Alina looked at me in the mirror. She smiled. Then, slowly, she turned on her heels, stood on her tiptoes... and hugged me.
I bent down to meet her, and that's when I felt her mouth close to my ear.
"Mommy... my," she said.
Softly. Like a whisper.
My heart leaped so violently I thought it would burst from my chest. For the first time, Alina was speaking. And her eyes looked at me with such pure love that my own eyes filled with tears.
I couldn't help it. I cried.
I cried with emotion as I held her close to my chest, feeling her little heart beat next to mine.
"Alina, my daughter," I said, my voice breaking. "My beautiful girl."
It was a giant step. A miniature miracle. I pulled back slightly to look at her, wiping a drop of water from her cheek.
“Sweetie…” I took a deep b
