I Had Barely Finished Holding My Son’s Newborn Baby When a Nurse Pulled Me Aside and Whispered, “That Isn’t the Child He Left With”

Oliver.

Entirely Oliver.

That was a relief.

PART 43 — THE ROSES

The two white rosebushes flowered.

Chloe stood beside them.

No dramatic speech.

She trimmed one dead branch.

Then said:

“I used to think if I became happy again, I would be leaving them behind.”