I was running behind schedule when I received an unexpected call from a hospital in another state, informing me that a baby girl had just been born, and I was listed as the father.
At first, I thought it might be a prank, but I remembered that my wife had gone on a short holiday nearby, a surprise I had arranged while I worked on renovating our home.
We didn’t have any children of our own yet, though we had adopted three kids because adoption was something both my wife and I were passionate about. That’s also why I had decided to expand our house – it needed more rooms.
I had been more eager to foster children than my wife. Having grown up as a foster child myself, I made a promise to myself that I would help as many kids as I could, and I wanted to provide them with the best opportunities in life.
“We can make a real difference in their lives,” I had told my wife while we were discussing adoption.
Before marrying Mary, I had two grown children from my first marriage with Ellen. Unfortunately, that relationship ended when she cheated on me with our pool boy, and I found out.
Two years later, I met Mary. After dating for a while, we got married, and we hoped for children of our own, though we struggled with infertility. This led us to pursue adoption, but we never gave up on trying to conceive.
Eventually, Mary got pregnant, and we were both thrilled. To prepare for the arrival of our baby, I began renovating the house to create a nursery and an extra room.
I arranged for Mary to take a short vacation to a place she had always wanted to visit, planning to surprise her. However, when she arrived there, she went into labor unexpectedly and was rushed to the hospital. Tragically, she passed away during childbirth.
I was informed that because the baby was so young, I needed to fly out immediately to take her home. I packed my bags and headed to the airport.
Once I landed, I rented a car and made my way to the hospital where my wife had passed away. The pain of her death lingered, but I knew I had to focus on bringing my newborn daughter home.
At the hospital, I met a volunteer named Meredith, an 82-year-old widow who was very kind. She sat me down and explained that my wife had experienced complications during childbirth. I broke down in tears, but she patiently let me grieve before speaking again.
Meredith then asked me if I had the means to care for the child. I assured her that I was already a father, which seemed to satisfy her. She gave me her phone number and offered to help if I needed anything, even offering a ride to the airport when it was time for me to leave.
However, things didn’t go as smoothly when it was time to board my flight. At the boarding gate, the attendant asked if the baby was mine and then informed me that she was too young to fly. I was told that I would need her birth certificate and had to wait until she was at least seven days old.
I was frustrated and didn’t know what to do. I had no place to stay and no one to turn to in the area. That’s when I remembered Meredith.
I called her, and without hesitation, she promised to come to the airport and take us to her home. I was astonished by her generosity.
She welcomed me and my daughter into her home, and during our stay, she helped me navigate the loss of my wife and adjust to being a father. She provided comfort, shared her wisdom, and even assisted with the logistics of transporting my wife’s body back home.
Meredith’s kindness was something I would never forget. My daughter seemed to love her as well. The baby would giggle every time she heard Meredith’s voice, and it made me feel at ease knowing we were in good hands.
During my time with her, I learned that Meredith had four grown children, seven grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. We spent our days taking walks, caring for the baby, and even honoring her late husband, which only deepened our bond.
In Meredith, I saw a reflection of my late mother, and I knew I would miss her deeply when it was time to go home.
Once I received my daughter’s birth certificate, I was able to return home. But I stayed in touch with Meredith, never forgetting the kindness she showed me during such a difficult time.
Years later, when Meredith passed away, I was contacted by a lawyer at her funeral. I was told that she had left me a portion of her inheritance, just as she had done for her children.
In honor of her generosity, I donated the inheritance to a charity that I founded with her children, including Shirley, her oldest daughter. Over time, I grew close to Shirley, and we eventually got married. She became a wonderful stepmother to my six kids, and I always felt blessed to have met someone so special.