That night,
Tears of joy rolled down her exhausted face.
Landed on the tiny little body in her arms.
He was her hope and her pride.

Three
He had a fever and was burning like a hot pot.
Outside the emergency room,
Tears of fear streamed down her pale face.
She felt the sky was falling down,
The thought of losing him killed her.
She was scared, and alone.

Seven
She had to work at night to pay their rent.
She came home and saw him,
Asleep on the table, with tears glistening on his childish face.
She carried him into his room and collapsed on the floor.
Her fingers sank into the teddy bear in wrapping paper.
Tears of shame and regret touched her cracked lips.
She didn’t forget today,
She knew it was his birthday.

Ten
“Where is my dad?”
She couldn’t bring herself to look into those shining, hopeful eyes,
The door slammed in her face, and on her heart.
She felt something inside her was ripped apart.
It really hurt, she cried.

Sixteen
She was called to school by his teacher.
“Smoking” “skipped class”,
Those words struck her like lightning,
Her vision turned black and for a second she wished it was just a nightmare.
Walking out of the school her cheeks were burning with embarrassment and anger.
For the first time, she slapped him.
He cried and it broke her heart.
Tears of disappointment filled her blood-shot eyes.
More than ever, she felt helpless and worn out.

Twenty
He got into one of the best law schools in the country.
She sold the house and worked day and night to pay for his expensive tuition.
He won the scholarship of the year and bought her a designer purse.
Tears of relief and comfort ran down her slightly wrinkled face,
However she secretly returned the purse and saved the money in his bank account,.
She still carried her old black bag around,
She said it worked just fine.

Twenty-five
He graduated from university and became a lawyer.
She retired and moved to a small apartment.
Just when she was ready to enjoy her life,
Her eyesight was getting blurry.
The word “cancer” became more real than ever.
Doctors said surgery could help her at least regain her vision.
However she smiled and said no.
As soon as she walked out of the hospital,
She cried. Sometimes people kept forgetting, and she was just like everyone else.
She was scared of death, she wanted to live.
But she knew that the numbers in her bank account,
Were far from enough.

That night,
He stood in front of her bed and cried like a baby;
“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
But the words all seemed weak and powerless now.
The lady on the bed looked so peaceful that you might think she was asleep.
The satisfied smile showed that she had no regrets.
Beside her laid a small note
It said: “if I can choose again, I still wish to be your mother.”