Birthright

By: Donna Corbin Yontz

Aislynn watched as her mother struggled to breathe, and could not help but notice the fear in the dying woman’s eyes. It had only been a few hours ago that she had gotten the tragic phone call letting her know that her beloved parents had been in an auto accident. They had been driving home from a dinner party with some of her mother's associates, and had been hit head on by a drunken driver. Her father had died instantly, but her mother had survived the initial crash; although barely. Aislynn knew she had to cherish these last hours with her.

The doctors had all told her that there was no hope, yet she refused to let her go. "Momma, I need you. Please do not leave me alone," she cried as she looked at her mother. “I can not bear to lose you. Without you and daddy, I have no one.”

Caroline Brady held her daughter's hand tightly in hers. "I am sorry," she gasped with what little air and energy she had left in her broken body. "I do not want to leave you, my dearest Aislynn, but I have no choice. My God is calling me home to be with your father."

"I will be all alone Momma, please. I am afraid." The tears fell freely down Aislynn’s cheeks as she pleaded with her mother to stay, although she knew that it was beyond her mother’s choice now. The very thought of being left alone terrified her. She knew that her adoptive family had no living relatives to take her in and she wondered what would happen to her now.

Caroline lifted her hand up to caress her adopted daughter's cheek lightly. "You were such a blessing to your father and me when you came into our lives. For that I am grateful. I am sorry though, that we were never able to give you a larger family. I know how lonely you will be, but you can make it if you set your mind to it.”