He moved closer and wrapped his arms around me.
“Forgive me, Emily. I was scared because I thoughtyou’d done something dangerous during your pregnancy. But I should have listened to you first.”
I explained that the tattoos were temporary and that I had decided to wait until
after the baby was born before getting permanent ones, once I had consulted professionals and made sure it was safe.
Michael took my hand.
“Do you know what hurts the most? I was so used to seeing you smile that I never noticed how unhappy you were inside.”
The next morning, my mother-in-law returned.
She was still angry.
“Emily, Ihaven’t slept all night. I simply don’t understand why you’ve changed yourself like this.”
For the first time in my life, I decided not to remain silent.
“Mom, when you saw me yesterday, what did you notice?”
She looked surprised.
“Your tattoos, of course.”
“But did you look at my face?”
She didn’t answer.
