CHAPTER 27

*First Person Perspective*

~ Enise~

The morning had started out just like any other. I woke up early to prepare for my usual check-up with Miracle, my sweet little girl, whom I cherished the most . She had always been a ball of energy, with a wide smile and a curiosity that matched her age. I had developed a routine with her—checking her vitals, making sure she was healthy, keeping her comfortable. In many ways, I tried to make up for lost times, you know? Even though it really would never measure up to the times I missed in her life. She showed me nothing but love and kindness,

But today, it was different, as I walked into her room, something felt off. Miracle was sitting on her bed, her small arms crossed tightly across her chest. Her eyes, usually full of wonder, were narrowed, and she glared at me as I entered.

"Miracle?" I called gently, my voice soft and warm, hoping to coax her into her usual bubbly self.

She didn’t respond at first, but I saw her eyes flicker toward me. Then, she turned her head away.

"Go away, I don't want to see you ever again" she said to me very harshly her little innocent face scrunched in defiance. This was rare and highly usual

I blinked, caught off guard. Was she playing? No, she couldn’t be. There was a coldness in her tone that made my heart drop.

"What? Miracle, why?" I asked, stepping closer to her.

She looked at me then, her eyes filled with a mixture of anger and hurt that I couldn’t understand.

"You’re evil," she said, her voice cutting through the silence like a knife.

My chest tightened. I was taken aback. Evil? What had I done to deserve such a harsh word from her? I had done nothing but try to care for her and be there for her, and now, she was calling me evil?

"Miracle, I—" I began, but she cut me off, standing up from her bed.

"I don’t want you here! Go away!" she yelled, picking up one of her toys and throwing it in my direction.

I barely had time to react as the toy hit me in the chest. It didn’t hurt physically, but the sting of it emotionally was unbearable. I took a step back, my eyes wide. What had happened? Was this the same little girl I had spent so much time with? The girl who would hug me when I entered her room and smile so brightly I could barely hold back my own happiness?

"Miracle," I said, my voice trembling now. "What did I do? Why are you saying these things?"

But she didn’t respond. Instead, she turned her back to me, and that was when I realized. She wasn’t playing. She wasn’t just being difficult. She genuinely hated me for some reason I couldn't place my hands on

My heart shattered as I watched her sit down on the edge of the bed, her back to me. The small, fragile girl I had come to reclaim was pushing me away in a way that I couldn’t understand. It wasn’t just the harsh words—it was the finality in her tone, the certainty in her eyes that I didn’t belong.

I felt a lump form in my throat, and my heart felt heavy in my chest. The confusion and pain were overwhelming. I had never wanted to hurt Miracle, and yet, here she was, pushing me away with everything she had. What had I done? Why had I been so blind to whatever it was that had caused this sudden change in her behavior?

I had no answers. Only the bitter taste of rejection.

---

I left the room quietly, my steps slow and heavy. My heart was pounding in my chest as I made my way down the hall, my mind reeling. What had happened? Why was she so upset with me?

I couldn’t bear it anymore. I needed to talk to Lucas. He had to understand, he had to help me figure this out. Maybe it was just a phase. Maybe I had done something unknowingly that had set her off. Either way, I needed answers.

I found him in his study, his eyes focused on a set of papers spread across his desk. But when I entered, he looked up immediately, concern flashing across his perfect beautiful features.

"Dr Denise?" His voice was soft, and I could see the worry in his eyes as he set the papers aside. "What’s wrong?"

I didn’t even know how to begin. The words were stuck in my throat, and I felt a rush of frustration and sadness all at once.

"It’s Miracle," I said, my voice unsteady. "She... she won’t talk to me. She says she doesn’t want me around anymore."

Lucas’s brow furrowed as he stood up, walking over to me. "What do you mean? Did something happen?"

I nodded, my eyes filling with tears. "She called me evil, Lucas. She threw her toys at me and told me to leave. She won’t even look at me."

I couldn’t stop the tears from flowing now. They spilled down my face in a rush, and I wiped them away, embarrassed by my sudden outburst. "What did I do? I don’t understand. I’ve done everything for her. I’ve tried to be there for her, but now she hates me for whatever reason. I don't like this feeling." I couldn't hold it in, I couldn't control the tears so I just let them fall freely down my cheeks

Lucas stood in front of me, his expression softening as he took a step closer. He reached out and gently placed a hand on my shoulder, his touch grounding me in the storm of emotions swirling inside me.

"Denise," he said quietly, his voice calm but with an edge of concern. "I’m sure there’s a reason for this. You know Miracle doesn’t hate you. She’s just… confused. Something must have happened. We just need to figure out what."

I nodded, but my heart was still heavy, the weight of her words echoing in my mind. Evil. The word kept repeating itself, over and over. How could she say that to me? What had I done to make her feel that way?

"I’ve tried everything," I whispered, feeling like a failure. "I’ve been kind, I’ve tried to make her feel safe. I don’t understand why she would say something like that. I tried to make her talk to me but she blatantly ignored me. She turned her back to me and wouldn't even look at me. I've tried everything" I sniffed and he handed me a paper towel and sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I don’t know either, but we can’t jump to conclusions. Maybe she’s heard something she misunderstood, or maybe she’s feeling threatened in some way. Kids don’t always know how to express their feelings, but they find a way to lash out when they’re upset."

I wiped my eyes, trying to compose myself. "But what if she really does hate me?" I asked, the fear in my voice unmistakable. "What if I’m the reason she’s hurting?"

Lucas didn’t respond immediately. He studied me for a moment, as if weighing his words carefully. Finally, he spoke, his voice firm. "Miracle is confused, Denise. She’s young. Kids at that age don’t always have a clear understanding of their emotions. This isn’t your fault. You’ve done nothing wrong."

"But I don’t know how to fix this," I said, frustration bubbling up inside me again. "How can I make her understand that I care for her? How do I show her that I’m not the enemy? That I'm not evil"

His eyes softened with understanding, and he gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "We’ll figure it out together. Maybe we should talk to her. Gently. Ask her why she feels this way. Let her know we’re here for her, and that we want to help her."

I nodded, feeling a flicker of hope. "Okay. I’ll try. But it’s just so hard, Lucas. I can’t bear the thought of her hating me."

He smiled gently, his hand lingering on my shoulder. "You’re a good person, Denise. She’ll come around. Just give her time."

I took a deep breath, steeling myself for whatever was to come. I wasn’t sure how to make things right, but I knew I had to try. For Miracle and for myself.

The next few hours were a blur of worry and uncertainty. I couldn’t stop thinking about Miracle, about the things she had said, about how I had failed her somehow. I kept replaying the moments in my head, trying to pinpoint the exact moment when everything had shifted, but I couldn’t find any answers. All I had were questions. I couldn't but feel like a bad mother, like a failure. My own daughter think I'm evil. Which mother can handle that?

By late afternoon, Lucas and I returned to Miracle’s room. This time, I was determined to approach the situation with more patience, to give her the space to express herself without overwhelming her. I took a deep breath before knocking gently on the door.

"Miracle?" I called softly, my voice barely above a whisper. "Can we talk?"

There was silence from the other side, but I heard the shuffle of small feet before the door creaked open. Miracle stood there, her arms still crossed, her face hard with emotion, but there was a subtle shift in her stance, like she was waiting for something.

"Can we sit down?" I asked quietly, my heart in my throat. "I just want to understand why you’re upset."

She hesitated for a moment, then slowly stepped aside, allowing me to enter. I could feel the tension in the room, thick and heavy, but I pushed it aside. This was a chance for us to fix things.

Lucas joined me, sitting beside Miracle on the bed. He didn’t say anything, just waited patiently for the right moment to speak.

I knelt down in front of her, trying to be at her level. "Miracle, I know you’re angry at me, but I need you to tell me why. Please."

For a long moment, she didn’t respond. But then, her little voice broke the silence.

"You are stealing my daddy away from me and my mummy" she dropped. Her words draped with so much pain and sadness. To say I was shocked is an understatement. Where did that even come from?.

My heart shattered at the sound of her words. "Oh, Miracle," I whispered, my voice breaking. "What are you talking about? Who told you that ? Where did you get that idea?" I asked so many questions at a time

She looked at me with distrust, her tiny face scrunching in confusion. "The way you're always with him and the way he stares at you. It's very clear that daddy loves you and not mommy. That makes you evil" she said, her voice small and full of hurt.

I didn’t have a response for her right away. I was in utter shock and disbelief. My mind raced as I tried to make sense of her feelings, but all I could think was that she had misunderstood something, something I hadn’t even realized. She was just five years old for goodness sake. How was I supposed to tell and make her feel otherwise?

"I’m sorry, Miracle," I said softly, taking her small hand in mine. "I didn’t know you felt that way. But I promise you. Your daddy and I are just friends. We don't have anything between us" I said in the calmest way possible but she shook her head

"I don't believe you. You're lying"

Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked up at me. "Even daddy told me so himself. He says he likes you very much and not mummy. He said she's not coming back and that's all because of you. It's all your fault." She was crying profusely by now. I turned to Lucas, shock in my eyes. He shook his head, trying to disregard what she had just said

I felt a lump form in my throat, the helplessness threatening to overwhelm me. I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. "Miracle, please don't say that, your daddy loves your mommy much more than you can imagine, am I right?" I turned over to Lucas and he nodded immediately

"Yes, honey. I love your mummy with all of my heart and nothing will change that" She still wasn't convinced and just turned away from me

"You're just saying that to make me feel better, I know what's happening so just go away" She answered

"You really mean that?" My voice was a low whisper. I thought I was already broken, but the nod that came after that question broke my heart to a deeper depth and all I could do was nod

Lucas tried to reason with her, he tried to talk me out of it but since this was what she wanted, then I'll do it.

It was the sacrifice I was willing to take just to see her happy