But watching the business grow a little more each day made every bit of it feel worth it.
One morning we left for the wholesale market at four-thirty to stock up on supplies. On the drive home, we were in an accident.
Vincent shielded me with his body, pinning me beneath him.
His legs were crushed beyond recognition, yet he begged the paramedics to save me first—me, who was pregnant.
By the time we reached the hospital, the baby was gone. And Vincent had suffered a spinal injury that left him paralyzed for life.
In that moment, my world collapsed.
I held him and sobbed until my throat was raw, saying I was sorry over and over again.
Telling him it was all my fault. That if he hadn't tried to save me, he never would have ended up this way.
Vincent held my hand, his voice barely a whisper.
"Amanda, don't blame yourself. I'm your husband. Protecting you is what I'm supposed to do."
That single sentence became the heaviest shackle around my heart.
I felt like I owed him for the rest of my life.