After Bridget’s dreams of motherhood come crashing down around her, she loses herself to depression. Just when she thinks she has nothing left to live for, she becomes a hero to a desperate child.
“The results came back today.” Bridget inhaled deeply, willing herself to be strong. “I can’t have children, Rob.”
Rob, Bridget’s husband, frowned and leaned back in his chair. Bridget waited for him to comfort her, cry, or voice his disappointment, but he just shook his head.
“Now we know why you weren’t falling pregnant, I guess.” Rob rose and headed for the kitchen.
“Where are you going?” Bridget reached for her husband, her fingers just missing his.
“I need a drink,” Rob said. “You just dropped a bomb on me, Bridget, and I need to think.”
Bridget hugged her knees and stared at Rob’s empty chair. This was the worst moment of her life. She thought she couldn’t possibly feel worse until she heard Rob’s car pulling out of the garage.
A few months later, Rob announced he wanted a divorce. He confessed that he’d been cheating on Bridget and was leaving her for his pregnant mistress.
Bridget was heartbroken. Her job as a teacher at the local middle school was torture. Every child in her classes reminded her of the kids she’d never have and her failure as a wife. Her performance suffered as she became more depressed. One day, the principal called her to his office.
After thirty minutes of listening to Principal Schneider listing all her recent failures as a teacher, Bridget was almost in tears.
“If your standards slip any lower, you’re going to drag this school’s reputation into the dirt,” Schneider concluded.
“You unsympathetic toad.”
Bridget pointed at Schneider. “All you ever do is complain and blame us teachers for this school’s failures, but the real problem is your pathetic excuse for leadership.”
Schneider went red in the face. “If that’s how you feel, then consider yourself fired. Don’t expect a good recommendation either.”
In the following weeks, dark thoughts haunted Bridget. All her job applications were turned down, and she spent every moment thinking about what a lonely failure she’d become.
“Nobody needs me!” Bridget mumbled as she stared at the busy road in front of her. “Nobody would notice if I was gone.”
“Sometimes hope is only a candle in a big, dark cavern, but the more you feed that candle by believing in yourself and the future, the brighter the light will grow.”
Bridget’s dress fluttered in the wind caused by the trucks and cars speeding past. One step is all it would take. She was studying the traffic when she saw a boy vault over the guardrail. He bolted into the traffic.
Horns blared, and tires screeched, but the boy kept running. As he drew closer to Bridget’s position, a speeding sedan appeared over the rise. The car would never slow down in time. It was going to hit that kid!
Bridget raced for the boy and flung him to safety on the verge. She briefly made eye contact with the terrified driver as the car bore down on her. Then, everything was dark.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
Soon after waking in the hospital, Bridget discovered she’d sustained a severe injury while saving the child. The doctors told her she might have to spend the remainder of her life in a wheelchair.
“And the boy? Is he okay?” Bridget asked.
“Yes, and he’s been asking to visit you.”
Bridget agreed to let the boy visit, then turned her head to stare at a painting on the wall. Her thoughts were in turmoil. She’d been so confident that saving the boy would be her last act in this world, but now she had to face life with restricted mobility instead.
“I can’t do anything right,” she whimpered.
“Those are strange words to hear from a hero.”
Bridget looked back as a man in a wheelchair approached her bedside. Something about him was familiar. She studied his face and then realized with shock why she knew him.
“You’re Kevin. You won the state championships.” Bridget clamped her mouth shut then. No matter what he’d done in the past, it seemed Kevin was in the same situation as her.
“It’s okay. I know what you’re thinking, but this is just a speed bump in my life. I came to see you because I heard how you saved that boy. How are you holding up?”
Bridget stared at the ceiling. “I don’t know. The only reason I’m still in this world is that I’m such a failure. I thought I’d at least make a good ending, but I failed at that too.”
“Please don’t say that. I’m sorry to hear you’ve been suffering, but please don’t give up on your life. I went through my own dark times when I was first injured, but I promise things can get better.”
Kevin put his hand over Bridget’s. “Sometimes hope is only a candle in a big, dark cavern, but the more you feed that candle by believing in yourself and the future, the brighter the light will grow.”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
Kevin returned every day to visit Bridget. For the first time, she felt like somebody else understood what she was going through. He confided in her that he’d endured a terrible depression after his accident when he realized his career as an athlete was over.
“The doctors doubted I’d ever walk again, but one day I decided I didn’t care. I wasn’t ready to give up yet, and look at me now.”
Kevin braced himself against Bridget’s bed and stood.
“But how? Did you undergo a special treatment?” Bridget asked.
“Demanding physiotherapy and the power of this.” Kevin tapped a finger against his temple. “My coach taught me to imagine my races beforehand, to visualize my success. I used the same technique to help me heal.”
Bridget stared at Kevin in wonder. She wished she had the same determination and belief in herself that he did.
“I may never compete again, but I still have a life to live,” Kevin continued. “And a new career to look forward to as a coach.”
Bridget was still thinking about Kevin’s words when she had another visitor. The boy she’d saved entered the room and rushed to her side.
“I’m so sorry!” he cried. “I was trying to escape from the social services and thought they’d never follow me across that busy road. I never meant for anyone to get hurt.”
“I’ve done everything you asked and it hasn’t worked!”
Bridget frowned. “Why were you running from social services? And what’s your name?”
“I’m Tommy.” The boy looked at her with sad, brown eyes. “Social services wanted to put me in a shelter because my parents died. I didn’t want to go, but they got me in the end anyway.”
“I’m so sorry about your parents, Tommy.” Bridget put her hand on the boy’s arm. “But you should never have run into traffic. What would’ve happened to you if I wasn’t there?”
Tommy shrugged and looked away. “I’m alone in this world so what does it matter?”
Bridget’s heart ached for the boy. She invited him back to visit whenever he wanted and slowly grew to love the child.
“I think Tommy came into my life for a reason,” she told Kevin one day.
“I want to adopt him, but first I need to get out of this hospital, and back on my feet. Will you help me, please?”
Kevin grinned. “Of course, Bridget. I’ll ask my physiotherapist to work with you, and I’ll be there every step of the way to support you. It won’t be easy, but you can lean on me whenever you need help.”
Kevin was true to his word. Over the next few weeks, Bridget worked hard to regain the use of her legs. It was incredibly challenging, and sometimes she wanted to give up, but Kevin was always there. He believed in her so much that it became easy for Bridget to believe in herself.
Whenever Tommy visited, Bridget remembered that she had a goal to work for that was bigger than herself. She wanted to be a mother to this boy and give him a family. When she discussed it with Tommy, he threw his arms around her in a tight hug.
Soon, the doctors released Bridget from the hospital. She still needed a wheelchair, but the physiotherapist assured her she was doing well. He thought Bridget might be able to stand within the following year.
“It’s not good enough,” Bridget said while discussing her progress with Kevin. He had also been released and was visiting her at home to help with her exercises and mental health.
“Healing takes time,” he replied. “I know you’re impatient, but you can’t rush this. Like I’ve said before, you can’t let everything depend on walking again.”
Bridget shook her head. “If you can do it, then so can I. You’re the one who taught me that I mustn’t doubt myself for even a second, and I won’t.”
Kevin took Bridget’s hands in his. “And I’m very proud to see how that can-do attitude has transformed you, but it’s not healthy to measure your sense of self-worth with success. You are an amazing person, no matter what, and I want you to always remember that, Bridget.”
It soon became apparent that Bridget’s recovery had plateaued. No matter how hard she worked on her exercises, she wasn’t making improvements. She’d set a goal of being able to walk by Mother’s Day, so she could stride into the shelter and get Tommy out of there.
Bridget became increasingly frustrated with her stalled progress as her deadline drew closer.
“Why is it taking so long?” she asked her physiotherapist. “I’ve done everything you asked, and it hasn’t worked!”
The physiotherapist replied that she shouldn’t expect to heal linearly and that some stages might take longer than others. She complained bitterly to Kevin when he came to see her on Mother’s Day to help her train.
“After all my hard work, I’m still the same failure who lost my husband and my job. The only difference now is that I can’t even walk anymore.”
Bridget was on the verge of tears, but a knock at the door caught her attention. A child calling followed it: “Mom, open the door!”
When Bridget opened the door, she found Tommy with a huge bunch of flowers.
“I picked all of these for you,” he said with a big grin. “I want to let you know that I can’t wait for the day you adopt me and become my mom.”
A wave of emotion rushed through Bridget. With it came an indescribable certainty that now was the time she needed to try standing again. Without a second thought, Bridget pushed up from the wheelchair and stood.
“You did it!” Tommy hugged Bridget. “Mom, I love you.”
Bridget kissed the top of Tommy’s head. “I love you too, Tommy. I love you so much that I can’t wait any longer. I’m going to the shelter with you right away so we can start the adoption process.”
Kevin stepped out behind her with his car keys on his finger and a big grin on his face. “I’ll be honored to drive you there.”
Bridget’s life was never the same after that day. She gained a son in Tommy, and a fiancé a few months later. Although she’d harbored an attraction to Kevin for a while, Bridget didn’t imagine he’d return those feelings until he asked her on a date.
After the wedding, Kevin, Tommy, and Bridget settled down to become a happy family. Every day, they woke up with gratitude for the blessings they found in each other and a belief that they would always be together.
However, there was one last surprise in store for the family. One day, after dinner, Bridget brought out some cupcakes for dessert. Kevin and Tommy quickly noticed the letters iced onto the cupcakes. Bridget smiled slyly and challenged them to figure out what word the cupcakes spelled.
Minutes later, Kevin looked across at Bridget in shock. “You’re pregnant?”
Bridget smiled. “Apparently, my life is filled with miracles.”
What can we learn from this story?
- Never give up hope. Bridget hit a terribly low point in her life, but just when she felt she couldn’t go on, Kevin helped her realize that she should never lose hope.
- There is always a way out of bad situations. Sometimes you need to find the courage to reach out and ask for help.
This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only.
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