Maternal Luck

Madame Gautreau was celebrating her birthday. Although she had no one to celebrate with, she went to a restaurant to have some drinks. Now that her husband had died, she couldn’t figure out to spend her days. She never smiled, but she didn’t like to cry either, because she didn’t want people to think she was depressed.

She went to one of the best restaurants in town. Madame Gautreau liked this place because this was where she had first met her late husband. She chose to sit at her favorite table and ordered champagne. There were pink flowers on the table that made her feel calm. The room was quiet and dark. The waiter brought her the champagne, and she toasted herself. Some neighbors came up to congratulate her, but otherwise she was left alone.

After a while, she felt it was time to leave. She put on her coat and began walking home. On the way, Madame Gautreau heard what sounded like a baby crying. She looked over her shoulder and saw something in the middle of the sidewalk. She wasn’t sure what it was because the night was really foggy. As she got closer, she started shaking. She had an idea what was in the blanket.

She opened it and found a baby boy with only a dirty diaper on. He was four months old or so, skinny-looking, and he was crying. Madame Gautreau didn’t want people to think that she was taking someone else’s baby, and at this time of night, many people were going home from the restaurant. She called the police.

When they arrived, she told them what had happened. They said she could take care of the baby, and she decided to adopt him. Maybe this would change her life and bring her a little happiness. After all, she had a lot of money and no one to share it with. She took him back to her mansion and made sure he had everything he needed to grow as a healthy child. She raised him and gave him an education. She never told him the real story—she just told him that his father had died before he was born.

She named him Angelo because he seemed like an angel, with his fine-shaped face, blue eyes, and blond hair. Taking care of him kept Madame Gautreau so busy that she didn’t have time to think about her dead husband or to be depressed. Angelo never gave her problems. He was very dedicated in school and the best in his class.

When Angelo was in college, Madame Gautreau got very sick. She decided to tell him the whole truth about what happened on the day of her birthday and how she had found him. After a very long talk, Angelo thanked her for everything she had done for him.

Three months later, Madame Gautreau died.

Years later, Angelo achieved his dream of becoming a famous doctor. He felt inspired and motivated to help others because of his own story and wanted to keep the legacy of his mom alive. He knew a mother is not the one who gives birth to you. A mother is a woman who loves you and wants to the best for you no matter what.