Renata used to be a beautiful ballerina, but she stopped dancing when she and Heath decided to have a child. She was so happy and excited about the next part of their story.
The perfect world they lived in started to fall apart as the birth date got closer. Renata gave birth to their daughter Olivia before she was due, when she was only seven months old.
The delivery required surgery. Renata fell into a deep sleep that didn’t wake her up for years. Heath never gave up hope; she was sure she would wake up in the end.
Renata finally woke up one day, but she was in for a huge surprise.
“Where is the child?” May I see her?” Renata asked, and her voice was both eager and weak.
“Yes, sweetheart. “But… I think you might be in for a surprise,” Heath said.
When a young woman walked into the room, Renata’s confusion grew. “Who is she?” Is she the helper? “Where is our child?” With a frown, she asked as the stranger called her “Mom.”
Heath took a big breath. “No, sweetheart. “The story is long.” He started to explain slowly, but Renata’s mind wouldn’t accept it.
“No!” You’re not telling the truth! This joke is mean! That’s not possible!” The sound of Renata’s voice shaking as she cried. “Get that girl out of here!” I need my child!”
But this was just the start.
What Heath was saying made Renata’s heart race as she tried to understand it. How is this possible? There was a young woman standing in front of her calling her “Mom” right after she had given birth. Her mind was racing, and she wouldn’t accept what was happening around her.
Heath took her hand gently. He looked into her eyes with a mix of love and sadness. He said in a soft voice, “Renata, you’ve been in a coma for eighteen years.” “The little girl, Olivia, our daughter, is grown up now.” “This is her.”
She felt like the world was spinning around her, and her breath caught. She whispered, “Eighteen years?” so that no one could hear her. As she stood at the foot of her bed, nervous, she looked at the young woman. Olivia was waiting for her mother to say something while her eyes were filled with tears and a look of longing and fear.
Renata put her hands to her mouth and shook her head very hard. “No, no, that can’t be true,” she told him, but her voice was shaking. “I had her just now.” She is a child. “How…how could eighteen years go by so quickly?”
Heath put his hand on hers and his eyes lit up. Renata, I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s true. It’s like you fell asleep right after Olivia was born. Thought you might never wake up, I prayed and hoped that you would one day. And you did it today.”
The news made Renata cry freely, and her chest tensed up with the weight of it. 18 years. She had missed her baby’s first smile, her first steps, and her first words. She had missed all of life’s important events. It hurt so much for her heart to break into a million pieces.
Olivia took a step toward him, her hands shaking. “Mom, it’s me,” she said in a shakey, soft voice. “I know this is a lot to take in, but… I’ve waited my whole life for you to wake up.” Dad told me everything about you, like how much you loved dancing and how thrilled you were to be a mom. She thought about it for a moment, looking at Renata’s face. “I’ve always dreamed of meeting you.”
Renata felt a lot of different emotions at once: happiness, shock, sadness, and a strange sense of loss for the life she never got to live. She had a lot of questions, but she couldn’t bring herself to ask them. She looked Olivia in the eyes and saw parts of herself in her. Olivia had the same dark eyes and soft smile. When I looked at it, it was like seeing a reflection of a stranger.
It was too much, though. Renata looked up at Heath and begged him. “I don’t get it.” How is this possible? “How could you… keep going without me?”
Heath knelt next to her bedside and held her hand. His face was scrunched up. “Renata, I hadn’t had to do anything so hard in my life. I had to be strong for Olivia, though. She needed me to take care of her and let her know I loved her. I would come to the hospital every day and sit with you. I would tell you about our day and how she was doing. I hoped you could hear me and know that everything was okay. I always wished you would come back, though.
Even more tears came out of Renata’s eyes, and she looked back at Olivia, who was still standing there and looking sad and confused. “I… I missed everything,” she choked out. “I wasn’t there for you.”
Olivia stepped forward, and Renata was shocked when Olivia gently wrapped her arms around her. Olivia whispered, “But you’re here now.” Her voice was shaking. “I understand it’s not the same, but I’m glad you’re here.” This is the first time I’ve ever met you, Mom.
Renata melted into her daughter’s arms, and Olivia’s shoulder was wet with her tears. It hurt to remember all the things she had missed while getting hugged. But the words wouldn’t come out of her throat when she wanted to say she was sorry.
Olivia pulled away after a long time, her tears still running down her cheeks. As she spoke, her voice shook. “I want to share so much with you,” she said. “But I get it if you need time. There’s a lot here to take in.
Renata wiped her eyes and nodded. She said, “I… I don’t even know where to start.” “I feel like I’m waking up in someone else’s life.”
Heath stood up, and his face showed that he understood. He said, “Let’s go slow.” “Don’t rush. We’ll help you get used to things and answer all your questions. However, Renata, please know that Olivia is now a lovely, kind, and skilled young woman. She was strong and loved because you were there for her, even though you weren’t there in person.
Renata felt proud in a way that was both bitter and sweet. There was nothing she thought she deserved praise for, but hearing that her daughter had done well gave her a small bit of hope. “Thank you,” she said in a low voice, looking at Heath and Olivia. “Thank you for taking care of her, for loving her.”
Olivia smiled even though she was crying. “Mom, I want to show you everything. The place where I’ve been taking ballet lessons, my room, my pictures, and… “Your dad told me you were a great dancer, and I wanted to be just like you.”
Renata’s eyes got bigger. “You dance?” she asked, her voice full of happiness and surprise.
Olivia gave a nod, and her eyes lit up. “Okay. It brings me closer to you, like I have a piece of you with me.
Renata smiled, and her lips shook. It was the first time since she woke up that she felt warm. She hadn’t been there to see her daughter grow up, but she thought there might be a chance to be a part of her life now.
“Then show me,” she said in a low voice. “Show me everything.”
The days that followed were crazy, with lots of happy, sad, and enlightening moments. Olivia showed Renata pictures from her childhood, birthday parties, school plays, and dance recitals in photo albums she brought in. Renata found out that Olivia loved reading books, was very interested in ballet, and had won a scholarship to a very good dance school. Renata was slowly putting together the nineteen years she had lost by telling new stories. Each story was like a new piece of a puzzle.
It was evening, and Olivia had gone home to rest. Renata was sitting in her hospital bed with Heath next to her. When she looked at him, her eyes went straight to his. She said quietly, “Heath, you did a great job.” “Taking care of her and raising her. I can’t picture how tough it must have been.”
Heath gave a sad smile. “She made it worth it, even though it was hard.” Deep down, I knew that you would want me to keep going. Not on her or on you, I couldn’t give up.
She took his hand, and her heart grew full of love and gratitude. She said, “Thank you,” in a whisper. “For not giving up on me.”
Heath kissed her on the forehead as he leaned in. He said, “We need to catch up on a lot.” “But we’ll do it together, one step at a time.”
Renata lay down and stared at the ceiling. She felt a strange peace come over her. She woke up in a different world than the one she had left behind. There were new people she didn’t know, new challenges, and eighteen years of life she had missed. She still had Heath, though. She still had Olivia, too.
In spite of everything, that meant she had a second chance.
