After everything was paid, I was left with just eight thousand dollars. It should have been enough to get me through the next few months, but it wasn’t. My focus shifted to the baby. The world had already taken so much from me. I was determined not to lose my child as well.
At my twenty-week anatomy scan, the technician’s silence caught my attention. She hovered over the same spot on the screen for far too long before excusing herself. She returned with Dr. Morrison, a physician I hadn’t met before. I knew something was wrong. I could feel it in the pit of my stomach.
Dr. Morrison’s expression was grave. He explained that they had detected a problem with the baby’s heart—a rare condition that would require immediate attention after birth. My heart dropped. I had already lost so much, and now it seemed like I was losing my child too. But there was a small glimmer of hope. They assured me that with the right care, my baby could survive. I just had to get through the next few months without further complications.
Chapter 3: The Dinner That Changed Everything
It was only a few months after Jason’s death when my mother called me and insisted I come to dinner at my sister Ariana’s house. I was reluctant—my grief still weighed heavily on me, and the thought of being around my family felt more like a chore than a comfort. But Ariana insisted. “Come, Mom. We’ll make his favorite dinner. It’ll be good for you.”
