After her husband abandoned her, a pregnant mother of three must sell her stroller in order to provide for her children.
Anne Sargent sobbed while sitting on her kitchen floor. The only time she could let herself express her anguish was after midnight, when her three kids were sleeping upstairs.
Anne put a gentle stroke on the infant’s belly as she felt her move. She said, “I’m sorry,” to her unborn kid. “I’m doing my best, but it’s not good enough.”
Anne had been a radially happy woman and mother just two months earlier, certain of her place in the world and her husband’s affection, and confidently anticipated the arrival of her fourth child. The woman has vanished.
One evening, Derek had just told her he was going when he got home. “But why?” Anne questioned. “I don’t understand, I thought we were happy!”
“YOU were happy!” Derek started crying. “You, not me! You just had children and fussed over them; now there’s a new one on the way.”
“But you WANTED children!” Anne objected. “You were happy every time I was pregnant…”
A family is built on understanding and mutual respect.
“Happy?” Derek exclaimed. “Happy that you showered the children with love and attention? To you, I was just another paycheck! That’s over now, though.”
Derek left three months after Anne revealed that she was expecting her fourth child. Without delay, Anne went out and secured a part-time position at a nearby grocery store.
The owner was eager to offer her a full-time position, but Anne carefully stretched her salary because she would have had to pay for a sitter for her three boys, which would have taken up the most of it. However, it was insufficient even with the child support check that Derek mailed.
For several months, Anne was able to cover her utility costs by starting to sell some antique china that she had inherited from her grandmother. Subsequently, she liquidated a silver brush and mirror set that she had owned since her childhood, enabling her to pay for groceries. As her belly grew, Anne gradually had to sell her treasures in order to provide food and safety for her family.
One day, everything was reduced to just bric-a-brac for sale. Everything more valuable was lost. Upon bringing the old stroller up from the cellar, Anne took a closer look at it.
She had owned it since she was a newborn, and her children had each used it in turn. Even though it was extremely old—likely from the 1960s—it was like new.
Biting back her tears, she stroked her fingers over the painted roses on the side. She needed the money even more than she needed it for the new baby.
She considered going to the flea market and getting a fair price for it. Antiques have long been in style… She then brought the stroller to the flea market, where a vendor paid her $50 for it. Not much, but every dollar made a difference.
Though Anne was certain she would never see the stroller again, she was mistaken. When she opened the front door two days later, she noticed the stroller on the porch!
When Anne opened the letter, she saw the words, “Please call me.” There was a phone number after the message. When Anne rang the number, a woman picked up.
“Hello?” Anne stated. “Are you the one who left the stroller? How did you know who it belonged to and where I live?”
“Derek told me,” the woman on the other end of the line remarked. “My name is Grace Robbs. I believe we ought to get together.”
Grace was drinking tea on Anne’s sofa an hour later. She appeared to be rather unhappy, despite being a woman who was six or seven years younger than Anne. Her eyes were swollen, as though she had been crying, and her pale complexion was blotched.
Even though Anne knew the answer deep down, she nevertheless questioned, “How do you know Derek?”
“I was his girlfriend,” Grace declared.
“Was?” inquired Anne. “You broke up?”
Grace answered, “Today, as a matter of fact,” and broke down in tears. “I was unaware… I was unaware of you, the kids, and the infant. I was unaware of my pregnancy and was unsure of how to inform him.”
“With a buddy, I went to the flea market and purchased this adorable stroller. I placed it in the center of the living room and attached balloons with the words,” “Hey Dad!”
However, he wasn’t as content as I had anticipated. He began to yell, asking whether his foolish wife had given me the stroller and whence I had obtained it. Is that a joke, he inquired.
“He said he didn’t want to hear about your baby and told me to take it immediately back. ‘It’s for OUR baby,’ I assured him. and that’s when his madness began.“
“He said he already had three brats with you and one more on the way, and he didn’t want my baby,” accusing me of trying to trap him. “I was urged to leave and come see you by him.”
“‘Might as well have all the breeding cows under one roof,’ he remarked. I apologize so much; I guess I didn’t know him at all because I was unaware of you.”
Anne stood up and wrapped the weeping girl in her arm. It’s alright. You’ll see, everything will work out.
In a hushed voice, Grace remarked, “He’s kicked me out.” “I have nowhere to go and no family here. I can’t afford to live alone, even with my salary, and who would want a pregnant roommate in this city?”
“I will!” Anne stated strongly. “I need a tenant because what I earn isn’t enough, and I can’t work full-time because I can’t afford a babysitter for after school.”
“But…” Grace’s expression brightened. “My job is done online! I’m able to watch the kids after school. I adore children!”
Anne exclaimed, “So I can take a full-time job?” with excitement. “The grocery shop owner wants me to run it for him. I can if you help me! Additionally, you don’t need to bother about baby-related items. My three children are more than enough for an army.”
Grace, despite her tears, grinned. She pointed out, “And we have the stroller too.” “Are you certain? It’s the child of Derek.”
“No,” Anne declined with a shake of her head. “It’s YOUR baby, and my children’s sibling, that is all that matters.”
Grace was present when Anne’s kid was born as the two ladies settled into their new life together. Four months later, when Grace’s turn came, Anne held her hand. They reared their five children like a normal family, working together.
Derek, on the other hand, was a disastrous romance that ended with him knocking on Anne’s door. He sought to talk with Anne after being taken aback to see Grace there. “What do you want, Derek?” Anne enquired.
“Dear, I miss you so much,” remarked Derek.
After giving him a prolonged look, Anne answered, “Sorry, so not interested!” In his face, she shut the door behind him.
