Her Son's Sake

"What kind of question is that?" I asked, my brow furrowing in confusion.

"In my next life, I would still choose to meet Elijah, Marcus," I declared, my voice filled with unwavering determination as I locked eyes with him.

Marcus's gaze held a mixture of sadness and understanding. "I know you would. Elijah is a different kind of man, someone I am not," he responded.

Looking into his eyes, a flicker of love still remained, despite the painful memories that flooded my mind. The mistreatment, the embarrassment, the betrayal - it all came rushing back. How could I ever trust him again?

Although I longed to say yes, to surrender to the love that lingered, deep down I knew it would never work.

Our conversation was interrupted by the sound of our son Marco waking up. We both turned to him, seeing him lying on the hospital bed with tubes and wires attached to his small body.

"Mommy, Daddy," he weakly called out, his voice filled with love and longing.

Rushing to his side, we held his hands an