A pregnant mother of three has to sell her stroller to feed her three children after being abandoned by her husband.

Anne Sargent sat on the floor of her kitchen, crying. It was past midnight, and this was the only time she could allow herself to show her pain—when her three children were asleep upstairs.
Anne felt the baby move and placed a tender hand on her stomach. “I’m sorry,” she whispered to her unborn child. “I’m doing my best, but it’s just not enough…”

Only two months ago, Anne was a radiantly happy wife and mother, confidently awaiting the birth of her fourth child, certain of her place in the world and of her husband’s love. That woman was now gone.

Derek had come home one night and told her he was leaving, just like that. “But why?” Anne asked. “I don’t understand, I thought we were happy!”

“YOU were happy!” Derek cried. “YOU, not me! All you did was have babies and take care of them, and now there’s another one on the way!”

“But you wanted children!” Anne protested. “You were happy every time I was pregnant…”

A family is built on mutual understanding and respect.
“Happy?” Derek yelled. “Happy that you gave all your love and attention to the kids? All I was to you was a paycheck! Well, that’s over!”

So three months after Anne announced her fourth pregnancy, Derek was gone. Anne immediately went and got a part-time job at a local supermarket.

The landlord would have been willing to give her a full-time job, but to do that, Anne would have had to pay a nanny for her three boys, which would have taken up most of her salary. So she stretched her salary carefully. But even with the child support check Derek sent, it just wasn’t enough.

Anne began selling antique dishes she had inherited from her grandmother, which paid the bills for a few months. Then she sold a silver brush and mirror set she had had since she was a little girl, which paid for groceries. Gradually, as her belly grew, Anne sold her treasures to keep her family safe and fed.

Then one day there was nothing left to sell except bric-a-brac. Everything of value was gone. Anne looked at the old stroller she had brought up from the cellar.

It had been hers when she was a baby and had been used by each of her children in turn. It was very old, probably from the sixties, but in perfect condition.

She ran her hand over the roses painted on the side and held back tears. She needed them for the new baby, but she needed the money even more.

She thought she could get a good price for it at the flea market. Vintage items were always popular… So she took the stroller to the flea market, and one of the merchants gave her $50 for it. It wasn’t much, but every penny counted.

Anne walked away, sure she would never see the stroller again, but she was wrong. Two days later, she opened the front door and saw the stroller on the porch!

There was an envelope inside and Anne opened it to read: “Please call me.” The message was followed by a phone number. Anne called the number and a woman answered.

“Hello?” Anne said. “Are you the person who left the stroller? How did you know who it belonged to and where I live?”

“Derek told me about it,” the woman on the other side replied. “I’m Grace Robbs. I think we should meet.”

An hour later Grace was sitting on Anne’s sofa sipping tea. She was a pretty woman, six or seven years younger than Anne, and she looked very unhappy. Her pale skin was marked and her eyes were swollen as if she had been crying.

“How do you know Derek?” Anne asked, even though deep down she already knew the answer.

“I was his girlfriend,” Grace said.

“Was?” Anne asked. “Did you break up?”

“Today, actually,” Grace answered, starting to cry. “I didn’t know… I didn’t know about you, the kids, or the baby… I found out I was pregnant, and I didn’t know how to tell him…”

“So I went to the flea market with a friend and saw this adorable stroller and bought it. I put it in the middle of the living room and tied balloons to it that said, ‘Hello Dad!’”

“But he wasn’t happy like I thought he would be. He started screaming and asking where the stroller came from and if his stupid wife had given it to me. He asked if it was a joke.”

“He told me to bring it back right away, that he didn’t want to know anything about your baby. So I told him, ‘It’s for OUR baby.’ and that’s when he got mad.”

“He accused me of trying to set him up and said he already had three kids with you and one more on the way, and he didn’t want my baby. He told me to leave and go to you.”

“He said, ‘Might as well have all the cash cows under one roof.’ I’m so sorry, I didn’t know about you, I guess I didn’t know him at all!”

Anne stood up and put her arm around the crying girl. “It’s going to be okay. It’s going to be okay, you’ll see.”

“He kicked me out,” Grace said quietly. “I don’t have any family here and I don’t know where to go. I have a job, but with the rents in this city, I can’t afford to live alone, and who wants a pregnant roommate?”

“I will!” Anne said firmly. “I need a lodger because what I earn is not enough, and I can’t work full time because I can’t afford a nanny after school.”

“But…” Grace’s face lit up. “I work online! I can take care of the kids after school. I love kids!”

“So I can take a full-time job?” Anne asked, delighted. “The owner of the supermarket wants me to run it for him. With your help, I can do it! And you don’t have to worry about baby stuff. After three kids, I have enough for an army.”

Grace smiled through her tears. “And we have the stroller too…” she pointed out. “Are you sure? It’s Derek’s baby…”

“No,” Anne shook her head. “He’s YOUR baby, and my children’s brother, that’s all that matters.”

The two women settled into a new life together, and when Anne’s baby was born, Grace was there. When it was Grace’s turn four months later, Anne held her hand. They became a real family and raised their five children together.

As for Derek, he had several failed relationships and eventually knocked on Anne’s door. He was shocked to see Grace there and asked to speak to Anne. “What do you want, Derek?” Anne asked.

“I miss you, honey…” Derek said.

Anne looked at him for a long time and then said: “Sorry, but I’m really not interested!” And she closed the door in front of him.