\u201cNo. This can\u2019t be happening! This isn\u2019t the baby I wanted!\u201d<\/p>\n
Ben\u2019s voice cut through the room so sharply that I looked at him before I looked at our daughter.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are you talking about?\u201d<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t answer.<\/p>\n
Less than an hour earlier, he\u2019d been crying beside me, kissing my forehead and telling me how proud he was. Now he was staring at Evelyn like he\u2019d found something he couldn\u2019t explain.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. This can\u2019t be happening! This isn\u2019t the baby I wanted!\u201d<\/p>\n
I tightened my arms around her.<\/p>\n
\u201cBen, look at me.\u201d<\/p>\n
His mother, Diane, stepped closer.<\/p>\n
She looked at Evie, then at Ben.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat a disappointment,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
My exhaustion vanished.<\/p>\n
I tightened my arms around her.<\/p>\n
\u201cStop. What\u2019s wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n
Diane pressed her lips together while Ben stepped back.<\/p>\n
The nurses had checked Evelyn. She was healthy.<\/p>\n
So what were they seeing?<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why are you looking at her like that?\u201d<\/p>\n
He rubbed both hands over his face.<\/p>\n
\u201cStop. What\u2019s wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t do this, Liz.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo what?\u201d<\/p>\n
He wouldn\u2019t answer.<\/p>\n
My heart started pounding.<\/p>\n
\u201cBen, if you\u2019re accusing me of something, say it.\u201d<\/p>\n
His eyes met mine.<\/p>\n
\u201cBen, if you\u2019re accusing me of something, say it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you\u2019re discharged, don\u2019t come home, Liza. I want a divorce. I can\u2019t believe you did this to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
I couldn\u2019t make sense of the sentence.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid what?\u201d<\/p>\n
He turned toward the door.<\/p>\n
\u201cBen.\u201d<\/p>\n
Diane caught his arm.<\/p>\n
I couldn\u2019t make sense of the sentence.<\/p>\n
\u201cCome on. Not here.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know what this is about, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n
Her eyes dropped to Evelyn.<\/p>\n
That scared me more than Ben\u2019s anger.<\/p>\n
\u201cTell me, Diane.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her eyes dropped to Evelyn.<\/p>\n
She looked at her son.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s go, sweetheart.\u201d<\/p>\n
I shifted Evie higher against my chest.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. You don\u2019t get to walk out after saying that. Ben, look at your daughter.\u201d<\/p>\n
He stopped at the doorway but didn\u2019t turn around.<\/p>\n
Then he left our hospital room.<\/p>\n
\u201cBen, look at your daughter.\u201d<\/p>\n
Diane followed.<\/p>\n
The door closed behind them.<\/p>\n
Evie started crying.<\/p>\n
I pressed my cheek to her head and stared at the doorway.<\/p>\n
Whatever had just happened, they both understood it.<\/p>\n
And somehow, I was the only person in the room who still didn\u2019t understand.<\/p>\n
Evie started crying.<\/p>\n
***<\/p>\n
Ben had wanted this baby as badly as I had. He came to appointments, built the crib, and three months earlier had texted:<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m going to be ridiculous with this kid. I can\u2019t wait to be a dad.\u201d<\/p>\n
Later that morning, I took a photo of Evie\u2019s hand wrapped around my finger.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease look at her, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n
He never replied.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t wait to be a dad.\u201d<\/p>\n
***<\/p>\n
A few hours later, I called once.<\/p>\n
It went straight to voicemail.<\/p>\n
Then I called Diane.<\/p>\n
She answered on the fourth ring.<\/p>\n
\u201cDiane, tell me what happened.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLiza, I can\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
It went straight to voicemail.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know why he looked at our daughter like that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Silence.<\/p>\n
\u201cDoes Ben think I\u2019ve done something?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry, Liza.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSorry for what?\u201d<\/p>\n
She hung up.<\/p>\n
\u201cSorry for what?\u201d<\/p>\n
She hadn\u2019t given me an answer, but she\u2019d confirmed that she and Ben were hiding one.<\/p>\n
***<\/p>\n
By the time I was discharged, I was done chasing them.<\/p>\n
A staff member asked whether I had somewhere supportive to go.<\/p>\n
\u201cI do. I have my parents.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mom, Jennifer, arrived with baby clothes and the expression she wore when she was trying not to cry.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t have to explain anything today, my darling. Let\u2019s just take this precious baby home.\u201d<\/p>\n
She hadn\u2019t given me an answer.<\/p>\n
Dad, Miles, stood by the window with his keys.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you want me to call Ben?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf he wants to speak to me, he knows my number.\u201d<\/p>\n
***<\/p>\n
Before going to my parents\u2019 house, I asked Dad to drive me home.<\/p>\n
\u201cI need clothes, Evie\u2019s supplies, and my medication.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you want me to call Ben?\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad slowed as we turned onto my street.<\/p>\n
Six black trash bags sat near the driveway, my new diaper bag on top.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll get everything,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. Come with me, but I\u2019m going.\u201d<\/p>\n
Every step hurt as I walked to the bags. My clothes and postpartum supplies had been shoved inside.<\/p>\n
I looked through the front window.<\/p>\n
Six black trash bags sat near the driveway.<\/p>\n
Part of Evie\u2019s nursery was visible.<\/p>\n
The rocking chair was there. So was the blanket Ben had insisted on buying because he said our baby deserved one ridiculously soft thing.<\/p>\n
My key wouldn\u2019t turn.<\/p>\n
\u201cBen!\u201d<\/p>\n
No answer.<\/p>\n
My key wouldn\u2019t turn.<\/p>\n
I called him, and his phone rang somewhere inside.<\/p>\n
Dad stepped beside me.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you want me to knock?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. If he can hear his phone, he can hear me. He just won\u2019t face me.\u201d<\/p>\n
I picked up the diaper bag.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s go.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe just won\u2019t face me.\u201d<\/p>\n
***<\/p>\n
That night, I cried beside a sleeping Evie. I still loved Ben, but I knew he was hiding something enormous from me.<\/p>\n
The morning after Ben threw us out, the doorbell rang while I was feeding Evie.<\/p>\n
Mom started to rise.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll get it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. I need to.\u201d<\/p>\n
I carried Evie to the door.<\/p>\n
Mom started to rise.<\/p>\n
Ben and Diane stood outside, looking exhausted.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease,\u201d he said. \u201cLet us see Evelyn. This is very important. If we don\u2019t, we\u2019re finished.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou saw her. Then you threw us out. Why are you here, Ben?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLiza, I need to explain.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou had every chance to explain. Instead, you packed my things, left them outside, and ignored me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ben dropped to his knees and caught the edge of my robe.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou saw her. Then you threw us out.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t understand. I should have told you long before you got pregnant.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen tell me now.\u201d<\/p>\n
Diane grabbed his shoulder.<\/p>\n
\u201cBen, she won\u2019t understand\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou left the hospital with him. You ignored my questions. So either let him speak or explain it yourself, Diane.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen tell me now.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her hand fell away.<\/p>\n
Ben stood slowly.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had a daughter before you.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cHad?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s alive\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
My hold on Evie tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had a daughter before you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow old?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s eighteen.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have an 18-year-old daughter, and neither of you thought I should know?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLiza\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot during eight years of marriage? Not during six years of trying for a baby?\u201d<\/p>\n
Diane stepped forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s eighteen.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was very young, Liza. He didn\u2019t even know what decisions he was making.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow young?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was 20,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy girlfriend got pregnant. I panicked. Mom thought I wasn\u2019t ready. I saw Claire once after she was born.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked down at Evelyn, then at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy girlfriend got pregnant.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s what happened in the hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n
His eyes filled.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou weren\u2019t looking at Evie. You were seeing her. You were seeing the baby you abandoned.\u201d<\/p>\n
He nodded.<\/p>\n
Diane said, \u201cWe did what we thought was best.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou weren\u2019t looking at Evie.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBen had his future ahead of him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo did his daughter.\u201d<\/p>\n
Diane looked away.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s her name?\u201d<\/p>\n
Ben hesitated.<\/p>\n
Diane glanced at him.<\/p>\n
Diane looked away.<\/p>\n
I caught it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s her name, Ben?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cClaire.\u201d<\/p>\n
My husband had a daughter named Claire.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen was the last time you heard from her?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA long time ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
My husband had a daughter named Claire.<\/p>\n
\u201cGive me more than that, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n
His face tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cFour years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
Four years ago, Ben and I were already married and already trying for a child.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe contacted you while we were trying to have a baby?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGive me more than that, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n
I remembered Ben sitting beside me after another negative test, telling me we would keep trying for as long as it took.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did she want?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTo meet me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd what did you do about it?\u201d<\/p>\n
Ben stared at the porch.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t answer.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did she want?\u201d<\/p>\n
Diane cut in.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt would\u2019ve complicated everything, Liza. You know that. And you were both losing hope in conceiving. You needed to focus on that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything for whom? If I knew there was another child involved, Diane, everything would have changed.\u201d<\/p>\n
She went silent.<\/p>\n
I looked at Ben.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid Claire know you were trying to become a father again?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt would\u2019ve complicated everything, Liza.\u201d<\/p>\n
His face changed.<\/p>\n
That was enough.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou let me grieve month after month while your daughter was asking you to meet her.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLiza, please.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. Why did seeing Evie make you throw us out?\u201d<\/p>\n
Ben swallowed.<\/p>\n
His face changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause when I saw her, I realized I\u2019d done this before. I knew if I looked at you, I\u2019d have to tell you everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo you punished us instead.\u201d<\/p>\n
He couldn\u2019t answer.<\/p>\n
I stepped back.<\/p>\n
\u201cGo. Now.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLiza\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you want another conversation, you come here without excuses and answer everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo you punished us instead.\u201d<\/p>\n
I closed the door.<\/p>\n
***<\/p>\n
Behind me, Mom held out her arms.<\/p>\n
I handed her Evie because my hands were shaking.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did he say?\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at my daughter.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe has another one.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did he say?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mom\u2019s face changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd somehow, that\u2019s only the beginning of this nightmare.\u201d<\/p>\n
***<\/p>\n
Two days later, Ben asked to meet without Diane.<\/p>\n
I agreed because I wanted facts.<\/p>\n
I brought a notebook.<\/p>\n
He noticed it immediately.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s that?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mom\u2019s face changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe part where I stop relying on whatever version you decide to give me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAsk me anything, Liza. Anything.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat exactly did Claire say?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe wanted to meet me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI want the message.\u201d<\/p>\n
His face tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cAsk me anything, Liza.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI haven\u2019t looked at it in years.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid Diane know?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen show me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019ll help.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why are you afraid of me seeing it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen show me.\u201d<\/p>\n
That stopped him.<\/p>\n
Ben signed into an old email account and found the exchange.<\/p>\n
Claire\u2019s message was short.<\/p>\n
She didn\u2019t want money. She wanted to know where she came from and whether he\u2019d meet her once.<\/p>\n
I looked up.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe made it easy for you.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked up.<\/p>\n
Ben swallowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was scared.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then I saw the reply beneath it.<\/p>\n
From him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s better if we leave the past where it is. I can\u2019t be the father you\u2019re looking for, Claire.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Ben.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou told me you didn\u2019t answer.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t be the father you\u2019re looking for, Claire.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI lied.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause saying I ignored her sounded less cruel than admitting I rejected her.\u201d<\/p>\n
There it was. His choice.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou weren\u2019t 20 anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI lied.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou were married to me. We were trying for a baby, Ben. How was any of this okay?\u201d<\/p>\n
His eyes filled.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile I was grieving the child we couldn\u2019t have, Claire was asking her father to meet her.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ben looked down.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you told her to stay in the past.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI did.\u201d<\/p>\n
I handed back his phone.<\/p>\n
His eyes filled.<\/p>\n
He hadn\u2019t repeated a youthful mistake. He\u2019d chosen it again.<\/p>\n
***<\/p>\n
The following week, I got advice about separation, finances, and what decisions Ben and I would need to make for Evie.<\/p>\n
That afternoon, Diane came to my parents\u2019 house.<\/p>\n
She stood on the porch.<\/p>\n
\u201cI saved him, Liza.\u201d<\/p>\n
She stood on the porch.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was young. He had his whole life ahead of him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo did Claire. And her mother.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou weren\u2019t there.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd apparently I wasn\u2019t allowed to know later either.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cClaire had her mother.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo did Claire. And her mother.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd Ben was her father.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy destroy your family over something that happened 18 years ago?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause Claire contacted him four years ago. And you knew.\u201d<\/p>\n
Diane went still.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was protecting my son.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou protected him from consequences.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd Ben was her father.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe did what we thought was best.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou did what was easiest for Ben and called it best for everyone else.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI won\u2019t let you keep Evelyn from us.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t get to dictate what happens next. You helped Ben hide Claire from me for years.\u201d<\/p>\n
Diane looked away.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you\u2019d told me, I would\u2019ve respected whatever Claire wanted. Instead, you treated her like something to hide and never gave me a choice.\u201d<\/p>\n
Diane looked away.<\/p>\n
She left.<\/p>\n
***<\/p>\n
That evening, Ben called.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to contact Claire, Liza.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I should\u2019ve done it years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you doing this because you think it\u2019ll bring me home?\u201d<\/p>\n
That evening, Ben called.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen do the right thing even if I never come back.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ben wrote to Claire without my help. He admitted he\u2019d failed her twice, blamed no one else, and said she owed him nothing.<\/p>\n
***<\/p>\n
Days passed.<\/p>\n
Ben began seeing Evie for short visits we agreed on. He changed diapers, held her when she fussed, and left when the visit ended.<\/p>\n
Days passed.<\/p>\n
Then Diane tried to rewrite the story.<\/p>\n
At a family gathering, I heard her tell two relatives that Ben had made \u201cone mistake when he was young\u201d and I was refusing to let the past stay buried.<\/p>\n
I walked over.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s not what happened.\u201d<\/p>\n
Diane stiffened.<\/p>\n
Then Diane tried to rewrite the story.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is family business.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt became my business when your son threw our things outside because Evelyn reminded him of the daughter he abandoned.\u201d<\/p>\n
The room went silent.<\/p>\n
Everyone looked at Ben.<\/p>\n
He stood.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is family business.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy mother pushed me into the decisions I made when I was 20,\u201d he said. \u201cBut Liza\u2019s right about the part that matters.\u201d<\/p>\n
Diane whispered, \u201cBen.\u201d<\/p>\n
He shook his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cI made the choices.\u201d<\/p>\n
It didn\u2019t repair our marriage, but for once, Ben had told the truth without being forced.<\/p>\n
He shook his head.<\/p>\n
***<\/p>\n
Three days later, Claire replied.<\/p>\n
Ben showed me the message when he came to see Evie.<\/p>\n
\u201cI got your message. I don\u2019t know what I want yet. Please give me time.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEven if she never wants to meet you?\u201d<\/p>\n
He nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire replied.<\/p>\n
***<\/p>\n
A month after Evelyn was born, Ben asked if he could come home.<\/p>\n
We were sitting in my parents\u2019 living room. Evie slept against my chest.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know I haven\u2019t earned it,\u201d he said. \u201cBut I want to come home. I want to be her father. I want us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Part of me wanted to say yes.<\/p>\n
I\u2019d spent six years wanting Ben, a baby, and a home together.<\/p>\n
But wanting something didn\u2019t make it safe.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to be her father. I want us.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI love you,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hope crossed his face.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut being sorry doesn\u2019t put us back where we were.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLiza\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou threw us out before you gave me the truth. You decided Claire was too complicated to acknowledge, then decided I couldn\u2019t handle knowing about her.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI love you.\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked down.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not doing that anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n
I shifted Evie against my shoulder.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou will be responsible for showing up for her. But you don\u2019t get to decide what happens to us because you\u2019re ready now. That right is gone.\u201d<\/p>\n
His eyes filled.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs there any chance for us?\u201d<\/p>\n
I shifted Evie against my shoulder.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t soften it.<\/p>\n
***<\/p>\n
Time passed.<\/p>\n
Ben kept showing up for Evie.<\/p>\n
Claire still wanted space.<\/p>\n
Diane learned that being Evie\u2019s grandmother came with boundaries she couldn\u2019t negotiate.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
One afternoon, I found the photo I\u2019d sent Ben from the hospital.<\/p>\n
Evie\u2019s tiny hand was wrapped around my finger.<\/p>\n
I\u2019d sent it because I wanted him to remember how badly we\u2019d wanted her.<\/p>\n
Now Evie lay beside me, waving one fist until I offered her my finger again.<\/p>\n
She grabbed it.<\/p>\n
I found the photo I\u2019d sent Ben from the hospital.<\/p>\n
This time, I didn\u2019t reach for my phone.<\/p>\n
I still didn\u2019t know what would happen to my marriage.<\/p>\n
But I knew who would decide what happened to my life.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I had spent six years dreaming about becoming a mother, but nothing prepared me for how quickly that dream could turn into a question I … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":21735,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,15,13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21764","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-family","category-inspiration","category-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/readingmydairy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21764","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/readingmydairy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/readingmydairy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readingmydairy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readingmydairy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=21764"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/readingmydairy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21764\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21765,"href":"https:\/\/readingmydairy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21764\/revisions\/21765"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readingmydairy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/21735"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/readingmydairy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=21764"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readingmydairy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=21764"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readingmydairy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=21764"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}