Chapter 5 Cecelia's Pov.

Cecelia's Pov.

"Nurse, she's awake!"

The voice echoed in my ears, blurry at first, but it soon cut through the haze, pulling me back from the darkness that had claimed me. My eyelids fluttered, heavy as though they were made of stone, and I fought to open them. The light overhead was blinding, and for a moment, I thought I might be dreaming. Maybe this was just another twisted part of my subconscious trying to make sense of everything that had happened. But no, the smell of antiseptic, the soft beeping of machines around me-this was real.

Slowly, I managed to lift my head off the pillow, my body aching all over. Every muscle felt as though it had been stretched and twisted beyond its limit. My mouth was dry, my throat scratchy, and there was a dull throb in my head that made it hard to think clearly. It was like I had been trapped in a nightmare that I couldn't escape.

As my vision cleared, I saw a woman standing at the edge of the bed, her face full of concern. She was older than me, probably in her mid-forties, with dark hair that had strands of gray at the temples. Her eyes were wide with relief, and she gently placed a hand on my arm, as if afraid I might slip away again. Her touch was warm, comforting in a way that made me feel safer, even if I didn't fully understand what was happening.

"Are you okay? You're in the hospital. You've been unconscious for a few hours now," she said softly, her voice laced with worry.

I tried to speak, but my throat felt too dry. The words stuck in my mouth, and all I could do was nod weakly, hoping it was enough. I needed answers. What had happened? How had I ended up here? The last thing I remembered was the car hitting me on the road, the world spinning out of control as everything went black. And now, here I was-alive but with no recollection of how or why I was in this hospital bed.

The woman seemed to notice my confusion and hurriedly glanced at the nurse standing beside her, a tall, professional-looking woman in a white uniform. The nurse nodded and stepped forward, adjusting the IV line in my arm.

"You've been through quite an ordeal," the nurse said gently, her voice calm but serious. "It's a miracle you're even awake, given the severity of the accident. You're safe now, though. You've been unconscious for almost a day."

A day? That didn't make sense. How had I lost an entire day of my life? And why was I so disoriented?

The woman, who had been standing at the edge of the bed, shifted nervously. She seemed to be holding something back, her hands twisting together as she avoided my gaze. I could tell she was uncomfortable with something, but I didn't know what.

"I'm so sorry," the woman said, her voice trembling as she leaned in closer to me. "I never meant for this to happen. It was an accident. I wasn't paying attention... and then you were in front of me..."

"Wait," I interrupted, my voice hoarse, but it was enough to get her attention. "What happened? How did I end up here?"

She seemed to hesitate for a moment before responding, as though weighing her words carefully. "I... I hit you with my car," she finally admitted, her voice cracking. "I didn't see you on the road until it was too late. I tried to swerve, but it was no use."

Her words hit me like a ton of bricks. She had hit me with her car? I couldn't remember the accident in detail, but now, as she spoke, the pieces began to fall into place. I could vaguely remember the blinding headlights and the screech of tires, but that was it. And now, this woman was telling me she had been the one to cause it?

"I'm so sorry," she repeated, her eyes welling up with tears. "It was a mistake. I never meant to hurt you."

I blinked, still processing the situation, but something about her words didn't sit right with me. "Why are you apologizing like this? I mean, I get it, it was an accident, but why are you so... emotional about it?"

The woman's expression changed then, as if a veil had been lifted, and for a moment, I saw something in her eyes-something deeper than just guilt. It was as though she was holding onto something more, something important that she wasn't telling me.

"You don't understand," she said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. "I've been searching for you for so long. I... I think you're my daughter."

The words hit me like a bolt of lightning. My heart skipped a beat, and I suddenly felt dizzy, as if the world around me had tilted. "What? My... daughter?"

She nodded, her eyes searching mine, as though she was waiting for me to react. "You see, when I hit you... there was something about you that felt... familiar. And when I saw the birthmark on your arm-right here-" She reached forward and gently lifted the sleeve of my hospital gown, pointing to the spot on my left arm. "I knew. I've seen this mark before. It's just like the one I have. And it's just like the one my daughter had."

I stared at her in shock, unable to speak. My mind was reeling. My daughter? What was she talking about? I didn't have any children, and I had never even met this woman before. How could she possibly be claiming I was her daughter?

But she wasn't done. "I've been looking for you for years," she continued, her voice now tinged with desperation. "I gave you up for adoption when you were a baby. I wasn't able to keep you, and I've regretted it every single day since then. I've been searching for you, hoping I could find you."

I was still trying to process the information when the nurse, who had been standing silently by, spoke up.

"Ma'am, I understand that this is a lot to take in, but we have to be sure. I suggest we perform a DNA test to confirm."

The woman nodded, her eyes not leaving me as if she needed me to believe her. "Yes, please. I need to know. I can't live with this uncertainty any longer."

The nurse smiled gently and nodded, signaling for another nurse to prepare the necessary materials for the test. I was still stunned by everything this woman was saying, but there was something in the way she looked at me that made me want to believe her. The look in her eyes-the way she held onto her hope so tightly-made me hesitate. Could it really be true? Could I actually be this woman's daughter?

As the nurse prepared the test, I felt a strange sense of déjà vu. I looked at the woman again, really looked at her this time. There was something about her face that was... familiar. But it was too much to take in all at once. How could this even be possible?

"Wait a second," I said suddenly, the thought hitting me like a wave. "If you're really my mother... how did you end up here, in this town, in this hospital?"

She gave me a sad smile. "I've been living here for the past few years. I wanted to be close, just in case I ever found you. I've been watching from afar, hoping one day you'd cross my path. And now, here we are."

My head was spinning, and my stomach churned with confusion. I wanted to believe her, but I needed answers. I needed something concrete.

Just as I was about to say something more, the nurse returned with the results of the DNA test. She handed the papers to the woman, who eagerly opened them, her hands shaking. I could feel the tension in the room, thick and heavy.

The nurse's voice was calm but serious as she glanced at the papers. "It's confirmed. The results match. Cecilia James, you are her biological daughter."

I felt like the ground had been ripped out from under me. I couldn't breathe. This woman... this stranger... was my mother? The one I had never known? The world felt like it was spinning, and I could barely keep up.

And then, as if everything wasn't already overwhelming enough, the nurse turned to me, her face unreadable.

"You're pregnant."

My heart stopped.

Pregnant?