Emily’s goal of having gorgeous triplet kids finally came true after years of longing. However, her husband left them a day later, saying the babies were cursed. My heart swelled as I gazed down at my three young daughters. Grace, Lily, and Sophie were all flawless; they were all miracles. I had been praying, hoping, and waiting for them for years.
And suddenly here they were, their little faces so serene, sleeping in their bassinets. I was so overcome by how much I already loved them that I wiped a tear from my cheek. However, when I looked up, Jack was there. After returning from a run of errands, he noticed a problem. He appeared pallid. He refused to approach and his eyes refused to contact mine. As though he wasn’t sure he wanted to be in the same room, he simply stood at the door.
Jack? I patted the chair next to my bed and murmured quietly. “Come sit with me. They’re here, look at them. We succeeded. “Yeah,” Jack muttered, hardly looking at the girls, “they’re gorgeous.” Despite his slight approach, he refused to meet my gaze. “Jack,” I replied, trembling, “what’s happening? I’m afraid of you.
After inhaling deeply, he exclaimed, “Emily, I don’t think We can’t keep them, in my opinion. The ground seemed to have fallen away from me. “What?” I suffocated. “What are you talking about, Jack? We call them our daughters! As if he couldn’t bear to see my face, he winced and turned away. “My mother… His voice was hardly audible above a whisper when he said, “She went to see a fortune teller.” Uncertain if I had heard him correctly, I blinked. “A teller of fortune? You can’t be serious, Jack. “These babies… our girls,” she remarked. His voice wavered as he paused. She predicted that they would only bring misfortune. that they would cause me to die and ruin my life. As I tried to comprehend what he was saying, I gasped and stared at him. That’s crazy, Jack. They are still infants! His expression was filled with anxiety as he peered down. My mother is a firm believer in this fortune teller. She has previously been correct, and she has never been so certain of anything. Anger rose in me, sharp and burning. “So you want to leave them because of some absurd prediction? Simply leave them here. He paused, staring at me with a mixture of shame and terror. His voice was hardly audible above a whisper as he said, “If you want to bring them home… fine.” However, I won’t be present. I apologize, Emily. I tried to think about what he had said as I looked at him, but all I could feel was shock. “Are you serious, aren’t you?” My voice cracked. “You’re planning to distance yourself from your daughters due to a story your mother heard?” He remained silent. His shoulders drooped as he gazed downward. Trying to keep myself together, I took a trembling breath. “Jack,” I muttered, “you don’t return if you leave that door. I will not allow you to harm our girls in this way. His face was torn as he gave me one final glance before turning and heading for the door. “I… He replied softly, “I’m sorry, Em,” and walked out, his footsteps resonating down the corridor. My mind was racing and my pulse was thumping as I sat there and stared at the vacant doorway. As I gathered my belongings, a nurse returned, noticed my face, and placed a hand on my shoulder, providing wordless consolation. Tears clouded my vision as I gazed down at my babies. I stroked each little head and whispered, “Don’t worry, girls.” “I’m present. I’ll be here forever. I felt a mixture of fear and intense determination developing inside me as I hugged them close. I was unsure of how I would manage on my own, but I was certain that I would never abandon my girls. Never. Jack had been gone for a few weeks, and I had not anticipated how difficult each day would be without him. It was too much to handle with three newborns. I persevered for Sophie, Lily, and Grace even though there were days when I thought I was barely hanging on. Despite how devastating Jack’s abandonment was, I realized I had to put them first since they were suddenly my entire world. My sister-in-law, Beth, came over one day to assist with the babies. Since she was the only member of Jack’s family who was open to keeping in contact, I accepted in the hopes that she would persuade Jack to return. I could tell she was upset about something that day. Beth bit her lip as she gave me a distressed look. “I heard something, Emily. I can’t keep it to myself, but I’m not sure if I should tell you. My heart was racing. “Just let me know.” She inhaled deeply and sighed. I heard Mom conversing with Aunt Carol. There wasn’t a fortune teller, she admitted. I went cold. “You mean there isn’t a fortune teller?” Beth’s eyes grew pity-filled.
“Mom made it up.” Jack will have less time for her now that he had triplets, she feared. She reasoned that he would remain with her if she could persuade him that the females would bring misfortune. It seemed as though the room was spinning. What I was hearing was unbelievable. I was so furious that I had to set Grace down before my trembling hands betrayed me. I muttered, my voice heavy with anger, “That woman.” “She destroyed my family because she was self-centered.” Beth touched my shoulder reassuringly. “Emily, I sincerely apologize. She probably didn’t know he would abandon you in this manner, but I believed you ought to be aware of the reality. I didn’t get any sleep that evening. There was a part of me that wanted to confront my mother-in-law and force her to acknowledge her actions. A part of me, however, wanted to get in touch with Jack, be honest with him, and hope he would return. The following morning, I gave Jack a ring. As I dialed, my hands shook and each ring grew longer than the one before it. At last, he responded. “It’s me, Jack,” I said steadily. “We must have a conversation.” He let out a sigh. “I’m not sure if that’s a good idea, Emily.” “Just pay attention,” I urged, trying not to tremble. “Jack, there was no fortune teller. It was all made up by your mother. A protracted hush ensued. Then, in a cool but contemptuous tone, he spoke. “I don’t think so, Emily. Something so severe would never be made up by my mother. “She did, Jack,” I murmured, my rage rising. She told Carol about it. She was heard by Beth. She was scared of losing you, so she lied to you. The sound of his scoffed was harsh and painful. That fortune teller has been right before, Em. I know her better than you do. When it came to something this significant, my mother would never lie. My heart sank, but I made myself continue. “Please, Jack, consider it. Why would I tell lies? These are your daughters, your family. How could you simply leave them for something like this? After he didn’t respond, I eventually heard him sigh. “I apologize, Emily. I am unable to do this. The line died. I realized he had made up his mind as I looked at the phone. He had left. I tried my best to adjust to being a single mother in the weeks that followed. Managing diapers, feedings, and my own sadness over the life I believed I would have with Jack made every day difficult. However, things started to shift gradually. In order to help, friends and family brought food and held the babies while I slept. My affection for Sophie, Lily, and Grace only deepened over this time. Every smile, small coo, and tiny hand around my finger brought me such delight that it nearly made the agony of Jack’s absence go away. A knock on my door came a few weeks later. Jack’s mother was standing there when I opened it. Her eyes were filled with regret, and her face was pallid. “Emily,” she said in a trembling voice. “I didn’t intend for any of this to occur.” I crossed my arms and tried to remain calm. “You misled him. You persuaded him that his own offspring were a curse. She nodded, her eyes welling with tears. “Emily, I was terrified. I considered… If he had you and the girls, I assumed he would forget about me. I never imagined that he would truly go. My rage subsided, but not significantly. “Your fear caused my family to fall apart.” She crumpled her face as she gazed down. “I understand. And I really apologize. For a brief moment, I observed her, but my thoughts were already focused on my girls, who were sleeping in the adjacent room. “There is nothing more I can say to you.” I closed the door after she departed, feeling an odd mixture of regret and relief. Jack appeared at my door a year later, resembling the ghost of the man I had once loved. He begged to return, to be with us, to be a family once more, stating he had finally recognized his error. But now I knew better. I shook my head and met his eyes directly. “Jack, I already have a family. When we needed you, you weren’t there. Right now, I don’t need you. A weight lifted when I shut the door. Ultimately, neither our daughters nor I were responsible for ruining his life. He completed it on his own.
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