After 3 Boys, We Gave Up Our Dream of a Daughter—Then My Husband Called Me to the Hospital and Said, “There’s a Baby Here”

That Clara had struggled.

That Clara had loved, failed, disappeared, returned, and died far too young.

And that none of those things made Maya responsible for repairing the past.

Marcus agreed completely.

One evening, after the children were asleep, we stood in the garage.

The shelf above his tools was empty.

I looked at it.

“You know what’s funny?”