Now, suddenly, I was surrounded by people who looked at my daughter like she was a blessing.
It almost broke me.
Wolf appeared in the doorway.
“Alright, ladies,” he said. “Let them rest. We’ll talk later.”
They sighed dramatically but began to shuffle out.
“We’ll bring food,” one of them promised.
“And pie,” another added.
“Babies require pie,” the third declared with authority.
Nora smiled apologetically as she followed them out.
“Get some sleep,” she told me softly.
After the door closed, the room fell quiet again.
Exhaustion hit me like a wall.
I lay down beside Emmy without meaning to.
Just for a minute, I told myself.
Just long enough to close my eyes.
When I woke up,the room was darker.
For one terrifying second, I didn’t know where I was.
Then I saw Saint.
He stood near the window, Emmy in his arms.
He was humming softly…low and steady.
The baby stared up at him like he was the most interesting thing in the world.
“I’m sorry,” I said quickly, sitting up. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep.”
“It’s okay,” he said.
“She needed a diaper change.”
I blinked.
“You… changed her?”
He smiled slightly.
“She didn’t complain.”
“She never does.”
My throat tightened.
