“They left us. Everyone. My husband… he ran when I was five months pregnant. Took the car, the money, everything. Said he wasn’t made for this kind of life.”
The nurse listens as the woman swallows hard.
Tears roll down her cheeks.
“I couldn’t stand. Couldn’t feed them. Lily kept trying to wake me. She kept asking what to do. I don’t remember anything after that.”
The nurse’s heart breaks.
“She did everything she could,” the woman whispers. “Lily. She’s just a little girl… but she’s stronger than anyone I’ve ever known.”
Down the hall, Lily hears her name.
She looks up as the nurse returns and kneels beside her.
“Your mommy’s awake,” she says gently. “She’s going to be okay.”
Lily doesn’t speak, but a small sound escapes her throat—something between a sob and a sigh.
The nurse nods.
Continue reading…
