I said no to my late mother’s dying wish, and my family hasn’t forgiven me since. I wonder, would they still see me as the villain or forgive me if they knew why I did it? Would you?
“You betrayed your mother’s dying wish!” The accusation still echoes, two years after Mom’s passing. The day my family learned that I chose to dishonor my mom’s last wish, something broke irreparably between us. I’m Emmie, and before you judge me, hear my story. 😔
A sad woman sitting on the couch | Source: Midjourney
Let’s rewind to two years ago…
I was living my dream life with Solomon, my husband of 18 years, in our cozy country house. Both of us were in our early forties, no kids, but content in our little slice of heaven.
I stood on our porch one day, watching Solomon tend to his beloved koi pond. His hands moved with grace, scattering food across the water’s surface. The fish swarmed, their orange and white scales glinting in the sunlight.
Oh, just how peaceful and happy our life was.
A smiling man | Source: Midjourney
Solomon turned to me, his eyes crinkling with joy. He signed through hand gestures, “Beautiful day, isn’t it, darling?”
I nodded, my heart swelling with love. Solomon might be deaf and mute, but our connection ran deeper than words could ever express.
The farm animals grazed peacefully in the distance. Our neighbor, Mrs. Lewis, waved from her garden. This was our paradise, hard-earned and fiercely protected.
As I approached the house, the rusty old mailbox caught my eye.
A rusty old mailbox | Source: Midjourney
I opened it and found a single envelope inside. The familiar handwriting sent a chill down my spine. With trembling fingers, I tore it open, and my world froze.
“Emmie, it’s your mother,” the letter read, somehow conveying an unfamiliar weakness. “I need you to come home. Please. It’s urgent. I’m sick. Bring your husband…”
My hands shook as I reread the words. Mom never wrote asking me to come home. Not since…
A terrified woman holding a letter | Source: Midjourney
I closed my eyes as memories flooded back. The day 18 years ago when I told her I was marrying Solomon. Her face had contorted in horror.
“He’s disabled, Emmie! You’ll never be happy with… with someone like him!”
“Mom, how can you say that?” I had shot back, my voice trembling with anger. “Solomon is kind, intelligent, and loving. His disability doesn’t define him!”
A furious young woman | Source: Midjourney
“Love is blind. Think about your future, sweetie,” she’d pleaded. “The challenges you’ll face…”
I’d cut her off. “The only challenge I see is your narrow-mindedness. I love him, Mom. Why can’t that be enough for you?”
“You’re making a mistake,” she’d said, her voice cold.
“No,” I’d replied firmly. “The mistake would be letting your prejudice keep me from the man I love.”
An angry senior woman pointing her finger | Source: Midjourney
Then came the moment that haunts me still. Mom cruelly mimicked Solomon’s speech and hand signs, making exaggerated gestures and guttural sounds.
“Is this how you’ll communicate? Like this?”
I’d glanced at Solomon, seeing the deep hurt in his eyes. My heart shattered.
“We’re leaving,” I’d said icily, taking Solomon’s hand. The door slammed behind us, echoing with finality.
That day, I’d chosen love over prejudice. And I never looked back.
I hadn’t been back since then. Although Mom and I occasionally talked on the phone. That’s it.
Taking a deep breath, I snapped to the moment and called out to Solomon. It was time to face the past.
Dark memories lurked in the shadows of my mind, making me hesitant to bring Solomon to visit Mom.
When I showed him Mom’s letter, his eyes softened. His hands moved gracefully, signing that he’d gladly accompany me. His silent support spoke volumes.
We journeyed across continents to my childhood home. The familiar streets, the house, and even the peach tree outside felt like echoes of a distant past.
Eighteen years of marriage had changed everything, yet nothing. At the house, unfamiliar faces greeted us with unexpected news: Mom was in the hospital.
As we headed to the hospital, Solomon squeezed my hand reassuringly, but my heart sank.
Moments later, the doctor’s words hung heavy in the air. “Ten months, maybe a year at most.”
I gripped the edge of the plastic chair, my knuckles turning white. “There’s nothing else you can do?”
She shook her head, sympathy etched in the lines of her face. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Donovan. We’ve exhausted all options. The best we can do now is make her comfortable.”
I nodded numbly, watching through the window as a nurse adjusted Mom’s IV. Solomon’s hand found mine, squeezing gently.
“She wants to talk to you both,” the doctor said softly. “Alone.”
The hospital corridor stretched endlessly before us. Solomon’s hand was warm in mine as we paused outside Room 302, Mom’s ward.
“You okay?” Solomon signed, his brow furrowed with concern.
I nodded, not trusting my voice. With a trembling hand, I pushed open the door.
The room was dim, the only sound was the steady beep of machines. And there, looking small and frail in the hospital bed, was my mother, Helen.
Her eyes lit up when she saw me. “Emmie,” she breathed, reaching out a bony hand.
I rushed to her side, tears spilling down my cheeks. “Mom, I’m here. I’m here.”
We embraced, years of hurt and misunderstanding melting away in that moment. When we finally parted, Mom’s gaze shifted to Solomon, hovering uncertainly by the door.
“Solomon,” she said. “Please, come in.”
He approached slowly, his kind eyes full of forgiveness that I wasn’t sure I could muster myself.
“Sit, please,” she patted the bed beside her. “I have something important to ask.”
I perched on the edge, Solomon standing close behind me. Mom took a deep breath, her gaze intense.
“Emmie, Solomon… I don’t have much time left,” she began, her voice quavering. “But there’s one thing… one wish I have before I go.”
“Anything, Mom. What is it?”
“I want… I want a grandchild.”
The world seemed to tilt. I felt Solomon stiffen behind me.
“A grandchild to hold, to love,” Mom continued, her eyes pleading. “To know that a part of me lives on. Please, Emmie. It’s my dying wish.”
Her grip on my hand tightened. “You have time until your menopause. Please don’t say no to me. Please.”
“Mom,” I choked out. “We… we can’t. We decided…”
But she wasn’t listening.
Mom’s eyes flickered to Solomon, then back to me. She reached for a pen and paper, scribbling frantically. When she held up the note, my stomach churned.
Large, accusatory letters: “I WANT A GRANDCHILD BEFORE I DIE” met Solomon’s eyes as his shoulders sagged.
I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think. I turned to him, seeing the shock and pain etched on his face.
“Mom, we can’t…” I teared up, hoping against hope she would listen.
But she wasn’t listening. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she clutched my hand tighter. “Please, Emmie. Don’t deny me this. Don’t you love me?”
The room spun. I stumbled to my feet, pulling Solomon with me.
“I need some air,” I gasped, fleeing from the suffocating weight of my mother’s request.
The hospital garden was eerily quiet. I paced back and forth, my mind a whirlwind of emotions. Solomon sat on a nearby bench, his head in his hands.
“How could she ask that?” I signed furiously. “After everything… how could she?”
Solomon looked up, his eyes red-rimmed. He signed slowly, deliberately. “She’s scared, Emmie. She’s dying.”
I shook my head, anger and hurt battling within me. “That doesn’t give her the right to ask this of us. She knows why we chose not to have children. She knows what it means to you.”
He stood, taking my trembling hands in his. “I know. But…”
I stared at him, disbelieving. “No buts, Solomon. We agreed. Your fears about passing on your disability to our children… I respect that. I won’t force you into this.”
“But if it’s her last wish…” he trailed off, conflict clear on his face.
I cupped his cheek, my heart breaking for the millionth time. “No, my love. Our life, our choices. She has no right to ask this of us.”
Solomon nodded, a tear slipping down his cheek. I wiped it away gently, then squared my shoulders.
“I need to talk to her. Alone.”
I entered Mom’s room, steeling myself for the conversation ahead. She looked up expectantly, hope shining in her eyes.
“Mom,” I began. “We need to talk about what you asked.”
She reached for my hand, but I stepped back. Hurt flashed across her face.
“Emmie, please. It’s all I want. To know my legacy will continue…”
“No, Mom. Listen to me. What you’re asking… it’s not fair. Not to me, not to Solomon.”
“But—”
“No buts. Solomon and I made this decision together. We’re happy, Mom. Truly happy. Why can’t that be enough for you?”
Tears welled in her eyes. “You don’t understand. You’re being selfish, Emmie. This is my last wish!”
The word ‘selfish’ ignited something in me. Years of pent-up hurt and anger burst forth.
“Selfish? You’re calling me selfish?” I laughed bitterly. “Was it selfish when I chose love over your prejudice? When I stood by Solomon despite your cruel words and actions?”
Mom flinched, but I couldn’t stop.
“A child isn’t a gift you can demand, Mom. It’s a life. A responsibility. One that Solomon and I have chosen not to take on. And that’s our right.”
I took a deep breath, softening my tone. “I love you, Mom. But I won’t compromise my marriage or my principles. Not even for you.”
The machines beeped in the silence that followed. Mom turned away, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs.
“Get out,” she whispered. “Just… get out.”
Heart heavy, I left the room. Solomon was waiting outside. One look at my face told him everything.
“Let’s go home,” I signed wearily.
As we walked away to the airport, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d lost my mother all over again.
Several months crawled by. I tried calling… writing. But Mom’s silence was deafening. Then, on a crisp autumn morning, the call came.
I listened in numb disbelief as Uncle Frank’s voice crackled through the speaker. “Your mother passed last night, Emmie.”
My knees gave out. Solomon caught me, lowering us both to the floor as sobs wracked my body.
“The funeral’s tomorrow,” Uncle Frank continued, his tone cold. “But don’t bother coming. You’re not welcome here.”
“What?” I gasped. “She’s my mother!”
“A mother you betrayed,” he spat. “You denied her last wish, Emmie. You don’t deserve to say goodbye.”
The line went dead. I sat there, cradled in Solomon’s arms, as my world shattered around me.
We went to Mom’s funeral anyway. Stood at the back of the church, invisible to my grieving family. Watched from afar as they lowered her into the ground.
Not a single word. Not a single acknowledgment. Just cold, unforgiving silence.
Two years have passed. The pain has dulled, but the questions linger.
I stood by our pond, watching the koi swim in lazy circles. Solomon approached, wrapping his arms around me from behind.
“You okay?” he signed as I turned to face him.
I managed a small smile. “Just thinking.”
His eyes, so full of love and understanding, searched mine. “Regrets?”
I considered the question carefully. The hurt of being outcasted by my family. The guilt that sometimes creeps in late at night. The what-ifs that plague my dreams.
But then I looked at Solomon. At the life we’ve built. At the love that has withstood every storm.
“No,” I signed firmly. “No regrets.”
He pulled me close, and in that embrace, I found my answer. I made the right choice. For us. For our love.
And somewhere, I hope Mom understands. Love you, Mom. I still do. Always. 💔