A Mother’s Undying Love

By Mylinda Antoinette

Summary: On her eighteenth birthday, Mylinda Antoinette is reminiscing about her mother, who died giving birth to her. But this birthday holds a special surprise for her, as her father brings in a gift that he has been keeping for her for eighteen years... a gift from her mother.

Author's Note: Yes, the girl in this story shares my name. That is because I technically share her name- my pen name was derived from the name of this character that I created. One other thing you should know before you start reading- 112 is the French equivalent of 911. (My best friend told me that!)

Mylinda Antoinette sat quietly on her bed, thinking. Today was supposed to be a good day, a happy day- the day she turned 18. But it wasn’t. Instead, it was a day of sorrow, and thoughts of her mother, whom she’d never really known.

Today was also the 18th anniversary of her mother’s death.

She heard a knock at her door. “Come in,” she called out in a choked up voice. She cleared her throat as her door opened and James Laramie Antoinette, her father, came in.

He sat on the bed next to her. Her family didn’t celebrate her birthday, since Mylinda had insisted years before that it wasn’t right to celebrate anything on the anniversary of her mother’s death.

“So, you’re 18 today. I can hardly believe it. The years have flown by,” he commented. Then he looked at her and smiled. “You look so much like your mother!” he exclaimed, as he did every year. Today she was wearing her favorite outfit, a carnation pink plaited skirt that fell to her knees, bright pink, high-heeled sandals that had belonged to her mother, a white blouse with elbow-length sleeves with a non-sleeved knit shirt of the same pink as her skirt and heels over it, and a pink watch on her wrist, which had also belonged to her mother. Her natural, chestnut brown ringlets spilled over her shoulders, and her bright purple eyes glistened at her beloved father’s comment.

“You always say that, Dad,” she whispered, managing a smile for him.

“That’s because it’s true. Anyway, I have something for you,” he explained, pulling a plain white envelope from behind his back. He handed it to her. She took it and looked it over, and as she did so, noticed that the envelope was blank except for the words ‘Mylinda Aaralyn Antoinette’, her full name, written on it in a handwriting she didn’t recognize. She looked questioningly at her father, and he smiled and gave a quick nod in the direction of the envelope, indicating that she was to open it. She took her letter opener from her desk and carefully slit the envelope, pulling out two folded up sheets of paper and a locket. She was surprised to see the locket, and was going to reach for it to examine it, but her father covered it with his hand. “Read the letter first,” he insisted. “Those were my instructions.”

Mylinda curiously unfolded the pages, but then she stopped cold when she noticed the opening line. ‘To my beloved daughter, Mylinda…’ She knew her father had not written it because this was not his handwriting, so that only left…

Realization dawned upon her and she looked up at her father quickly, suddenly. “Daddy,” she began, her voice trembling.

“Just read the letter,” he firmly insisted, smiling gently.

Mylinda glanced back down at the paper and began to read.

To my beloved daughter, Mylinda:

I write you this letter only a few minutes after your birth. The doctors have just told me that I have only a few hours left to live at most. For some unknown reason, I am slowly losing strength, and there is nothing they can do about it. So, I have given your father instructions to give this to you on your 18th birthday.

I feel great sorrow because I will never be able to experience your laughter, your first word, your first steps. I won’t be able to share your joy when you experience your first kiss, your first date, or your engagement. But the hardest thing is the knowledge that I won’t be there for your wedding, for when you find out you’re pregnant, and when you give birth to your own children. But know, Mylinda, sweetie, that I love you more than anything this world has to offer.

Now, I would like to tell you about how your father and I first met. It is a story I would have eventually told you anyway, as a bedtime story. However, it is also a story I know your father will never tell you.

I was fifteen at the time, and I went to the same school you will be going to by the time you read this, Kadic High School. Anyway, I was walking home from school, and I was about three blocks from my house when a masked man jumped in front of me. I was frightened, for this had happened to one of my friends, and the man had robbed her, and then raped her. The man ordered me to hand him my purse, and I was preparing to do so when a young man flung himself at my attacker, knocking him down. He carried a fairly large stick with him, and he used it to knock the man unconscious. He then took out his cell phone and dialed 112 before coming over to make sure I wasn’t hurt. At that point I recognized my savior as James Laramie Antoinette, a fourteen-year-old freshman and our school’s quarterback. He was also in the running for MVP of the football team, even though it was his first year on the team. He had always seemed pretty cute to me, but that was nothing compared to what he looked like up close! His bright blue eyes were filled with obvious concern for my safety, and his locks of rich, deep, dark chocolate brown hair fell in soft waves to his forehead and ears. He had a gentle smile to help me to calm down, and it worked instantly. At that moment, I felt something I had never felt before. Sure, I had had crushes on guys before, but this feeling was something totally different.

James, or Jamie as he later became known to me, stuck around until the police came and collected my still-unconscious attacker, and then he walked me home every day until I graduated from Kadic High, just in case something else happened, since I found out he lived just down the street from me. After the incident, we began to spend more and more time together. I was a year ahead of him in classes, but I didn’t mind hanging out with an underclassman, especially one so cute. Three years later, when I was eighteen and he seventeen, he popped the question. Obviously, I said yes, with all my heart. Our parents were stunned by the match, but not in a bad way. On the contrary, we found out that Jamie’s parents had been eyeing me as a possibility for a suitable mate for their son, and vice versa with my parents and Jamie. We were married a year later, three months after he graduated high school, and we have been married for almost 20 years!

Now, I have one more interesting fact to tell you before I close this letter so I can spend my last few minutes on this Earth holding you in my arms. You, your father, and I were all born at 12:09 PM on March 5 in Kadic Hospital, Room 237, although we were born in different years.

I love you very much, Mylinda, my dear! Don’t you ever doubt that for a second! I now give you all the hugs and kisses I would have given you if I remained alive! Be good for your father. Goodbye!

Your loving mother,

Aaralyn Alaina Antoinette

Mylinda looked up, tears shining in her eyes.

“Your mother made it quite clear that she wanted you to read this on your eighteenth birthday. She loved you so much! She vowed the day she found out she was pregnant with you that she would give her life for you if she had to. She had you in her will within a week of finding out you were a girl- she had to wait so she would know what to set aside to leave for you. She was ecstatic about being pregnant! She loved it; she said it was the best time of her life!”

“I know, Daddy, you’ve told me more than once. It’s just… is that really how you and mom met?” she laughed, her eyes twinkling. “I never knew you were so heroic!”

James rolled his eyes, though he smiled. “Of all the stories your mother could have told you, she just HAD to pick that one! I should’ve known!” He started laughing then, and as he laughed, his hand lifted from its position over the locket. The glinting gold immediately caught Mylinda’s eye, and she snatched it up from the bed. She began to closely examine it. It was a 24-karat heart-shaped gold locket. There was a single diamond in the center and at least twenty or thirty more around the edge of the locket. She opened it up- and gasped.

The picture inside was of a pretty woman that looked like an older version of her in a hospital bed, holding a newborn infant, with her husband standing next to them, hugging them.

“That was the only true family picture we ever got. Your mother wanted to make sure you had a picture of your whole family,” James explained, tears now coming to his own eyes. “Would you like me to help you put it on?”

Mylinda nodded, accepting the help, since tears were now blurring her sight so badly she could barely see. James stood and took the locket as Mylinda turned around so her back was facing her father and lifted her hair so it wouldn’t get caught in the clasp. Her father quickly fastened it, choking back his tears. Just then, there was a knock at the front door.

“I’ll be right, back, Lindy,” he promised as he walked off to answer the door. Mylinda just sat there, thinking about this gift that was from a person she never really knew, when someone suddenly rapped on her open door. She turned to see a familiar face, and a very bright expression grew on her face. “Rona!” she cried, getting up and running to her boyfriend before flinging herself in his arms.

“How are you, Mylinda?” Rona asked, knowing how hard this day was every year for her.

She smiled up at him. “I’m doing much better than I normally do.” She then pulled out the letter and showed it to him. He read through it and smiled. He hugged her, glad that she had received something this special from her mother.

“Oh, Linda, I’m so happy for you!”

She smiled happily. “But that’s not even the best part,” she said. She reached up to her neck and opened up the locket, showing it to Rona. He smiled brightly.

“Wow, Mylinda… your mother was really beautiful.” He looked up at her. “And you look exactly like her. I would have guessed she was your mother. You’re just like her.”

“That’s true,” James agreed from the doorway. They looked at him. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything, but I just wanted you to know I have refreshments downstairs when you’re ready for them.” Mylinda smiled and went over to hug and kiss her father.

“Thanks, Dad. We’ll be down in a minute.” She hugged him again. “I love you, Daddy,” she said softly. He smiled.

“I love you, too, Mylinda, and I thank God every day for giving you to me.” He hugged her again as the tears began to spill from his eyes. “Rona, would you like to join us?”

“Yes, sir, as long as you’re certain I’m not imposing.” James smiled.

“Never. You’re so close to my daughter, you’re family. You are always welcome here.” He kissed his daughter one more time. “Let’s go downstairs, sweetheart.”

The trio walked downstairs to spend the rest of the day talking about Mylinda’s mother. Before the day was over, Rona presented her with a gift- a ring accompanied by a proposal of marriage, both of which Mylinda happily accepted. As Mylinda crawled into bed that night, she couldn’t help feeling that her mother had been watching over her that day, giving Mylinda her blessing, because in her perspective, it had been the perfect day.

I hope you enjoyed reading this- I wrote it a long time ago, and I just recently found it again and revised it to post here! Please leave a review on your way out! I do accept anonymous reviews, but I prefer if an email is left so that I can reply to comments if I so choose. Thank you!