Mother’s Love

“Mommy, my tummy hurts,” the little girl whispered, clutching her mom’s hand tightly.

“I know, sweetheart. Once the doctor comes he’ll fix everything, darling. I promise,” her mom whispered, fighting the tears pooling in her eyes. When the doctor emerged into the waiting room, his expression was impassive as he delivered the news.

“I’m sorry, ma’am. There’s nothing we can do. Your kidney wasn’t a match for your daughter. Unless you can find a donor quickly, there aren’t any options left.” He spread his arms in a placating gesture as her mother wept, clutching her daughter in utter despair.

“Mommy? What’s wrong?” Her daughter whispered, lifting her brown eyes to her mother’s.

“N-nothing, Josie dear. Everything is going to be fine. Just fine.” She whispered into her daughters hair as she hugged her closer. “Ready to go home, darling?” Clutching her stomach with one hand, the little girl hopped of the bench, holding her mother’s hand tightly.

“Just let me go talk to the doctor for a second, then we can go.” The girl stood in the center of the room, tears pouring down her face as the pain worsened.

“Momma!” she cried, then collapsed to the floor, curled into a tight ball. Her mom was there in seconds, hugging her daughter tightly like she would disappear at any second.

“Oh baby, if I could take your pain away, I would,” her mom whispered, hugging the little girl closer.

“Ma’am, do you think it would be better if she stayed here overnight?” The doctor interjected.

“I can stay with her though, right?” The doctor nodded, leading them into a separate room and down a set of hallways. None of them noticed the other woman in the waiting room, her gaze lingering on the little girl, tears forming in her own eyes. When the little girl and her mother were settled, the doctor returned to the waiting room. Standing up, the woman approached the doctor with a sense of determination.

“Can I apply to see if my kidney would be a match for that little girl?” She whispered urgently. The doctor looked at her strangely for a second, then nodded.

“Right this way please.”

***

Throughout the night, the girl’s pain subsided, and then grew worse. She lay in the bed, tears streaking her face.

“It hurts, Mommy,” she whispered, crying.

“I know baby, I know.” Her mom hugged her closer, stroking her daughter’s hair softly, wondering if it would be one of the last times she ever did. God help my baby girl, she thought. Make a miracle happen. She spent the rest of the night hugging her daughter, sleeping on the hospital bed with the little girl enveloped in her arms.

The next morning, the doctor came into the room with a tiny smile on his lips.

“I bring good news. A woman applied to see if her kidney matched your daughter’s, and it did. She can go into surgery right away.” Tears of joy glistened on the doctor’s eyes. “Isn’t it wonderful?” the mother simply looked at him.

“Josie’s kidneys failed last night. I woke up this morning, but she was already gone.” Her eyes took on a dead, empty sort of quality. “She’s gone.” The mother repeated, staring at her child. “Gone.”

Then she began to cry, cradling her child to her chest, huge sob wracking her body.

“Oh, sweet little angel, if you had only held on just a little longer! Come back to me, child, come back. I love you.” Clutching her daughter to her chest, the mother looked up at the doctor. “It’s too late.” She said. “I love my child, but the Lord had other plans. It’s too late. My sweet baby Josie is gone.”