The kind nurse braids my hair as I sit in the wheelchair in front of the hospital, waiting for John to bring my car around. I feel weak, empty, and defeated. I hear the nurse gasp quietly and I crane my neck up, following her eyes across the entryway. It takes a moment, but I see them. The happy family. Mom, Dad, and Baby. My daughter. Only, not mine. Not anymore. Not since I signed the papers 30 minutes ago and they wheeled me out. The nurse puts her hand on my shoulder and I watch them walk out. Forever.
Maggie Hart is an office manager at a behavioral health clinic in North Carolina and she lives with her 8-year-old son and their dog.