A story continued

The young woman had grown up now. At 19, and an expecting mother, she had been granted a new sense of motivation and responsbibility to life. What to name the child? She had some ideas. But that was pointless. You see, his family said the new child shall have the name of his grandfather. He shall be the third. She questioned this, but the fact that they said the hospital bill will not be paid otherwise... she had to concede.
All she could do was talk to her unborn and find consolation.

The grandfather died just shortly before the child was born. The childbirth was an ordeal for the petite young woman, but in the end, she was fine and so was the child. Except... the baby was blue, and so was taken to the incubation room for three weeks. The baby did not cry and was thought to be deaf or mute. Soon enough, the child would start making sounds, to everyone's relief.

The young mother's full attention was on her baby. Her own father told her to finish her education, if not for her, but for her child. Somehow, he knew her anguish. They all did. But what could be done? She would talk to her child, who of course did not respond an adult might, but just stared back at her, smiling, cooing, doing what a baby would do. As for the father? Well, he stuck around and behaved for a few. But that didn't last long. He was back to his bad habits. But this time, she didn't care. She had her baby. She had her life ahead of her.