Chapter 16

In the bedroom, the bedside lamp cast a soft, warm yellow glow. It fell across the bed and onto Valeria's face. Her skin was fair and smooth, carrying a gentle luster. Her expression was tender as she softly patted the little girl's back. In her sleep, Selena murmured, "Mommy." "Hey, Mommy's here." In these seven years, the thing Valeria regretted the least was having Selena. She felt that this was the most wonderful gift the universe had given her. Of course, it had also taken some things. Valeria undid her clothes, lowering her head to look at her flat, fair stomach. The C-section scar was already very faint. There was just a thin, light pink line. She had pale skin, so even after seven years, the scar was still obvious. Whenever the night grew quiet and deep, she wondered if her child might have survived had she gone to the hospital a bit earlier. Or if she hadn't argued with Jennifer, hadn't been pushed and injured her abdomen, hadn't hemorrhaged so badly—would the baby hav