Page 113 of Broken Destiny

“Are you sure, Mama?” he asked, looking up at me with wide, searching eyes.

Before I could answer, Emma saw me and began to cry.

“Sweetheart, I’m fine,” I said softly, bending slightly despite the pull of pain in my shoulder, trying to soothe her.

“Mama, no fine. Mama hwurt,” she sobbed.

I reached out and wiped her tears away with my fingers.

“I’m fine,” I said, brushing her hair back gently. “Just a little broken right now.”

That evening, Liam came by as he had promised, holding a bouquet of fresh flowers in his hand. The soft fragrance filled the living room as he stepped inside, his eyes scanning me, assessing every movement.

“Is Caleb fine?”

“Yes, he is,” I replied. “The car hit my side.”

“I’m glad both of you are fine,” he said, smiling warmly.

Before dinner, my phone buzzed with a short message from Caleb checking if I was feeling any better. A small part of me wished he had called instead, and disappointment flickered briefly through my chest before I pushed it away almost immediately.

He was probably with his family or Tatiana.

I had no right to expect more from him anymore, no matter how much the accident had shaken both of us.

Still, I found myself rereading the message, quietly clinging to the concern hidden between the simple words.

Liam stayed for dinner, keeping the children entertained with stories and laughter, and then left later that evening once he was certain I was stable.

That night, Lucas and Emma wouldn’t leave my side. They climbed into my bed and curled up beside me, their small bodies pressed against mine. Milo jumped onto the mattress near my feet while Oreo pressed close to Lucas’s side, both dogs unusually quiet as though they too sensed I was hurt.

They followed me everywhere in the house the next day, while Geeta hovered nearby, refusing to let me lift even a finger. She carefully helped change my bandages, scolding me gently whenever I tried to move too quickly. More than once, I nearly tripped over Milo and Oreo because they stayed so close to me, following me from room to room like silent shadows.

The following morning, Karena came over as soon as she heard about the accident.

“I don’t know why people drink and drive,” she said, shaking herhead, nostrils flared, as she set a bowl of steaming soup in front of me. “There are so many taxis around. Why can’t they take them instead of jeopardizing their lives and other people’s lives?”

“I know,” I replied, taking the bowl with my good hand and lowering myself slowly into the dining chair. “People, unfortunately, are quite inconsiderate and foolish at times.”

The warmth of the soup seeped into my palms and travelled through my body.

“This soup will help you heal.” Karena stroked my hair.

The quiet, motherly care stirred something deep inside me. For the first time in my life, I understood what it felt like to be looked after by my own mother.

Karena stayed the night. Lucas spent the evening showing her his superhero drawings while Emma followed her around the house chattering endlessly. Even Milo and Oreo rolled onto their backs for belly rubs while she laughed and played with them on the living room floor.

That night, after dinner, I tucked Lucas and Emma into Lucas’s bed while rain tapped softly against the windows. Emma lay curled against my side while Lucas rested against the headboard beside me as I closed the superhero book I had been reading aloud.

“There’s something important I want to tell you guys,” I said softly.

Both children immediately turned toward me.

“You know how Nan-Nan calls a lot, comes over often, and always brings you little gifts?”

Lucas nodded while Emma hugged Mia closer.

“Well...” I swallowed hard. “There’s a reason for that.”