I guess I had only myself to blame for that one. My mother always said I should become an actress. Maybe she’d been right.

Your father and I stayed together, despite his accusations. He loved the moral high ground and felt forever entitled to hold this over my head. I was no longer the damsel who needed rescuing, but the witch he felt compelled to punish. You can see why our marriage was doomed.

Anyway, your timing was a surprise. You came weeks early, and he was away on a business trip. But my mom kept making little jabs at me during labor. Stuff about how she knew the real reason Dan wasn’t there.

I couldn’t bring you into the world with that kind of negativity. I knew the truth. I’d told the truth. And I didn’t deserve those accusations.

You certainly didn’t.

I gave birth the same way I always raised you. Alone. Independent. And after the birth, I felt this rush of love unlike anything I’d ever felt before. More love than I’d ever felt for my parents or Kevin, Millie or even Dan. I was responsible for a whole human life and it felt crushing, scary and exhilarating all at once.

As these thoughts were swirling through my head, the oddest thing happened.

I looked out the doorway, as a heavily pregnant woman waddled by, clearly in labor and trying to move things along by walking. She glanced up at me. Our eyes met. With a pained expression she reached her hand up slightly to wave. I smiled and waved back.

It was Millie.

By the middle of that night, Dan still hadn’t arrived. Stuck on a layover in Chicago, I think. It was March, after all. He said the snow was forecast to continue through morning. At that point, I wasn’t sure when he’d be back. I was exhausted. I’d been awake for hours. Labor. Pushing. The high of holding this perfect sweet new being. Feeding. Baby crying. Finally, we both fell asleep. It wasn’t very long, but it was glorious.

I awoke to a noise. Someone in my room. At first, I assumed it was a nurse. But then I opened my eyes and saw Millie standing next to my hospital bed cradling a baby in her arms.

“Sorry I woke you,” she said. “I just wanted to introduce you to Bethany.”

I was so glad she’d sought me out. After seeing her in the doorway earlier, I’d been hoping I’d get a chance to see her. Groggy, I hoisted myself up to a seated position and waved away her apology.

I said, “Come meet my Amelia.”

I’ll never forget the smile on her face then.