Gianna climbing into my bed in the middle of the night when she had nightmares, her tiny hands clutching my sleeve. Matteo holding onto my fingers tightly when he stuttered in front of others, looking to me for reassurance. Lucia hiding behind me whenever she was scared, peeking out from my back like I was her shield.
All those nights I stayed awake for them.
All those tears I wiped away.
All those lullabies I sang until my voice went hoarse.
And yet…
Not once. Not even for a second. Did they ever see me as their mother.
And now… they wanted me gone. Like I had never mattered at all. Like I was nothing.
I forced myself to stand, my legs unsteady beneath me. I wiped my face roughly, smearing away the tears, and began to pack.
Only the essentials. My wallet. My phone. And my mother's old scarf.
At the very back of the closet, tucked away where I hadn't looked in years, I found a small velvet box. My heart clenched.
The bracelet. My mother's bracelet.
I opened it slowly, almost afraid of what I would find.
And then I saw it. Crushed. Broken clean in two.
Another piece of me… destroyed.