You have a wonderful career, a good man…”
“And no baby, mama, I want a baby!” Daria cried. “We can’t have everything we want! You just be grateful to God for what you have!” Grace said sharply.
“I had a baby, mama, and I wanted her and you made me give her away!” Daria sobbed. “It was for your own good! My mama turned me out of the house when I was pregnant with you, so you were lucky!” Grace said.
“LUCKY? Because you didn’t turn me out on the streets? Mama, you could have helped me.
I could have done it all with your help. All you had to do was help…” Daria had tears running down her face. “You could have HELPED!”
That night, Grace couldn’t sleep.
Her daughter’s words kept echoing through her mind. “I could have helped,” she said to herself. “Instead I bullied a frightened little girl into doing what I wanted.
And I knew how to do it because I’d been a frightened little girl too…”
Two months later, Grace phoned Daria and invited her to lunch in the city. “What’s up, mama?” asked Daria. “Nothin’s up!” cried Grace.
“Can’t a mother have lunch with her daughter?”
Three days later, Daria walked into the restaurant to find her mother chatting to a young woman with long chestnut hair, dark eyes, and a hauntingly familiar smile. Grace jumped up and gripped Daria’s hand. “Baby, I want you to meet Brianne,” Grace said, and the young woman smiled nervously.
“I’m a huge fan,” the girl said. “I’m a violinist too, I have all your records. I’ve been dreaming about meeting you…”
“That’s nice,” said Daria.
“Always nice to meet a fan…”
“Brianne is not a fan, Daria, she’s your daughter,” said Grace, and Daria felt the room spin madly under her feet. “My daughter…” she whispered, staring at the girl, her eyes, her smile, “Melody…”
Brianne helped Daria sit down. “Grace told me you didn’t want to give me up, that she made you.
But I want you to know that I have wonderful parents, a lovely life. All I’ve been wanting is to meet you.”
“I love you so much,” said Daria, “I never wanted to lose you!”
“I know,” Brianne said quietly, “But now we’re together. My mother is my mom, but you can be a motherly friend.”
“You play the violin too?” asked Daria, laughing and crying at the same time.
“You get that from me…”
That afternoon, Daria found her daughter again, and Grace found peace and redemption. Six months later, Daria made a wonderful discovery: she was pregnant. Her life had come full circle once again.
