Chapter 18: The Cost of Love
Emily stood there, frozen, as the other mother cradled the baby in her arms. She could still feel the warmth of the tiny body, the soft weight of the child, even though she was no longer the one holding her. The room around her seemed to grow smaller, as if the walls were closing in on her, and she had to force herself to breathe. Every inch of her wanted to run, to reach out, to take the baby back into her arms, but she didn’t. She couldn’t.
The woman—the other mother—was gently rocking the baby, her face filled with a tenderness that made Emily’s heart ache. She was finally holding her daughter, the one she had lost. And Emily? She was the one giving up, the one who had to walk away. Her heart twisted in ways she didn’t know were possible.
She had done what was right, what had to be done. But it felt like betrayal. The love she had poured into this child, the sleepless nights, the late-night feedings, the laughter and tears—all of it seemed to vanish in an instant as the other mother looked up at her with grateful eyes. The woman mouthed the words “Thank you,” but they only seemed to echo in the distance, as if they belonged to someone else.
Emily couldn’t respond. The words were stuck in her throat. You’re welcome, she wanted to say, but what could that mean? Could she really be grateful for this moment? Could she really walk away from the only family she had ever known?
The man, standing behind the woman, placed a gentle hand on Emily’s shoulder. “We’ll take good care of her,” he said, his voice steady but filled with emotion. “We’ll make sure she knows about you, about everything you’ve done for her.”
Emily nodded stiffly, her heart pounding in her chest. She didn’t know if she could hear those words without breaking. It felt like a small comfort, but one that wasn’t enough to ease the gaping hole inside her. She didn’t know if anything would ever feel like enough again.
“I’ll go,” Emily whispered, her voice shaking. “I’ll leave you to your family.”
As she turned to walk away, her feet felt as if they were made of lead, every step a reminder that the life she had known, the life she had built with this child, was over. She stepped out of the house, into the cool air, and for a brief moment, she felt the weight of the world pressing down on her shoulders.
She had made the choice. But as she walked away, she realized that it wasn’t just the baby she had lost. It was James too. Everything had slipped through her fingers in the span of a few days, and now, she didn’t know where to go or what to do next.
To be continued…
What will Emily do now that her world has changed forever? Can she rebuild her life, or is it too late? Find out in Chapter 19.