I walked to Mom, pried her hand off Jessica’s. Whispered, “Mom, if you don’t let her go, I’ll tell them you switched the babies.”
Mom flinched, let go.
The cops cuffed Jessica, led her away, her
cries echoing through the ER.
The other mothers stared, dumbfounded.
“Ethan really is her son… No wonder she was
so frantic. She didn’t even look at Leo…”
“God, she’s disgusting! Even if Leo wasn’t
hers, she had no right to hurt him like that!”
“He looks… I don’t know if he’ll make it. Like
he’s broken.”
My heart ached. My little Leo. So much pain.
Twice now. I wanted to kill Jessica.
She’d made me pay for her son, and then…
く
She a made me pay for her son, and then…
tried to get rid of mine.
I dropped to my knees, begged the doctors.
“Please, save my son! My husband died saving people! Leo’s all I have left! Please!”
Two nurses, eyes filled with tears, helped me
- up.
“We saw your ID. We know your husband was
a hero. The best doctors are working on Leo.”
“He’s stable. A few surgeries, he’ll be fine.”
They returned my ID. The mothers apologized.
“We’re so sorry. We didn’t know you were a
widow. We didn’t know Jessica was so… evil.
We almost let her kill Leo.”
“Please forgive us.”
وو
“Forgive me.
وو
Someone started collecting donations.
“A widow’s child is our child. We want to
help!”
“Yes, the hospital should do everything they
く
“Thank God the truth came out! Protect your
precious boy!”
I didn’t want the money, but the nurses said it
was a gesture of respect, of gratitude. The
fire had scarred the city. They remembered
David.
I clutched the cash, bowed my head. “Thank
you. Thank you all.”
Then, I saw a figure trying to slip away.
“Mom, where are you going? Who’s going to
take care of Ethan? Oh, I mean Leo.”
I was changing Leo’s name, legally, back to
Ethan. But I needed Mom to look after… her
grandson. I wasn’t raising him.
Mom stopped, turned back, annoyed.
“Leo? You raised him for three years! He’s
practically yours! What difference does it
make?”
“One kid, two kids… it’s the same. I have
things to do I’m leaving ”
She turned to go. I yelled, “Mom, if you leave,
I’m sending him to foster care! And I’ll tell
your son–in–law what really happened! Think
he’ll stay with Jessica?”
Mom whirled around, eyes blazing. Not a
mother’s eyes. A stranger’s.
Something clicked. Her words… I had a
terrible suspicion. I’d have to look into it.
The nurses wheeled Leo to a room. Mom
followed, obediently.
I stayed with Ethan, went with him to surgery.
To have his bones set.
Jessica had broken his leg with a chair. Let
him scream in pain, crying for his mommy.
What had a baby ever done to deserve that?
The surgery was a success. He’d heal quickly.
A few months in bed, and he’d be running
around again.
I took Ethan home.
He was confused. “Aunt Jessie, why am I
<
going with you? Where are Mommy and
Daddy?”
My heart shattered. I forced a smile. “Ethan,
I’m your mommy now. You’ll live with me,
okay?”
He hesitated, then nodded.
“I’m so jealous of… the other Ethan. You’re
so nice to him. My mommy just hits me…”
I hugged him tight, tears spilling down my
face.
“”
“No more. No one will ever hurt you again.
You’re my only son.”
A couple of months later, I ran into Mom
while buying groceries.
She started crying, apologizing, trying to take
Ethan.
“Ashley, it’s all my fault! I was… confused! I
switched you babies! Leo suffered so much!”
“Please forgive me! I’ll beg! I’ll get on my
knees!”
<
She started to kneel. Neighbors stared.
I held Ethan tight, my face impassive. “Mom,
are you trying to set me up again?”
Mom froze, then knelt.
“Ashley, I’m so sorry! Please! Forgive me!”
She wailed, banging her head on the ground,
drawing a bigger crowd.
Here we go again.
She put on a show, sobbing louder, hitting her
head harder as more people gathered.
“I made a mistake! But how long are you
going to punish me? I’m begging you! What
more do you want?”
Now I looked unreasonable, unforgiving.
I opened my mouth to speak, but some nosy
ladies beat me to it.
“How can you treat your mother like this?
She apologized! Why are you making her
beg?”
“I’ve never seen such disrespect! She’s your
“A mother kneeling to her daughter! Shame
on you! You’ll be punished!”
I snorted, looked towards a shadowy figure
lurking nearby, and said loudly, “That’s right,
some daughters deserve to be punished.”
They thought I didn’t know. Mom had used
her house to bail Jessica out. The woman
who’d never bought me a candy bar used her
life savings to free her favorite daughter.
Jessica had manipulated her, of course. She’d
bleed everyone dry.
