As I drove toward the hospital, a bundle of bright balloons bounced gently in the passenger seat beside me. I couldn’t stop smiling.
Today was the day I would finally bring my girls home.
I kept imagining Suzie’s reaction when she saw everything I had prepared. The nursery was ready, the house was spotless, and I’d even cooked a special dinner. On the mantle, I had framed photos from our pregnancy journey.
Suzie deserved every bit of that happiness after everything she had endured over the past nine months — the back pain, the morning sickness, and the endless parade of my mother’s unsolicited opinions.
To me, this day felt like the culmination of every dream we had built together.
I waved cheerfully at the nurses’ station as I hurried down the hallway toward Suzie’s room. But the moment I pushed the door open, I froze.
Inside the room, my daughters were sleeping peacefully in their bassinets.
