Indeed, this is the moment she’ll exact vengeance on her spouse. A week ago, she overheard his conversation with his mistress, and that’s when her plan took shape…

Pregnancy is progressing difficultly, and there’s a risk of miscarriage. You need to be hospitalized and constantly under our observation, the doctor announced during one of her appointments. How am I supposed to do that? Miranda was taken aback.

I have work to do. We have a photo shoot scheduled for tomorrow and a session with a prominent benefactor at the children’s home in the capital in a week. The children already know that the magazine will come to photograph them.

Then you have to choose either your child or momentary impressions of other people’s children, the doctor replied. My child, Miranda decided. She understood that Kevin would be unhappy, but ultimately it was his child too.

Surprisingly, Kevin took the news calmly and even scolded her for doubting. We’ll find someone else to go, silly, he said. At least your friend Andrea.

Her friend Andrea also worked for the same magazine. Miranda managed to arrange for her to take over when Kevin became the chief editor. There was nothing to worry about.

She felt a little disappointed that she was missing out on such significant projects, but her child came first. In the hospital, she had to lie down almost constantly, and at times it became unbearable. However, she knew why she was enduring all this, for the sake of their little daughter.

The doctors told her that she and Kevin would have a girl. How much longer do I have to stay here, she would ask the doctors. Let me go home, even just for a week.

I miss my husband. They would simply shrug their shoulders. What husband? By the 20th week, Miranda was prohibited from getting up altogether, she had to stay lying down.

It felt as if she wasn’t disabled, yet she couldn’t stand up. She would have gone crazy if Kevin didn’t visit her after work, if Miss Caroline didn’t occasionally come, and if Andrea didn’t drop by. They all firmly reassured her in unison.

Miranda is amazing, a resilient little soldier. However, at 22 weeks, despite all the efforts of the doctors and Miranda’s endurance, the irreparable happened. She started bleeding.

An emergency caesarean section had to be performed. Miranda would never forget that moment when she lay on the table under epidural anesthesia, and the doctors were digging into her abdomen, then they pulled out something small, tiny. Is she alive? Miranda whispered, realizing that the nurse was taking her baby girl somewhere.

Why isn’t she crying? Because she’s still very small, the surgeon replied. She’s alive, don’t worry. They’ll put her in the incubator, and she’ll continue to grow there.

Just lie still. After the operation, Miranda slept for almost a day, and when she regained consciousness and attempted to get up, she immediately screamed in pain. A nurse rushed in and scolded her.

Why are you jumping around like a goat? What if your stitches come apart? I wanted to know how my little daughter is, Miranda whispered tearfully. Honestly, she’s in critical condition. Well, how could she not be when she was born weighing 700 grams, severely premature, but alive? Alive.

Calm down, we have excellent doctors in the premature baby unit, they’re taking care of your daughter. And Kevin, does Kevin know? Kevin, your husband? He knows. He was eager to see you today, but he wasn’t allowed in.

Right now, visiting isn’t a priority for you. He’ll come tomorrow evening. Oh, my dear, how he loves you.

He was so worried about you and your daughter. Don’t worry, everything will work out, you’ll see. The next day, Kevin came to Miranda, but not alone, he brought his mother along.

Ms. Caroline looked gloomy, only sighing and shaking her head. Kevin reassured Miranda, saying that their daughter would definitely pull through. Let’s name her Vivian, Miranda whispered, wiping away her tears.

But you wanted to name her Julia, after your mother, Kevin was surprised. No, Vivian, Miranda firmly replied. Vivian.

Kevin, I also thought we should have her baptized. They say we can invite a priest here. All right, Kevin shrugged.

No, absolutely not. Ms. Caroline finally spoke up. What kind of baptism can there be now? The child is severely premature, you can’t even go near her to avoid disturbing her, and you want to summon a priest.

Why? Both of you are educated people, you should understand that it’s a huge risk. The risk is enormous in terms of whether this child will even be viable. Just think about it, she weighs only half a kilogram.

It’s unbelievable. Actually, it’s not half a kilogram, but 700 grams, Miranda objected. A small difference.

She fits in the palm of your hand. Miranda, think about what kind of child she will be, even if she survives. She could be blind, deaf, or have cerebral palsy.

I can’t even imagine it. Children, stop going mad, you don’t need this child. It’s better to write a refusal and be done with it.

Miranda and Kevin stared at their mother in horror. What was she saying? She was their child. She’s my daughter, Miranda replied quietly but firmly.

And I will take her no matter what. Mom, are you really saying such things? Kevin murmured. How can you? Our daughter is fighting for her life and you.

Oh, forgive me, Ms. Caroline snapped out of it. I don’t know what I’m saying. Yes, let’s hope, let’s hope.

Okay, Kevin, let’s go. They were already at the exit when Miranda called out to her husband. Kevin, find out about the priest on duty, pay for whatever is needed there.

Of course, my dear, don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything, her husband nodded in response. They left, and Miranda sank into darkness, she was very tired.

The next day, Kevin couldn’t come to see her, he said he had a lot of work, and they didn’t allow him to visit Vivian yet, although they promised they would. Miranda slowly left her ward. She decided to inquire about the priest herself.

Yes, yes, the nurse nodded but strangely avoided eye contact. We will invite the priest soon, but for now, go and rest. The next morning, she learned the most dreadful news, a doctor came and said that her daughter’s heart had stopped.

It was expected, given her very low weight, only 22 weeks. Her organs weren’t fully formed, he explained. It happens.

I’m sorry, after all, we’re not gods. Miranda could only cry. Yes, she understood everything and hoped until the very end that her daughter would survive, but the miracle didn’t happen.

Her heart was torn apart with pain when she realized that she never saw her daughter alive, they didn’t let her. Only then, in the operating room, she vaguely remembered the nurse taking away a tiny red bundle. Her precious girl.

She never held her to her chest, and she would never be able to do so. They didn’t show her the lifeless body either. The doctor said that Miranda couldn’t see it.

Pain and emptiness tore her apart from within. Miranda spent the remaining days in the hospital in a fog, lying down, sleeping. Kevin and Ms. Caroline would come to visit.

They were genuinely grieving too. Miranda was surprised by how compassionate and attentive her mother-in-law could be. My dear, everything will work out, she would say, stroking Miranda’s head.

She spoke just like a mother. And now, six years have passed. Miranda struggled deeply with the loss of her child, as she was never given the chance to say, goodbye.

By the time she was discharged, Kevin had already buried their daughter. How she wept at the small mound in the city cemetery, where her husband brought her after much persuasion. Ms. Caroline was also there, with a stone face.

It’s alright, you’ll have more children, she only said as they left the cemetery, but those words pierced Miranda’s heart. She couldn’t conceive anymore, there were complications after that pregnancy. Miranda lived with her pain day after day and couldn’t find solace.

She wanted to return to her profession, but it felt as if a lightbulb had burned out inside her, and her hands just fell down. She no longer found interesting angles. All her characters seemed lifeless…