“You can’t do this!”

“If I don’t do it, they’ll have no one. Look at me Joseph, I’m dying.”

Laying in bed staring out the windows, she just couldn’t believe that things turned out this way. She always knew a time would come for her to be separated from her babies but she thought it’d be death in her old age. Her lifelong dream was to be a mom. It was her inexplicable craving. Joseph gazed at her. He could see how much she’d changed. The illness had taken its toll on her. Her skin was so pale and her formerly lush hair was gone. She was bald now and her eyes were sunken.

He couldn’t believe she was considering contacting that girl. It had been years since the incident. He really wished he could take the children but his schedule won’t afford them the care and attention they needed.

“If you do it, you’ll have a lawsuit on your hands, Jane.”

“I’ll be dead by then.” , she joked.

He scowled and left. The consequences of her actions years ago to realize her dream of being a mother were about to hit them like a tsunami. But she wouldn’t be here to sort through it. Heck, if she was going to be around much longer, there wouldn’t be any reason to contact Kara Miller. She was just a child when they’d met. The girl would not remember the meeting because of that procedure they did on her. Avery and Liam were a constant reminder of her crime because that’s what it was. In order to get them, she had to do something illegal but she regrets nothing. The past decade had been so fulfilling. She’d felt love and given love. That’s what she built their home on. Ernest should have lived to see how amazing their children turned out. A blast of the bus honk jostled her back to reality. Avery and Liam were back from school. She tried to clean up so she could look well enough.

“Mom!”,Liam screamed as they burst into the room with energy only ten-year-olds could have. Her heart soared as she listened to the tales from their school day. Their animated faces as they spoke warmed her heart and momentarily relieved her of the pain in her body. What does the future hold for them she pondered? Their whole life is about to be turned upside down and they had no idea. “Lord, help us”, she whispered.