Chapter 10: First Breath
A sharp, demanding, and beautifully healthy cry shattered the quiet of the delivery room. Sarah fell back against the damp pillows, utterly exhausted, every muscle trembling, but her heart was overflowing with an indescribable, blinding joy.
Julian, tears streaming freely down his face, carefully cut the umbilical cord with shaking hands. The nurses quickly cleaned the newborn before gently placing the warm, squirming infant onto Sarah's bare chest.
"She's absolutely perfect," Julian choked out, leaning down to press a reverent kiss to Sarah's forehead, and then brushing his lips against the baby's tiny, rosy cheek.
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"Mia," Sarah whispered, her fingers gently tracing the tuft of dark, silky hair on her daughter's head. "Her name is Mia."
They wrapped their arms around each other, forming an impenetrable circle around their newborn. They were a family completely unbroken by the darkness that had tried so desperately to tear them apart.
