She slowly nods her head. I am stunned, wondering why she kept the secret from us. She looks everywhere but at me, fear evident in her eyes. It is enough that I have put her through so much stress, but seeing her in this state makes my heart bleed.
"Is Dad aware?" she cries even more. I step back, not knowing how to react to her tears. I guess she remembers something. "That's one of the reasons your dad hates me and doesn't want anything to do with me," she says, her voice choking with tears.
"Oh, I'm so sorry," I say, bringing her into a hug. "I didn't know about this."
"So many things happened when I was pregnant with you guys," she continues, crying even harder. "My family had a business dealing with very dangerous people, and the only way they could repay them was by taking away my baby."
"Before then, your father loved me so much. But after the incident, he couldn't stand the sight of me," she says, tears streaming down her face.
She takes a deep breath, trying to steady herself. "I tried to keep it together for you and Nathalie, but every day was a struggle. The memories, the loss, it all haunted me."
My heart bleeds for the pain she has endured in the name of marriage. I wish I could do something, anything, to make it better for her.
She wipes her tears with the back of her hand. "Have you found her? Have you found my baby?" she asks, her eyes full of hope.