I never expected to become a mother to ten children.<\/p>\n
I certainly never expected to raise them alone.<\/p>\n
And I never imagined that, thirty years after the man I loved walked out of our lives without explanation, his attorney would appear at my front door carrying an envelope that would finally explain everything.<\/p>\n
But that is exactly what happened.<\/p>\n
It all began in a grocery store.<\/p>\n
Robert was standing in the checkout line with a shopping cart overflowing with cereal, bread, milk, canned vegetables, and enough snacks to feed a small army.<\/p>\n
Ten children will do that to a grocery bill.<\/p>\n
A tiny toddler reached toward me with both arms.<\/p>\n
Robert looked embarrassed as he lifted her.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d he said. \u201cShe does that whenever someone smiles at her.\u201d<\/p>\n
I laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen I suppose I\u2019ll keep smiling.\u201d<\/p>\n