Chapter 6

From that day on, my life was split in two.

Half of me belonged to Riverton, buried under years of silence and grief.

The other half belonged to my children—the hopeful, reborn woman I was becoming.

I held the ultrasound printout and went back to my small, warm rented apartment.

I placed it carefully beside my mother's photo.

In the picture, my mother wore a soft smile.

It felt as if she was happy for me.

I sat by the window, hand on my belly, lost in thought all afternoon.

I watched the sunlight slowly shift across the room.

And I felt the frozen loneliness inside me slowly thaw.

I stopped thinking about Julian, about the marriage that had failed before it ever truly began, about the betrayals and the wounds that had once felt like they would tear me apart.

All I could see, all I could feel, were these two little lives growing inside me.

They were my everything, the only thing that made getting up each morning worth it.

From that day, I prepared for motherhood by planning, changing habits, and considering my babies' needs.

I resigned from my comfortable job at the library.

I needed a better-paying, flexible job to support our family and secure our future.

I had studied interior design in college.

After graduation, I left interior design to become a full-time housewife and care for Julian.

Now, I was determined to reclaim it.

I used my last savings to buy a secondhand laptop.

Then I registered an account online and began picking up whatever small jobs.

At first, it was tough.

I had no name or portfolio, just scraping by with low-paid jobs.

Sometimes that meant sketching floor plans or basic decor ideas.

There were nights I'd stay up until dawn, all for a gig that barely covered a meal.

The early days of pregnancy were brutal for me.

I vomited everything I ate, and even food smells made me feel sick.

But I couldn't let myself slow down.

If I stopped, my mind would spiral—fear and panic closing in from all sides.

Fear drove me forward, the constant worry that I wouldn't be enough for them pushing me to work harder than I ever had.

I kept sketching, messaging clients, and hustling for every dollar.

When exhausted to collapse, I'd touch my belly, hoping for life.

I felt their tiny lives growing stronger inside me daily. That bond gave me strength.

Maggie, my landlady, was a warm-hearted retired teacher.

She saw me—a young girl, pale as a ghost and always fighting off nausea.

She figured I must be seriously sick.

So she often brought homemade, light, tasty dishes to help me feel better.

"Rosalind, it's hard getting by on your own. If you ever need anything, just tell me. Don't carry it all by yourself," Maggie said.

Her kindness melted the loneliness in my heart.

In this strange city, I finally felt family for the first time.

After much thought, I finally told Maggie what was really wrong.

I told her I was divorced and living alone and that I was pregnant with twins.

Maggie just stared at me for a long while, completely stunned.

Her eyes grew red with emotion as she looked at me.

She didn't ask why he'd done what he did.

And she just walked over and gently wrapped her arms around me.

"Oh, sweetheart, you've been through so much.

"It's okay, it's all in the past now.

"I'm your family now—the one you can always count on.

"I'll help you raise them every step."

I broke down, burying my face in her shoulder and crying.

All the pain and fear I'd held for months spilled out in sobs.

I felt relieved and clear, as if a weight had lifted from my heart.

I knew I wasn't alone anymore.

Life was slowly getting back to normal.

Word spread about my unique, detailed designs, gaining community attention.

More and more folks started hitting me up for custom projects.

My income began to settle into a steady rhythm.

I started getting things ready for the babies.

I chose everything myself—the tiny clothes, the tiny shoes, the tiny bottles that would one day fit in their small hands.

I spread everything across the bed and pictured my children wearing them.

Seeing that, I couldn't help but smile.

Every night at bedtime, I'd tell them stories.

I spoke softly, my voice gentle as a whisper. "Babies, grow strong and sweet, okay?

"The world out there is huge and beautiful.

"I'll show you the sea, flowers, and brightest stars.

"I'll give you all the love in my heart. I love you."

I wasn't sure if they could really hear me.

But I knew the bond between us was stronger than anything.

They could feel the love overflowing from my heart.

I never thought about Julian again.

He was just dust in my life.

With a single breeze, he vanished.

My world was all sunshine, with no more gloom.

The peaceful days didn't last for long.

At five months pregnant, I suddenly started bleeding.

That night, a sharp pain woke me.

I switched on the light and saw the sheets stained with a large bloodstain.

The vivid red burned my eyes, pounding my heart with fear.

Panic seized me instantly, leaving me breathless.

I was terrified. Truly terrified.

I feared losing my babies again.

I never wanted to feel that emptiness again.

My hands and feet were ice-cold, and I was shivering.

I forced myself up and reached for my phone.

But I couldn't even steady myself on my feet.

"Maggie..." I cried, trembling with fear.

I pounded on the wall, desperately calling for Maggie next door.

Luckily, Maggie heard my cries immediately.

She burst in, nearly frozen by the blood.

"Rosalind! Are you okay? Don't panic, I'm here!

She reassured me while quickly calling an ambulance.

The ambulance arrived almost before I realized it.

As they lifted me onto the stretcher, my vision blurred and I lost consciousness.

I clung to Maggie's hand, murmuring anxiously.

"Please, you have to save my babies..."

When I woke, the same nauseating disinfectant smell filled the air.

I was lying in a hospital bed, with an IV hooked up to my arm.

Daylight was already pouring in through the window.