It was early summer. She stepped outside the prison gates and breathed in the fresh air. “God, freedom!” Soon she would see her daughter, fall at Dr. Harper’s feet, and thank her for everything.
The lawyer had told her who hired him. Sophie couldn’t believe it. How could a stranger stand up for her just like that? On the bus riding down the country road, Sophie’s thoughts raced.
Yes, Dr. Harper helped her, but what next? She needed to restore her parental rights. But would child services return her child? She had a place to live, but no job. How would she work? What would she live on? Public assistance? But that still needed to be arranged.
And what if Dr. Harper didn’t want to give up Emma? Doubts and questions tormented the young mother. Finally, the familiar town appeared where she had given birth last spring. She knew Dr. Harper’s address from the letters.
After asking passersby for directions, she walked on. There stood the house, nestled among maple trees. Her daughter lived here now.
Sophie timidly opened the gate, walked along the path to the house, and suddenly heard Elizabeth’s voice from the porch. “My golden granddaughter, let’s go for a walk, get some fresh air, listen to the birds singing.” Elizabeth rolled the stroller onto the porch and, seeing her visitor, gasped.
“Sophie, you’re here. Why didn’t you tell me you’d been released today? I would have arranged a ride.” “I didn’t want to trouble you with such things,” Sophie answered tensely.
“Here I am. You won’t send me away?” “Never. My girl, come in, come in.”
“May I?” Sophie stepped toward the stroller. “Of course,” smiled Elizabeth. “Emma, your mother has arrived.”
Sophie leaned over the stroller and saw her girl for the first time after their long separation. She wanted so much to take her baby in her arms, to hold her to her heart, to kiss her fiercely, but Sophie hesitantly touched the girl’s hand, and then suddenly cried. “Sophie, what are you doing?” Elizabeth asked in surprise.
“I’m afraid to hold her. I’m tainted from prison, dirty, and I can’t wash it off. I can’t forget it,” whispered Sophie.
“My girl,” exclaimed Elizabeth, wrapping Sophie in her arms. “You are the purest in the world. Everything will be forgotten.”
“Believe me. The main thing is that you are together now.” They stood, embraced.
Sophie cried and thanked Elizabeth for her help, for the lawyer, for everything. The woman only held her tighter. The little girl watched them seriously from the stroller.
Finally, coming to their senses, they went into the house. There was no time for walks now. After a shower, Sophie held her baby close.
Emma, as if sensing her mother, smiled and cooed. Elizabeth watched them both adoringly. Mother and daughter together.
This was happiness. Yet the most serious conversation still lay ahead. Sophie hesitated for a long time before finally asking when Elizabeth could give her Emma.
“I’ll have to go to child services, go to Cincinnati, solve all the issues there,” she explained. “I need to register at the clinic, apply for assistance, settle the utility bills. Perhaps Emma could stay with you for a while.”
“Would you mind?” “Why do you have to go anywhere?” Elizabeth said. “Stay here.” “No, it’s not right.”
“I can’t take advantage of your kindness forever. I know you’re used to Emma. I even heard you call her granddaughter, but.”
“And she is my granddaughter,” Elizabeth said softly. “I don’t understand.”
“Sophie, you’re my daughter.” And Elizabeth began her story. Sophie listened, confused, blinking and shaking her head.
“You’re my mother? But why? Why is it like this? My father said you were dead. You abandoned me, didn’t you?” Sophie cried out.
“And you kept silent all this time.” “That’s why I kept silent. Because I knew this would be your first reaction,” Elizabeth said, her voice trembling.
“But I didn’t leave you. Your father deceived everyone. He separated us.”
“You didn’t even look for me.” “They told me you were abroad. I was sure you were doing well.”
“Then suddenly I saw you in the hospital, recognized you by your scar. Daughter, I didn’t betray you.” Sophie looked at Elizabeth with tear-filled eyes, then placed Emma in the crib and threw herself into her mother’s arms.
“My mommy, my dear, and I thought you would only be with me in dreams forever.” “Both in dreams and in reality, I will always be with you,” Elizabeth whispered, breathing in the scent of her daughter’s hair.
“With you and my granddaughter. I’m sorry you lived without me for so many years, suffered so much. We’ll fix everything. We’ll start again.”
“You’ll be happy for sure. We’ll be happy.” Sophie pulled away from her mother’s shoulder and looked into her eyes.
They both laughed through their tears, and from the crib, smiling toothlessly at them, lay their happiness—a daughter and a granddaughter. Now three dear hearts would beat side by side.