will she be able to let go? Find out in Chapter 16.