Emily had waited so long for this moment. After years of longing, hoping, and praying, her dream had finally come true. She had given birth to three beautiful baby girls. As she gazed down at them, her heart felt like it might burst from the love she already had for them. Sophie, Lily, and Grace—her miracles, her everything.
They lay sleeping in their bassinets, their tiny chests rising and falling in peaceful rhythm. Emily wiped away a tear and let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.
Then she looked up and saw Jack, her husband, standing by the door. Something was wrong. He looked pale. His hands were clenched into fists, and his eyes darted away every time she tried to meet his gaze. He wouldn’t even step closer to the babies.
“Jack?” she said softly, patting the chair beside her hospital bed. “Come here. Look at them. They’re finally here. We did it.”
Jack hesitated before forcing a small nod. “Yeah… they’re beautiful,” he mumbled. But his voice was flat, and he barely glanced at the girls. He took a step forward, but still, he wouldn’t sit, wouldn’t touch them.
Emily’s stomach twisted. “Jack,” she said again, this time her voice unsteady. “What’s wrong? You’re scaring me.”
Jack took a deep breath, as if trying to gather the courage to speak. Then the words spilled out. “Emily, I don’t think… I don’t think we can keep them.”
The room seemed to spin. “What?” Her voice cracked. “Jack, what are you saying? They’re our daughters!”
Jack squeezed his eyes shut like he wanted to block out her words. “My mom… she went to see a fortune teller,” he whispered, barely loud enough to hear.
Emily blinked. “A fortune teller?” she repeated, disbelief creeping into her voice. “Jack, that’s ridiculous.”
Jack ran a hand through his hair, his movements frantic. “She said—she said these babies…” His voice wavered. “She said they’d bring bad luck. That they’d ruin my life. That they’d be the reason I—” He stopped, unable to finish the sentence.
Emily’s heart pounded. “You think our daughters are cursed? Because some stranger told your mother that?”
Jack looked away, guilt all over his face. “She’s been right before, Em. About other things. My mom swears by her.” His voice shook, but there was something firm beneath it. He really believed it.
Anger surged in Emily’s chest. “So what? You’re just going to leave them? Leave us?”
Jack flinched. “If you want to bring them home, fine,” he murmured. “But I won’t be there. I’m sorry, Emily.”
Emily stared at him, her whole body trembling. “You’re serious,” she whispered. “You’re actually walking away from your own children?”
Jack couldn’t look at her.
She swallowed back tears, forcing herself to stay strong. “If you walk out that door, Jack, you don’t come back. You don’t get to change your mind.”
Jack looked at her one last time, his expression twisted with something close to regret. Then, without another word, he turned and walked away.
Emily sat frozen, her world crashing down around her. A nurse walked in, saw her face, and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.
Emily barely noticed. She could only look at her daughters, tiny and innocent, who had just been abandoned by their father. She reached out and stroked their delicate heads.
“Don’t worry, girls,” she whispered. “I’m here. I will always be here.”
—
The days that followed were some of the hardest Emily had ever faced. Taking care of three newborns alone was exhausting, overwhelming. She barely slept, barely ate. Some nights, she sat in the rocking chair with tears streaming down her face, wondering how she was going to do this on her own.
But then, Sophie would give a tiny yawn, or Lily would curl her fingers around hers, or Grace would let out the softest coo, and Emily knew—she would never give up on them.
One afternoon, Beth, Jack’s sister, stopped by. She was the only one from his family who still talked to Emily. Maybe, Emily thought, Beth could convince Jack to come back. But as soon as Beth walked in, Emily could tell something was wrong. She looked nervous, her hands twisting together.
“Emily,” Beth said hesitantly. “There’s something you need to know.”
Emily put Grace down in her crib. “What is it?”
Beth sighed, her face full of guilt. “I overheard Mom talking to Aunt Carol. She admitted something.” She hesitated before finally saying it: “There was no fortune teller.”
Emily’s breath caught. “What?”
Beth’s eyes filled with sympathy. “She made it up. Mom was afraid that with three babies, Jack wouldn’t have time for her anymore. She thought… if she convinced him the girls were bad luck, he’d stay close to her instead.”
Emily felt a wave of fury rise inside her. Her hands clenched into fists. “She destroyed my family for her own selfish reasons.”
Beth nodded sadly. “I’m so sorry, Emily. I don’t think she realized it would go this far. But I had to tell you.”
That night, Emily barely slept. The anger and betrayal burned inside her. Should she confront Jack? Tell him the truth? Would it even matter?
The next morning, she picked up the phone and called him. Her hands trembled as she listened to the rings. Finally, he answered.
“Jack, it’s me,” she said, forcing her voice to stay calm. “We need to talk.”
“Emily… I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Just listen!” she snapped. “There was no fortune teller, Jack. Your mother lied. She made it all up because she didn’t want to lose you.”
There was silence on the line. Then Jack let out a bitter laugh. “Emily, my mom wouldn’t lie about something like this.”
“She did, Jack. Beth heard her admit it. She tricked you into leaving us.”
Another long pause. Then, a heavy sigh. “I’m sorry, Emily. I can’t do this.”
And then the line went dead.
Emily stared at the phone, numb. He was really gone.
—
Weeks passed. Slowly, Emily adjusted to life as a single mother. Friends and family stepped in to help. And through it all, her love for Sophie, Lily, and Grace grew stronger. Their little smiles, their tiny hands grasping hers—they were all she needed.
Then, one day, there was a knock at the door. Emily opened it to find Jack’s mother standing there, her face pale, eyes filled with regret.
“Emily,” she said, her voice shaking. “I… I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.”
Emily crossed her arms. “You lied. You convinced Jack that his own children were a curse.”
Tears rolled down the older woman’s face. “I was afraid. I thought if he had you and the girls, he’d forget about me. I never thought he’d actually leave.”
Emily shook her head, anger still burning inside her. “Your fear tore my family apart.”
Jack’s mother sobbed. “I know. And I am so, so sorry.”
Emily said nothing. She didn’t have to. Her daughters were safe. That was all that mattered.
—
A year later, Jack showed up at her door. He looked exhausted, broken. “Emily,” he pleaded, “I made a mistake. I want to come back.”
Emily met his gaze, unwavering. “I already have a family, Jack. You weren’t there when we needed you. We don’t need you now.”
And as she closed the door, she felt lighter. Jack had made his choice. And she had made hers.
