Just as my wifes water broke, I got a call from my mothers nurse, and she told me my mom was dying. I was torn and forced to make a difficult decision.
The day Debra found out she was pregnant was one of those days that I will cherish for the rest of my life. We had cried together, unable to believe that we were going to have a baby home soon, and I promised Debra Id be an amazing dad.
Debra and I had waited to become parents for a long time. We were one of those miracle couples who conceived after going through tons of failed fertility treatments and doctors telling us there was no chance.
“Well be the best parents to him, darling,” I told Debra one night. “I cant wait to hold our baby in my arms.”
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“I know, honey,” shed said, smiling. I gently kissed her baby bump and promised Debra Id always be by her side.
Debra had always been very anxious about the pregnancy due to the complications, and I had told her I would be there for her, so there was no need to worry.
Little did I know fate would plunge me into a situation where Id have to choose between her and my mom while was in labor…
I still get chills when I recall that day. It started as a beautiful day. The sun was shining brightly, and nothing seemed wrong with the outside world. I was preparing breakfast in the kitchen because Debra wasnt feeling well that morning.
I quickly assembled a breakfast plate for her, and I went to call her for breakfast. As I entered our bedroom, I saw she was leaning against the wall with one hand, clutching her baby bump and breathing heavily.
“Honey, are you okay?” I dashed to her, worried. “Should I call the doctor?”
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“Gordon…my water…it…it broke,” she whispered heavily, and thats when I noticed the floor beneath her. It was wet. “Take me to the hospital, Gordon…Please!” she cried.
“Jesus!” I panicked. “Ill get the car started. Just hang on a sec, honey.”
I ran to our car, grabbing the keys from the bowl on the living room shelf. I opened the car door, then rushed back inside to help Debra.
“Dont worry, honey. Well reach the hospital in no time. Okay, weve got this.” I was comforting her as her labor pains began. I was terrified and nervous. I was praying everything would be fine.
After we made it to the car and Debra got inside, I locked her door and rushed to take my seat. Then my phone rang. It was my moms nurse, Marla, calling me. My mother had been diagnosed with a progressive cardiac condition, and due to her illness, she was confined to bed rest.
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Worried, I answered the phone, and Marlas voice on the other end of the line broke me from inside.
“Gordon,” she said in a weak voice. “Your mom… She had a heart attack, so I took her to the hospital. The doctors say there is little hope shell make it… Your mother is dying. I think you should be here as soon as you can.”
“Jesus, Jesus!” I exhaled a sigh. Why was everything happening at the same time? I was ripped to shreds and didnt know what to do. On the one hand, there was Debra, who was in labor, and on the other, there was my mother.
I went inside the car, tears in my eyes, and told Debra everything. I couldnt hide it from her, anyway. She saw my face and asked me what was wrong. And I blurted everything out.
“Mom is dying, honey. She had a heart attack, and Marlas asking me to be there as soon as possible. I am so nervous. I – I dont know what to do….”
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“Honey,” Debra said. “Call a taxi. Ill go by myself…”
“What?” I was taken aback. “No, we cant do that!”. She was drenched in sweat and moaning in pain. “Look at you. Its just not….”
“We dont have time, honey…Ahh…call the taxi now, Gordon. Your mom needs you. You are a son first, then a husband. I will manage. Your mom…she…” Her pain was becoming worse.
“Im calling the taxi. Oh, God!”
Thankfully, I got a taxi soon, and I instructed the driver to take Debra to the hospital safely. My hands shook as I drove to my mothers hospital, and my tears wouldnt stop. My heart was racing, wondering about Debras condition and if our baby would be alright.
As I arrived at the hospital, I saw Marla sitting outside her ward. “Marla? Wheres mom? What happened?” I asked her.
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“The physicians are with her, but they are not optimistic…” was all she said.
I sat outside the ward, praying mom would be okay.
“I know youll get better soon, Mom. Youll be a grandmother soon,” I kept telling myself. But not long after, the doctors emerged from the emergency room with bad news.
“We sincerely apologize. We couldnt save her.”
My mom passed away that morning due to cardiac arrest. I couldnt stop crying, and Marla tried to console me, but it was pointless. I couldnt keep my tears from falling.
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Suddenly, my phones ring distracted me. “Yes?” I said, and I could hear a sweet crying sound in the background.
“Honey,” said Debra on the other end of the call. “We had a daughter. Shes stunning. Youre a father now…”
At that moment, I wasnt sure whether I should be happy or sad. ” Thats great news honey,” I managed to say. Then I told her with a heavy heart, “Moms gone.”
“Shes not, Gordon. Shes with us,” Debra replied softly, and I had no idea what she meant until my phone pinged with a message.
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Debra sent me a picture of our baby girl, and I cried even harder. Our little baby girl looked so much like her grandmother.
“Doesnt she look like your mom?” Debra asked.
With my eyes filled with tears, I said, “She does.”
What can we learn from this story?
Even after our loved ones leave us, a part of them stays with us. Gordons mother passed away the morning his daughter was born. The baby was a replica of her grandma and a sign for Gordon that his mom was still with him in his baby girls form.Only a mothers heart understands that a mother needs her children more than they need her. Debra was moaning in pain, but when she heard about Gordons mom, she urged Gordon to put his mother first and be by his mothers side.
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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a heartless man who asked his wife to choose between him and her paralyzed mother.
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