Celine Waterford never imagined she would be checking into a retirement village at 52, but life had played a series of nasty pranks on her, and she had nowhere else to go. All that was left of the fortune her husband had left her was the membership in a retirement village, so here she was. The receptionist looked at Celine dubiously. “Yes, Mrs. Waterford, you are indeed a member of The Village, but you’re a little younger than our average resident.
Celine smiled bitterly. “Yes, I know, but if my husband Harold hadn’t passed away four years ago, I’d be living here already. Please call the administrator.” The administrator checked all of Celine’s records and nodded. “Yes, of course, Mrs.
Waterford. Everything’s according to regulations. You are retired, and both you and your late husband were members of the Golden Years Village. You can move in right away if you like.” He called a young nurse, Jessica Hardy, to show Celine to a pretty little cottage that would be her home for the rest of her life.
The Retirement Village was paid for by a trust set up by her husband to ensure their comfort in their last years, and it was all that Celine had left to fall back on. Jessica was surprised to see such a young woman take up residence, and she made a point of befriending Celine. The older woman seemed sad, and Jessica tried to cheer her up. “You’re so pretty, Mrs. Waterford,” she said.
“You’ll have all the men fall in love with you.” Celine shook her head. “No,” she cried bitterly. “Love is the last thing I need. It’s cost me more than you know.
Jessica saw the glitter of tears in Celine’s eyes and quickly changed the subject. “Will you be coming to the dining hall for dinner, Mrs. Waterford, or would you prefer to eat in your cottage?” Celine sighed. “I’ll come to the dining hall, even though, to be honest, I don’t have much of an appetite.
Jessica smiled to herself. Mrs. Waterford might not have much of an appetite, but she was certainly putting on a little weight and looked all the better for it. Over the next six weeks, Jessica noticed that Mrs. Waterford was becoming quite poorly.
She looked a little ill, and she’d confessed to her that she was often nauseated. Watching Mrs. Waterford bend over to pick up a magazine, a strange notion entered Jessica’s head. Could Mrs. Waterford be pregnant?
Surely not at her age, she said to herself. It can’t be, but it might be some other health problem that’s caused her to bloat. So that evening, after dinner, Jessica made a suggestion. “You’ve been complaining about that nausea for a while now, Mrs. Waterford,” Jessica said.
“I think you should see the doctor. If you allow me, I’ll make an appointment for you tomorrow afternoon.” Celine agreed. She hadn’t been feeling well at all. She was constantly tired and seemed to fall asleep at odd times during the day.
Something was definitely wrong with her beyond her sadness. The next day, Celine had one of the biggest shocks of her life. The doctor examined her, then said, “Friend, Mrs. Waterford, I’d like to do a quick ultrasound.” Before she knew it, Celine was lying on her back, and the doctor was running the probe over her tummy.
She heard him gasp, saying, “Oh my God!” Celine craned her neck to try to look at the screen to see what had upset the doctor so much, but he pushed her back and ran the probe over her tummy once again, as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. “You’re pregnant!” the doctor gasped. “At least four months along!
Celine was breathless. “That’s impossible!” she cried. “I’m 52! I’m in menopause!
But as it turned out, she wasn’t pregnant, and apart from the obvious, she was now facing a new set of problems. The administrator summoned Celine and gave her the bad news. “I’m afraid you’ll have to leave us, Mrs. Waterford. As you must realize, we’re not set up as a facility that can cater to pregnant women or children.
“But I have nowhere to go!” cried Celine. “And we paid enough into the trust fund!” “Mrs. Waterford,” the administrator said, “it’s not about the money.
It’s about the regulations. You could give the child up for adoption and return after the birth.” Celine shook her head. She wasn’t giving up the only child she had ever conceived. So she packed her bags.
She had no idea where she was going. She was out on the street again in the brief space of three months, and this time there was no refuge waiting for her. Then Jessica walked in. “Mrs. Waterford,” she said quietly, “I know you have nowhere to go.
So how about coming home with me?” Celine started sobbing. She’d grown accustomed to kindness, and Jessica’s sudden offer moved her deeply. That evening, in Jessica’s cozy home, Celine told her story. “Harold was 20 years older than me, and when he passed away, I was so lonely.
That’s when I met Matt. He was half my age, but he seemed to be in love with me. He made me feel beautiful and young. Anyway, I suppose the usual happened. As it turned out, he was a con man, and he ended up bilking me out of everything I had, including my home.
All I had left was the trust for Golden Years. I never imagined I could fall pregnant, not after my age, not after all the years Harold and I tried to conceive a baby and failed. So now here I am, 52, without a cent to my name and a baby on the way.” “Tomorrow we’re going to the police,” Jessica said firmly. “I’m sure Matt has probably conned other people before, and he has a record.
Let’s get you some justice.” Celine did get justice. As Jessica had deduced, Matt had a record and had stolen from many lonely elder women. With Celine’s testimony, Matt was arrested, and her property was returned. She had her home again.
When her baby was born, Jessica was right there by Celine’s side. She became Celine’s little boy’s godmother and her best friend. Celine couldn’t believe how her life had been transformed. She now had a family and her own home back and a wonderful friend.
Read More: When This Trucker Saw A Girl Behind The Curtain Of An RV, He Knew That Something Didn’t Smell Right