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Before I went to bed, Daniel called me.
⠀
— Mom, are you okay?
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— I'm okay, my dear.
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— Are you sure?
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I looked at the calendar where I had marked my next doctor's check-up.
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— Yes. And if I'm not, I'll tell you this time.
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I heard him laugh with relief.
⠀
At eighty years old, I had not given birth to a child, as everyone had feared at first. But I had gone through an ordeal that made me understand how important it is not to hide my suffering from the people who love me.
⠀
And the following Sunday, when my four great-grandchildren came roaring through the door and rushed to hug me, I knew that the family I had was more than I could ever have wished for.
