“One morning, my husband hurried off to work, leaving me with the responsibility of taking our baby, Maxim, out for a stroll. It was a beautiful day, and we decided to head to the nearby park for some fresh air and sunshine. To my surprise, as we arrived, we found the park nearly deserted, save for a young woman who was engrossed in play with her one-year-old baby.”
Watching the little one taking his first unsteady steps on the pavement brought a smile to my face, as I couldn’t help but imagine Maxim doing the same when he reached that age. As I observed from a distance, the young mother noticed me and our eyes met. She approached me and greeted me with familiarity, saying, “Svitlana, hello. I’m so glad to see you.”
I was taken aback because I had no recollection of ever meeting this woman before. “I’m sorry,” I replied, feeling utterly bewildered, “but I don’t know you.”
With a warm smile, she explained, “You probably don’t remember me. We were both at the same hospital a little over a year ago. You saved my life back then.”
“Oh, Olena, dear, you’ve changed so much,” I exclaimed, genuinely amazed. “And what a wonderful child you have.” We engaged in conversation for a while, and as she left, memories flooded back to me.
I recalled a time when I had experienced my first miscarriage and was placed in a room with expectant mothers, Olena included. At that time, she was determined to give her baby away to an orphanage and refused to care for her own child.
I struck up a conversation with her, learning that she had unintentionally become pregnant at the tender age of 17. The baby’s father had disappeared, and her parents had threatened to disown her and the baby if she brought them home.
During one of her parents’ visits to the hospital, I seized the opportunity to intervene. I persuaded my sister to bring her own baby to the hospital to showcase the grandchild to Olena’s parents, hoping their hearts would soften upon seeing the child. And that’s precisely what happened. The grandfather held his grandson, exclaiming, “He looks just like me!” They decided to take the baby home.
Now, Olena had found a loving partner who accepted her and her child. Her parents couldn’t have been happier with their grandchild. After my miscarriage, I became pregnant again within three months because I had been ready to adopt Olena’s son if she had chosen to give him up.
I’m grateful that everything worked out well for both of us, and our paths had intersected once more, filled with stories of resilience, love, and new beginnings.
