**Only My Fate**
“Mum, what are you doing here?” Alice gasped, spotting her mother in the maternity clinic waiting room.
“Oh, love, do you have an appointment today too? You didnt mention anything yesterday” Susan lowered her eyes, flustered.
“Mum, this place is for pregnant women. Why are you here?” Alice ran a hand over her swollen belly.
“Alice, I wanted to tell you” Susan glanced around, searching for the right words. “Well, Im expecting a baby too.”
Susan had Alice at eighteen. The girls father took no interest, paying minimal child supportand only after court orders.
But Susan adored her daughter. She worked two jobs, sewed late into the night. Friends would shake their heads. “Why work yourself to the bone? Youre wasting your youth!” But Susan wouldnt listen. All that mattered was her girl wanting for nothing. The finest chocolates, stylish coats, expensive dollswhatever Alice asked for. Susan denied herself everything, but her daughter never felt deprived.
Alice grew used to the best. Money was no objectshe wanted, she bought, even managed a class trip to the seaside. When university applications came, she chose the most prestigious oneexpensive, of course. Susan didnt argue.
In her third year, Alice met James. Older, nearly finished with his degree. Susan liked him immediatelysteady, sensible. She was relieved: finally, her daughter would have a dependable husband, someone to lean on. Even if she had a baby, she wouldnt be alone.
And so it happened. Alice fell pregnant. James proposed straight away, and they had a lavish wedding. His parents paid half; Susan covered the rest, even gifting them a holiday in Brighton.
“James, lets go for a walk,” Alice suggested one afternoon.
“Sure, love. Lovely weather, and theres that new café nearby. Well grab a bite,” he smiled, resting a hand on her bump.
They strolled through the park, fed the pigeons, then stopped at the café. No sooner had they sat down than Alice went pale.
“Whats wrong?” James frowned.
“Mum” she muttered.
Two tables away sat Susan with an unfamiliar man.
“Oh, thats her!” James turned.
Susan noticed them and gave an awkward smile.
“Lets say hello. Whos that with her?” James started to rise.
“No. I dont even want to look!” Alice stood abruptly and rushed outside.
James settled the bill and caught up. On the pavement, Alice was already confronting her mother:
“Who is that?! Have you forgotten youre about to be a grandmother?”
“Alice, youre grown now. I raised youdont I deserve my own life?”
James stepped in tactfully. “Everything alright, Mrs. Taylor?”
“Fine, James, really”
“Lets go!” Alice seized her husbands arm and nearly dragged him away.
Alice had always assumed her mother belonged solely to her. The thought of Susan having a partner never crossed her mind. And truthfully, Susan hadnt datedafraid of how her daughter might react.
Until two years ago, when her boss, Edward Harris, began pursuing her. Susan had fancied him for ages but never acted. When he showed interest, she gave in.
They started seeing each other. Edward even asked her to move in. Susan hesitated but eventually agreed. Yet telling Alice? That terrified her. And now, this disastrous encounter
Then Susan discovered she was pregnant. At forty-threelate, yes. But abortion wasnt an option. Edward was thrilledhed never had children.
After the café, Alice stopped answering calls. Susan relied on James for updates. Then came the clinic run-in. After that, Alice cut contact completelyblocked her number, ignored messages.
Susan learned of her granddaughters birth from James.
“Its a girl, 53 cm, 7 pounds!” he announced cheerfully.
“Congratulations! Can we visit? Id love to see her,” Susan whispered, near tears.
“Ill try to persuade Alice”
But she refused outright. Susan agonised, though doctors warned stress wasnt safe at six months pregnant.
Four months later, she had a daughter. She texted Alice: *You have a sister now.* Silence in reply. Only James sent flowers and called.
Years passed. The girls grew. Alice and James named theirs Emily. Susan and Edward chose Grace, after her grandmother. James occasionally sent photos: *First tooth!* or *Shes walking!* Susan hoped Alice might soften by Emilys first school year. But she held firmthough, really, what was there to resent?
On Emilys seventh birthday, Susan called James.
“Bring Emily to visit. Wed love to see her.”
“Ill do my best”
That evening, James relayed the invitation.
“Were not going,” Alice snapped.
“But shes your motherEmilys family,” he reasoned.
“She betrayed me. And I wont acknowledge that girl.”
So they livedparallel lives. Susan and Edward in a countryside cottage, Alice and James in the suburbs. Sometimes, through mutual friends, Alice heard snippets: *Susan was hospitalised,* *Grace has a fever.* Deep down, she ached to reach out, to hug her like before. But jealousy and anger won.
“James, we still need hair clips and indoor shoes for Emily,” Alice said over dinner.
“Plenty of time. Hard to believe shes seven already”
“Mum, can I skip tutoring today?” Emily burst into the kitchen.
“No! We moved house just for this school!” Alice said sternly.
Like Susan once had, she strived to give her daughter every advantage.
First day of school. James took leave to walk Emily in. A long commute, but worth it for the prestigious academy with a languages program.
Bell ringing, speeches, well-wishes
“Class 1A!” the teacher called.
“Thats us!” Alice whispered, guiding Emily forward.
Then, in the crowd of parents, she spotted her mother. Their eyes met.
Alice broke. She ran to Susan, tears shed held back for years spilling free as Susan embraced her tightlyjust like in childhood. In that moment, every grudge melted away, as if it had never been.
*Sometimes, love means letting goonly to find it was never truly lost. Grace stood beside Susan, clutching a small red backpack twice her size. Emily hesitated, then stepped forward, eyes wide with curiosity. The two girls looked at each other, then slowly smiled. Alice reached out, brushing a tear from her mother’s cheek, and whispered, “I missed you.” Susan squeezed her hand, whispering back, “I never stopped loving you.” The school bell rang again, softer now, like a second chance.
