Linda stayed at the hospital for three nights, helping Ashley through every difficult moment. She explained medical instructions, brought her food, reminded her to rest, and stayed beside her during the long hours when the baby needed additional monitoring. Daniel finally returned from Denver and arrived at the NICU expecting to find his wife alone. Instead, he discovered Ashley and Linda asleep beside the incubator, their hands resting close together. He stood quietly, realizing how much his mother had done while he was away.
Later that evening, Ashley finally spoke about the way she had treated Linda. She admitted that her relationship with her own mother had always been difficult and that she had become afraid of letting another older woman into her life. Instead of recognizing Linda’s kindness, she had assumed her mother-in-law would eventually behave the same way. She had created distance before Linda ever had a chance to hurt her. Linda listened without interrupting, understanding that the confession had probably taken more courage than Ashley expected.
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