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She nodded, looking around the room. I felt Ethan grip my hand tighter, and I knew he was asking if I was okay. I squeezed his hand back to let him know I was fine.
“I made a lot of mistakes, Lily, and I would like more than anything to fix those mistakes.” She stepped into the room. “I owe you a huge apology. There is no way I can turn back time, but I will work on being better now.”
I stared at my mother. For years, I had wanted nothing more than to hear those words leave her mouth. Now that I was hearing them, I felt a shift within my heart.
There was new life growing inside me, and I didn’t want my baby coming into a space filled with bitterness and resentment. I wanted my baby to be accustomed to love, and that started with me and my mother finally making peace.
“It’s okay, mom.”
I watched her shoulders sag in relief. The tears welled in her aged eyes, and for the first time, I saw the years on my mother’s face.
I stretched out my hand to her, and she walked into the room. She took my hand and came to my left side. This felt right. Looking around the room, it was filled with everyone that I loved and cared for.
For the first time in a long time, my heart felt at peace.
I looked to my right and saw the love of my life staring down at me with a smile so bright, I was so sure it could have been seen from space.
Now seemed a good as time as any. I squeezed Ethan’s hand letting him know.
I looked around the room. “I’m pregnant. It’s Ethan’s.”
“What?” They all said in unison.
Ethan and I laughed together, our hearts filled with joy and love. It had been such a whirlwind 48 hours. To think, yesterday we were at each other’s throats and now we were announcing pregnancies and laughing like we hadn’t just tried to disown one another.
But I guess that was what family was about. No matter how angry they made you or how bad they had screwed up, you would always find your back to one another.
After their initial shock wore off, I was swarmed with congratulatory hugs and kisses all around.
There were still a lot of things to figure out and a lot of broken roads to mend, but for the first time, I had hope for the future.
I had hope for Ethan and I. I knew that our baby would be born into a home filled with so much love. They would be born into a home that was kind of cracked and would be far from perfect but it would be filled with all the people that matter.
I had gone from being shattered to finally being whole.
*****
THE END
