The hospital walls smelled of antiseptic and fresh hope. The cries of newborns echoed faintly through the corridors, each one a reminder that life, no matter how bruised, had a way of continuing.
It was barely two months.
Tiana’s scream broke through the noise, sharp and urgent, followed by the voice of the nurse counting down. “One more push, ma’am! Just one more!”
James stood nearby, his hands clenched into fists, his heart pounding. Clara was beside him, whispering prayers under her breath, her eyes fixed on Tiana.
Then it came, the sound that tore the air apart. A baby’s cry.
Tiana collapsed back onto the pillow, tears mixing with sweat as the nurse lifted the tiny child and smiled. “It’s a girl,” she announced brightly. “A beautiful baby girl.”
The nurse wrapped the child in a s
