Love is an illusion

1

December 29, 1995

I remember vividly the day my little sister Rowan was born, it was snowing that day in New York. My mom had gone into labour earlier that morning and my dad went with her to the hospital. I was left home with my maternal grandparents. I remember being so excited for my new sister to come home, I was ecstatic. My dad came at midnight and came to my room and told me that we could see my little sister tomorrow. I couldn't even sleep that night, I was excited beyond anything. Well, having a sister at the age of 5 is everything I have ever wanted.

The next morning, after having breakfast, we headed straight to the hospital. The traffic was terrible, and it took us over two hours to get there. Once we arrived, Dad and I stopped by a small bakery near the hospital to pick up some pastries for Mom. I was eager to have one myself. After walking for a bit, we finally entered the hospital. The floor where Mom was staying felt far away—we must have walked for about 10 minutes.

When we stepped into the small room, there she was—Mom, lying in bed with something cradled in her arms. Wrapped in a soft pink blanket, I saw tiny hands peeking out. At that moment, I laid eyes on my baby sister for the first time, and I felt something I couldn't quite put into words. From the very start, she was nothing like me, but I had no idea what lay ahead for us. Still, that moment is etched in my memory forever, and I'll carry it with me until my last day.