Emily had dreamed of this moment for years. After endless longing, her wish had finally come true—she had given birth to three beautiful daughters. Sophie, Lily, and Grace. Perfect in every way. She gazed at them, her heart swelling with love. Their tiny hands, their peaceful faces—it was all she had ever wanted.
But then, everything shattered.
Jack, her husband, stood by the hospital room door, looking like he’d seen a ghost. His face was pale, his hands stuffed into his pockets, and he wouldn’t even meet her eyes.
“Jack?” Emily’s voice was soft, inviting. “Come here. Look at them. They’re here, our girls.”
Jack hesitated but stepped closer. He looked down at them, but there was no warmth in his eyes. Just fear.
“Emily,” he finally said, voice low and strained. “I… I don’t think we can keep them.”
The words hit her like a slap. Her breath caught. “What?”
Jack clenched his jaw. “My mom… she went to a fortune teller.”
Emily blinked, not sure she’d heard right. “A fortune teller?”
“She said the babies… they’re cursed.” His voice shook. “That they’ll ruin my life… that I’ll die because of them.”
Emily’s heart pounded. “Jack, listen to yourself! They’re just babies!”
“My mom swears by her,” Jack mumbled. “She’s never been wrong before.”
Tears burned in Emily’s eyes, but her anger flared hotter. “You’re really saying you’re going to abandon your own daughters? Over a superstition?”
Jack flinched. “If you want to keep them… fine. But I won’t be there.”
Emily felt her world tilt. “If you walk out that door, Jack, don’t come back.”
His eyes flickered with guilt, but he turned, hesitated for only a second, then walked out. The door clicked shut behind him, and Emily sat frozen, staring at the space he had left behind. A nurse entered, saw Emily’s face, and gently squeezed her shoulder.
Emily looked down at her daughters, her vision blurred by tears. “I’m here, my loves. I will always be here.”
—
The days turned into weeks, and Emily’s new reality settled in. Taking care of three newborns alone was exhausting, but she had no choice. She barely slept, barely ate, but she gave her daughters everything she had. She refused to crumble.
One afternoon, Jack’s sister, Beth, visited. The only person from his family who had stuck around. But Emily could see something was weighing on her.
“Emily,” Beth said, voice hesitant. “I need to tell you something. It’s about my mom.”
Emily’s heart pounded. “What about her?”
Beth took a shaky breath. “I overheard her talking to Aunt Carol… she admitted something. Emily… there was no fortune teller.”
Silence. Emily felt the air leave her lungs. “What do you mean?”
Beth’s eyes filled with regret. “She made it all up. She was scared Jack would put you and the babies first and forget about her.”
Emily gripped the edge of the couch as fury surged through her. “She lied. She destroyed my family for nothing more than jealousy.”
Beth reached for her, but Emily stood, pacing. “I had to go through this alone, Beth. Jack left us. Because of her lies.”
Beth nodded, tears in her eyes. “I’m so sorry, Emily. I don’t think she ever meant for Jack to leave. But I thought you should know the truth.”
Emily didn’t sleep that night. She thought about confronting Jack’s mother, but more than anything, she wanted Jack to know the truth. Maybe—just maybe—he’d come back.
The next morning, she picked up her phone, her hands trembling as she dialed. The phone rang, each tone stretching out painfully. Then, he answered.
“Emily?”
“Jack, we need to talk.”
He sighed. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”
“There was no fortune teller,” Emily said firmly. “Your mother made it up.”
Silence. Then, a quiet chuckle—bitter, disbelieving. “That’s not true. My mom wouldn’t do that.”
“She admitted it to Carol. Beth heard her.”
Jack scoffed. “You don’t know her like I do. She wouldn’t lie.”
Emily gritted her teeth. “Why would I lie, Jack? Why would Beth lie? You abandoned us over a fairy tale.”
Another silence. Then a sigh. “I can’t do this, Emily.”
The call ended. Emily sat there, staring at the phone. He had made his choice. He was gone.
—
Weeks passed, then months. Emily adjusted to life as a single mother. It was hard, but her daughters gave her strength. Friends and family helped where they could, but she learned to rely on herself. And through the exhaustion, the loneliness, she felt something else, something powerful—love. Pure, unbreakable love for her daughters. They were all she needed.
Then, one day, a knock came at her door. She opened it, and there stood Jack’s mother, her face pale, eyes brimming with regret.
“Emily,” she said, voice shaking. “I… I didn’t mean for this to happen.”
Emily crossed her arms. “You lied. You convinced him his own children were cursed.”
Tears slid down the older woman’s cheeks. “I was afraid, Emily. Afraid he’d forget about me. I never thought he’d actually leave.”
Emily’s anger burned, but she kept her voice steady. “Well, he did.”
“I’m sorry.”
Emily stared at her for a long moment. Then, she shook her head. “I have nothing else to say to you.”
Jack’s mother nodded, then turned and walked away. Emily closed the door, exhaling a shaky breath.
—
One year later, Jack knocked on that same door.
Emily opened it and barely recognized the man before her. He looked hollow, like a ghost of the man she once loved.
“I made a mistake,” he said, voice raw. “I want to come back. I want to be with you and the girls.”
Emily held his gaze. For a moment, she thought about the past—the pain, the abandonment, the nights she cried alone, rocking their daughters to sleep. Then, she thought about the present. Her daughters laughing, their tiny hands in hers. The life she had built without him.
“I already have a family, Jack,” she said firmly. “You weren’t there when we needed you. We don’t need you now.”
Jack’s face crumbled, but Emily didn’t waver. She closed the door, locking out the past for good.
As she turned, she heard the soft giggles of Sophie, Lily, and Grace from the other room.
And for the first time in a long time, she smiled.
