The hospital room was dimly lit, and quiet except for the soft sounds of Emma's breathing and the occasional beep from the monitors that were still tracking Aria's vital signs.
It was nearly midnight. It's been seven hours since Emma had been born, and seven hours since Aria's entire world had shifted on its axis.
Emma slept in the bassinet beside Aria's bed, swaddled tightly in the striped hospital blanket with her tiny pink hat still on her head. Damien had pulled the bassinet as close to the bed as possible so Aria could see Emma without having to sit up.
Not that Aria could sleep anyway.
She was exhausted—bone-deep, and soul-deep exhausted in a way she'd never experienced before. Thirteen hours of labor followed by nearly two hours of pushing had taken everything out of her. Her bo
