The automatic doors of the hospital slid shut behind me as I stepped into the warm afternoon sun, cradling my three-day-old daughter, Lily, in my arms. After forty-eight hours of labor followed by an emergency C-section, every step sent sharp pains through my abdomen. But I was finally going home.
My husband, Aaron, walked beside me, carrying the small pink duffel bag that contained the few belongings we’d brought to the hospital. “Ready to go home, sweetheart?” he asked, though his attention seemed focused on his phone rather than on Lily or me. I nodded, too exhausted to speak.
The past three days had been a blur of contractions, medical procedures, sleepless nights, and the overwhelming joy of holding my daughter for the first time. All I wanted was to collapse into my own bed and begin the journey of being a new mother in the comfort of our home. The drive back to Aaron’s family house, where we’d been living for the past two years to save money, took twenty minutes through familiar suburban streets.
Aaron’s family had offered us the converted basement apartment when we got married, and while it wasn’t ideal, it had allowed us to save for a down payment on our own place. At least, that’s what I’d thought we were doing. As we pulled into the driveway of the large colonial house, I could see the curtains twitch in the front window.
Aaron’s mother, Patricia, had been waiting for our return. She’d visited us once in the hospital, staying for exactly fifteen minutes before declaring that hospitals gave her the creeps and leaving with promises to help once we got home. Aaron parked the car and came around to help me out.
Every movement sent sharp pains through my abdomen, and I had to grip his arm tightly and move very slowly. The incision site throbbed with each step, and I felt dizzy from the exertion of just getting from the car to the front door. Before Aaron could even reach for his keys, the door swung open.
Patricia stood there in her floral housecoat, her graying hair pinned back severely, her mouth already moving. “Well, it’s about time you got back,” she said, barely glancing at Lily before focusing on me. “I’ve been waiting all morning for you.
The kitchen is a disaster. Aaron’s been eating takeout for three days and hasn’t cleaned up after himself once.”
She paused, looking me up and down with obvious disapproval. “Though I suppose you need to rest for a day or two first.
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