Chapter 10 - The Nursery Redefined
When they returned to the penthouse late that afternoon, the apartment felt different. The expansive windows still showed the sprawling skyline, but the sterile silence had evaporated. Mrs. Gable, the temporary day-sitter, handed Clara over with a relieved smile before departing.
Damian walked into the nursery. The silver crib stood where it always had, intricate and expensive, but now Damian walked over and ran his hand along the polished rails.
"She hated this crib," Damian murmured.
Maya paused while folding clean diapers at the changing table. "Who did?"
"Elena," Damian said with a soft chuckle. "I bought it for her baby shower. It cost twenty thousand dollars. Handcrafted in Milan. She took one look at it and told me it looked like a Victorian birdcage. She said a baby doesn't need sterling silver; a baby needs sunlight and wood that smells like cedar."
Maya walked over, carrying Clara, who was awake and kicking her little feet against her cotton onesie. "Do you want to hold her?"
Damian hesitated, his old insecurity surfacing. "I'm not... I don't know what to do when she cries."
May you like
"You don't have to fix everything, Mr. Vance," Maya said softly, placing Clara into his arms before he could object. "You just have to hold her so she knows someone is there."
Damian brought Clara against his chest. This time, his shoulders weren't locked; his posture was relaxed. Clara looked up at him with dark, curious eyes that mirrored Elena's, let out a tiny bubble of saliva, and rested her forehead against his chin. Damian closed his eyes, breathing in the scent of baby powder and sweet milk, and let a single, long-held tear fall silently onto her blanket.
