Emily had imagined the first hours after giving birth many times, especially during the years when motherhood felt painfully out of reach. When she finally held her newborn triplets, Sophie, Lily, and Grace, the hospital room seemed to contain everything she had been fighting for: relief, love, and the beginning of a family she once feared she might never have.
But that fragile joy did not last long. When her husband, Jack, entered the maternity ward, he did not look like a man arriving to meet his daughters with excitement. He seemed tense, distant, and unable to settle into the moment.
Then he told Emily something she could barely process. According to him, his mother had spoken to a fortune teller who claimed the babies would bring misfortune to the family.
Emily waited for some sign that he did not believe it. None came.