A pregnant mother of three needed to sell her stroller to feed her children after being abandoned by her husband. Anne Sargent sat on her kitchen floor, crying in the stillness of the night. It was past midnight, the only time she allowed herself to show her pain while her three kids slept upstairs.
Feeling her baby move, she placed a hand on her belly. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’m doing my best, but it’s just not good enough…” Just two months ago, Anne had been a happy wife and mother, eagerly awaiting the birth of her fourth child, secure in her husband’s love. That woman felt like a distant memory.
Derek had come home one night and abruptly told her he was leaving. “But why?” Anne asked, bewildered. “I thought we were happy!”
“YOU were happy!” he shouted. “YOU…”
Anne was devastated by his attitude. She ran her hand over the stroller’s painted roses, biting back tears. She needed it for the new baby, but the money was more pressing. Vintage items were popular at flea markets, so she took the stroller and sold it for $50—not much, but every cent helped.
Anne sold her beautiful vintage stroller in the flea market. | Source: Unsplash
Two days later, Anne opened her front door to find the stroller on her porch. Inside was an envelope with a note: “Please call me.” The message was followed by a phone number.
Curious and anxious, Anne called. “Hello?” she said. “Are you the person who left the stroller? How did you know where I live?”
“I’m Grace Robbs,” the woman replied. “Derek told me about you. I think we should meet.”
An hour later, Grace sat on Anne’s sofa, looking unhappy. Her pale skin was blotchy, and her eyes were swollen from crying.
“How do you know Derek?” Anne asked, already suspecting the answer.
“I was his girlfriend,” Grace admitted.
“Was?” Anne pressed. “You broke up?”
“Today, as a matter of fact,” Grace said, tears streaming down her face. “I didn’t know about you or the kids… or the baby. I found out I was pregnant and didn’t know how to tell him.”
Grace explained that she had seen the stroller at the flea market and bought it, wanting to surprise Derek. But when she revealed it, he exploded, accusing her of trying to trap him. He told her to return the stroller, saying he didn’t want her baby.
Anne got up and put her arm around the crying woman. “It’s okay. It’s going to be okay.”
Grace confessed she had nowhere to go and couldn’t afford to live alone. “I’ll take you in!” Anne said. “I need a roommate, and you can help with the kids after school.”
Grace’s face lit up. “I work online! I love kids!”
Anne was delighted. “I can take a full-time job managing a grocery store with your help! And you don’t have to worry about baby stuff; I have plenty.”
They comforted each other, forging a new path. When Anne’s baby was born, Grace was there for her. Four months later, Anne held Grace’s hand during her delivery. They became a real family, raising their five children together.
As for Derek, he struggled in several failed relationships and eventually came knocking on Anne’s door. Shocked to see Grace there, he asked to speak to Anne.
“What do you want, Derek?” she asked.
“I miss you, babe…” he said.
Anne stared at him for a moment before firmly replying, “Sorry, so not interested!” She then closed the door, moving forward with her life.
