You Lost Me The Day You Chose Her

‎“I’m sorry, Mrs. Morgan,” the doctor said gently. “Your daughter’s symptoms are getting worse. I recommend transferring her to another specialist.” ‎ ‎“You mean... there’s nothing that can be done?” I asked, pulling my daughter closer. ‎ ‎“For now, we can only manage her symptoms,” the doctor replied softly. “Unfortunately, there is no known cure. Ava’s condition has progressed, and she needs closer monitoring from an expert.” ‎ ‎Her words shattered me. ‎ ‎“Okay,” I whispered after a long pause. “I’ll proceed with the transfer.” ‎ ‎I returned to Ava’s bedside and carefully tucked the blanket around her tiny body. Her breathing was uneven tonight. ‎ ‎“Mommy...” she murmured weakly. ‎ ‎“I’m here, sweetheart.” I brushed the damp strands of hair away from her forehead. “Mommy’s right here.” ‎ ‎Her little fingers wrapped around mine. They were so small... so fragile now. It hadn’t always been like this. Three years ago, Ava had been the happiest little girl, always running around with the brightest smile. ‎ ‎“Let’s go home and see Daddy,” I told her with a smile. “He’s waiting for you, and he even found your favorite toy.” ‎ ‎Before leaving the hospital, I had texted Sebastian to let him know we were coming home. As expected, he never replied. ‎ ‎“Really?” Ava's eyes sparkled. “Daddy's home today?” ‎ ‎“Yes.” ‎ ‎She smiled so brightly that my heart ached. ‎ ‎The moment we got home, Ava rushed through the front door. “Daddy?” ‎ ‎Silence. ‎ ‎“Sebastian, we're home,” I called. ‎ ‎A few seconds later, he appeared at the top of the staircase, his expression calm... distant. ‎ ‎Ava ran toward him. “Daddy! Mommy said you found Mr. Beanie!” ‎ ‎He barely looked at her. “Check by the front door.” ‎ ‎Ava immediately spun around. “There he is!” she squealed, hugging the stuffed bear tightly. “Mommy, I found him!” ‎ ‎By the time I looked back upstairs, Sebastian had already disappeared. ‎ ‎I crouched beside Ava. “How about we watch your favorite cartoon? Daddy seems to be busy.” ‎ ‎She hugged the teddy bear against her chest. “Can Mr. Beanie watch with us too?” ‎ ‎I smiled despite the heaviness in my chest. “Of course.” ‎ ‎Later that evening, my phone vibrated on the bedside table. It was a message from Chloe Bennett. My stomach tightened. ‎ ‎I opened it. Several photos appeared on my screen. Chloe stood in front of a mirror with a radiant smile, one hand resting on her slightly rounded stomach. Behind her, reflected in the mirror, was the unmistakable interior of Sebastian's private penthouse. ‎ ‎Beneath the picture was a caption: "Pregnancy cravings are exhausting. Luckily, he's very good at taking care of me." ‎ ‎Another message arrived seconds later. "Hope you don't mind, Elena, but being around that sick child was taking a toll on him. He needed a distraction." ‎ ‎I stared at the screen until my vision blurred. ‎ ‎Sebastian Morgan had never truly been there for our daughter. Yet I endured everything. For Ava. She needed every bit of love she could get, especially now. I refused to let my pain become another burden she had to carry. Right now, all that mattered was finding a cure. ‎ ‎A knock interrupted my thoughts. The nanny stepped inside. ‎ ‎“Has my husband come home yet?” I asked. ‎ ‎“He called a while ago, Mrs. Morgan. He said he's on his way.” ‎ ‎I nodded. Looking at Ava, who had already drifted to sleep, I gently kissed her forehead. “Please take her to her room.” ‎ ‎“Yes, Mrs. Morgan.” ‎ ‎The nanny carefully lifted Ava into her arms and carried her upstairs. ‎ ‎At exactly 2:47 a.m., I was awakened by a low, painful moan. “Ava?” ‎ ‎She tossed restlessly beneath the blankets. Something was wrong. Very wrong. Her tiny body curled into itself as both hands clutched her stomach. Her breathing came in short, uneven gasps. ‎ ‎“Baby... talk to Mommy.” ‎ ‎I reached for my phone and called Sebastian. No answer. Without wasting another second, I scooped Ava into my arms. ‎ ‎“She’s burning up,” the nanny exclaimed as she hurried after me. ‎ ‎“I know. Please call the hospital and tell them we're on our way.” ‎ ‎By the time we arrived, the doctors managed to stabilize her. The next morning, she slowly opened her eyes. ‎ ‎“Mommy... where's Daddy?” ‎ ‎I forced a smile. “Daddy's coming.” ‎ ‎“Really?” ‎ ‎“Yes.” ‎ ‎I picked up my phone and called Sebastian again. If I had to call him a hundred times just to get him to see his daughter, then I would. ‎ ‎He answered on the tenth call. “Elena,” he said impatiently. “I'm busy.” ‎ ‎“Ava’s condition is getting worse,” I said, struggling to keep my voice steady. “We had to bring her back to the hospital. She keeps asking for you. Can you come?” ‎ ‎Silence. Finally, he sighed. “I'll try.” ‎ ‎“Please... even if it's only for an hour.” ‎ ‎“Fine. I'll stop by later.” ‎ ‎The line went dead. ‎ ‎Doctors and nurses continued moving in and out of Ava's room throughout the day. Then my phone buzzed again. Another message from Chloe. This time, it was a video. ‎ ‎I hesitated before pressing play. Chloe laughed as she leaned comfortably against Sebastian on a couch, recording them together. ‎ ‎“Sebastian, say hi,” she teased. ‎ ‎He was about to speak when she interrupted. “Your wife might see this.” ‎ ‎Sebastian let out a quiet snort. “As if Elena has time to stalk my messages,” he said dismissively. “She’s probably busy using that child to guilt-trip me again.” ‎ ‎The video ended. The hospital room fell into complete silence. ‎ ‎I slowly lowered my phone before leaning over to kiss Ava's forehead. “It's okay,” I whispered. “Daddy will come next time.” ‎ ‎I had learned to endure. Only for Ava. Because every child deserved two parents... even if one of them had already abandoned her. ‎ ‎Suddenly, Ava's body jerked violently. Her tiny hand tightened around mine. “M... Mommy...” ‎ ‎The monitors erupted into frantic alarms. “Ava!” ‎ ‎She struggled desperately for every breath. My hands shook as I called Sebastian again and again. Every call went unanswered. ‎ ‎“Please...” I whispered. “Sebastian... please answer.” ‎ ‎Doctors rushed into the room. “Ma'am, step back!” ‎ ‎Someone gently pulled me away from the bed as the doors closed between us. My phone slipped from my trembling fingers onto the floor. ‎ ‎Somewhere... Sebastian Morgan was with another woman while his daughter fought for her life. ‎ ‎Time lost all meaning. After what felt like an eternity, the doctor finally stepped out. One look at his face stole every ounce of hope from my heart. ‎ ‎“I'm very sorry, Mrs. Morgan.” ‎ ‎The world stopped. I looked through the small window in the door. Ava lay perfectly still on the hospital bed... as though she were only asleep. ‎ ‎My little girl had waited for her father. And he never came. ‎