After years of longing, Emily finally had beautiful triplet daughters. But the very next day, her husband aborted them, claiming the babies had been abused.
As I looked at my three daughters—Sophie, Lily, and Grace—my heart overflowed. They were miracles, perfect little blessings I had waited for through years of hope and prayer.
They lay asleep in their bassinets, peaceful and calm. I wiped a tear away, overwhelmed by my love for them.
Then Jack appeared. He had just come back from running errands, but something was wrong. His face was pale, and he avoided my eyes. He stayed near the door, as if unsure if he wanted to be in the room.
“Jack?” I said softly, patting the chair beside me. “Come sit. Look, they’re here. We made it.”
“Yeah… they’re beautiful,” he muttered without really looking. He moved closer but still wouldn’t meet my gaze.
“Jack, what’s going on? You’re frightening me,” I whispered shakily.
He took a deep breath and confessed, “Emily, I don’t think… I don’t think we can keep them.”
It felt like the ground gave way beneath me. “What?” I gasped. “Jack, those are our daughters!”
He winced and looked away, unable to face me. “My mom visited a fortune teller,” he said quietly.
I blinked in disbelief. “A fortune teller? Jack, you can’t be serious.”
He paused, voice trembling. “She said these babies, our girls… that they would bring bad luck. That they’d ruin my life and cause my death.”
I gasped, struggling to comprehend. “That’s madness, Jack. They’re just babies!”
He looked down, fear in his eyes. “My mom believes that fortune teller. She’s been right before but never this certain.”
A hot rage rose within me. “So you want to abandon them because of some silly prediction? Leave them behind?”
He hesitated, guilt and fear in his eyes. “If you want to bring them home, fine,” he whispered. “But I won’t be there. I’m sorry, Emily.”
I was stunned, voice breaking. “You’re serious? You’re leaving your daughters over some story your mother told you?”
He said nothing, shoulders slumped.
I tried to steady my breathing. “If you walk out that door, Jack, don’t come back. I won’t let you hurt our girls.”
He glanced at me one last time, torn, then turned and left, whispering “I’m sorry, Em,” as his footsteps faded.
I sat there, heart pounding, mind spinning. A nurse returned, gently placing a hand on my shoulder, offering silent comfort.
Looking at my babies, tears blurred my vision. “Don’t worry, girls,” I whispered, stroking each tiny head. “I’m here. Always.”
Holding them close, I felt a mix of fear and fierce resolve. I didn’t know how I’d manage alone, but I knew one thing: I would never abandon my daughters.
Weeks passed since Jack left, and each day alone with the newborns was harder than I imagined.
Some days, I barely held on, but I pushed forward for Sophie, Lily, and Grace. Despite the heartbreak, they were my world.
One afternoon, Beth, my sister-in-law, came to help. She was the only family member still in touch, and I hoped she might convince Jack to return. But that day, she looked troubled.
Biting her lip, she said, “Emily, I heard something. I’m not sure if I should say, but I can’t keep it to myself.”
My heart raced. “Please tell me.”
She sighed deeply. “I overheard Mom and Aunt Carol talking. There was no fortune teller.”
I froze. “No fortune teller?”
Beth looked at me sympathetically. “Mom made it up. She thought Jack would spend less time with her if he had triplets. She believed that by convincing him the girls would bring bad luck, he’d stay closer to her.”
My world spun. The rage was so fierce I had to put Grace down before my trembling hands gave me away.
“That woman,” I whispered angrily. “She destroyed my family for selfish reasons.”
Beth comforted me. “Emily, I’m sorry. She didn’t expect him to leave, but you deserve to know the truth.”
That night, sleep eluded me. Part of me wanted to confront my mother-in-law. But mostly, I wanted to tell Jack and hope he’d come back.
The next morning, I called him. My hands shook as the phone rang. Finally, he answered.
“Jack, it’s me,” I said firmly. “We need to talk.”
He sighed. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea, Emily.”
“Just listen,” I urged. “There was no fortune teller. Your mother lied.”
A long silence followed. Then he said quietly but skeptically, “Emily, I disagree. My mom wouldn’t lie about something so serious.”
“She did, Jack,” I said, anger rising. “She told Carol, and Beth overheard. She lied because she didn’t want to lose you.”
He scoffed bitterly. “Look, Em, that fortune teller was right before. I know her better than you. My mom wouldn’t lie about this.”
I pressed on despite my sinking heart. “Jack, why lie? These are your daughters. Can you really abandon them over this?”
Finally, he sighed, refusing to respond. “Emily, I’m sorry. I can’t.”
The line went dead. I stared at the phone, knowing he’d made his choice. He was gone.
In the weeks that followed, I struggled to adjust to life as a single mom. Feeding, diaper changes, and heartbreak were daily challenges.
But slowly, things shifted. Friends and family brought meals and helped with the babies. I found joy in every smile, coo, and tiny hand holding mine, almost forgetting Jack’s absence.
Weeks later, there was a knock at the door. I opened it to see Jack’s mother, pale and full of sorrow.
“Emily,” she said, trembling. “I never meant for this to happen.”
I crossed my arms, steady but furious. “He was lied to. You convinced him his own kids were bad luck.”
Tears streamed down her face. “I was scared. I thought he’d ignore me if he had the triplets. I never thought he’d leave.”
My anger softened only slightly. “Your fear destroyed my family.”
She hung her head. “I’m so sorry.”
I looked past her to my sleeping girls. “I have nothing more to say.”
She left, and I closed the door, feeling both relief and sorrow.
A year later, Jack appeared at my door, a shadow of the man I once loved. He begged to come back, to be a family again after realizing his mistake.
But I knew better now. Looking him in the eye, I shook my head. “Jack, I have a family. You were gone when we needed you. I don’t need you.”
A weight lifted as I closed the door. I didn’t ruin his life or our girls’. He did that himself.
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