Aurora lay back on the soft bed, her body still weak but her mind restless. The room was quiet, but her thoughts were loud. She stared at the ceiling, her hand resting gently on her growing belly. She let out a soft sigh, her fingers absentmindedly rubbing circles over her stomach.
“Mom…” she whispered into the silence, her voice trembling slightly. “Where are you now? Are you even alive?”
Her chest tightened as the memories of her mother filled her mind. She remembered her as a strong woman, always trying to shield her from the harshness of life. But she also remembered the coldness, the pain of being abandoned and sold.
“Do you regret it, Mom?” Aurora asked softly, her voice barely above a whisper. “Do you ever think about me? Or am I just a mistake you’d rather forget?”
Tears pricked the corners of her eyes, but she blinked them away. She wasn’t sure if she wanted answers to those questions. What if her mother had moved on, living a new life, forgetting all about her? That thought hurt more than anything.
Her hand pressed more firmly against her belly, and she looked down at the small bump. “You won’t have to go through that,” she murmured, her voice full of determination. “I won’t let you feel unwanted or unloved. You’ll have everything I never had.”
She let out a shaky breath, her mind shifting to the mysterious man Damian had mentioned earlier-the one who claimed to be her father.
“My father…” she said the words out loud, testing how they felt. They sounded foreign to her ears. She had never thought about her father much as a child; he was just a shadow, a figure who had vanished before she was even born.
Her brows furrowed as questions swirled in her mind. “What does he look like?” she wondered. “Does he have my eyes? My hair? Does he even care about me?”
The idea of him calling Damian felt strange. Why now? Why after all these years of silence?
Aurora shook her head, her thoughts racing. “Maybe it’s a trick,” she said aloud, her voice tinged with doubt. “Maybe he’s just someone trying to use me. Or… maybe he’s real.”
She bit her lip, trying to hold back the storm of emotions building inside her. “If he is my father, why didn’t he come sooner?” she asked, her voice breaking. “Why didn’t he stop Mom from selling me? Why didn’t he save me from all those years of pain?”
Her hand stilled on her stomach, and she closed her eyes, trying to steady her breathing. The questions were endless, and each one felt like a knife twisting in her chest.
A faint smile tugged at her lips as she imagined what it would be like to meet him. “Would he hug me?” she asked softly. “Would he apologize for everything? Would he tell me he’s proud of me?”
She laughed bitterly, the sound hollow in the quiet room. “Or would he look at me like Mom did, like I’m just a burden?”
Her hand moved to her cheek, wiping away a stray tear. “I don’t even know if I want to meet him,” she admitted. “What if he’s just as cruel? What if he’s worse?”
Aurora turned her head to the side, staring at the window. The sunlight streamed in, warming her face. It felt comforting, like a small reminder that she was still here, still alive.
She placed both hands on her belly now, her voice softening. “It doesn’t matter who he is,” she said firmly. “What matters is you. You’re my future, my reason to keep going.”
She smiled faintly, imagining her baby’s face. “Will you look like me?” she wondered. “Or like Damian? Will you be strong, brave? Will you have a kind heart?”
Her eyes filled with tears again, but this time, they were tears of hope. “I’ll make sure you have a better life,” she promised. “You won’t have to question if you’re loved. You’ll know it every single day.”
Aurora’s thoughts drifted back to Damian and the changes she’d noticed in him since waking up. He seemed different-gentler, more thoughtful.
“Maybe he’s trying,” she murmured. “Maybe he really does care.”
She sighed, her fingers tracing small patterns on her belly. “It’s strange,” she admitted. “I used to hate him. I thought he was a monster. But now…”
Her voice trailed off, and she shook her head. “I don’t know what to think anymore,” she said. “All I know is that I can’t do this alone. I need to be strong-for me, for the baby.”
—
Her thoughts returned to her father. She couldn’t shake the feeling that meeting him might change everything.
“Should I give him a chance?” she asked herself. “Or should I just keep moving forward without looking back?”
Aurora let out a heavy sigh, her eyes closing as she tried to quiet her mind. “I wish I had answers,” she whispered. “I wish someone could tell me what to do.”
As the room grew quieter, Aurora felt a small kick from her belly. Her eyes widened, and a soft laugh escaped her lips. “You’re already strong,” she said, her voice filled with wonder. “Maybe you’ll give me the strength I need.”
She lay there for a while, her hands cradling her stomach, her thoughts gradually settling. Whatever the future held-whether it included her father, Damian, or anyone else-Aurora knew one thing for sure.
“I’ll protect you,” she whispered to her baby. “No matter what.”
The weight of her emotions slowly lifted, replaced by a quiet determination. She didn’t have all the answers, but she was ready to face whatever came next.