AUSTRALIA

My sweet Hannah Rose,

I don’t even know where to begin, except to say I am so sorry. The day I chose abortion, I thought I was choosing survival, but instead, a piece of me died with you. I tried to bury the memory and pretend I could move on, but you are always with me — in quiet moments, in dreams, in the ache that never leaves my chest.

I named you Hannah Rose because I needed to give you an identity, not just a shadow in my past. You were real. You existed. You are my daughter. I will never forget you.

Sometimes I imagine your first steps, your little laugh, the way your tiny hand would have fit inside mine. I imagine the milestones we missed — birthdays, Christmas mornings, messy art projects on the kitchen table. These daydreams both comfort and crush me.

This memorial is my way of saying to the world, you mattered. Even if no one else ever knew you, I did. Even if others might dismiss you, I won’t.

I love you, Hannah. I always will. Please forgive me, and please wait for me on the other side. Until then, my heart carries you.