Chapter 3 - The Fragile Dawn
At 4:18 AM, the swinging double doors clicked open. Dr. Mercer emerged, surgical cap in hand, dark rings circling his eyes. The green scrub top was damp with sweat at the collar.
Julian stood so fast Leo stirred with a startled groan. "Doctor?"
Mercer took a deep, measured breath—a doctor's habit before delivering either ruin or salvation. "She made it through the night. The uterine artery embolization held. We managed to control the bleeding without removing the uterus, but she lost an extraordinary amount of blood. She's in the ICU on ventilatory support."
Julian exhaled a breath he seemed to have held for an eternity. "Can I see her?"
"Not yet. She needs total rest for the next eight hours. But Mr. Vance..." Mercer paused, looking down at the little boy rubbing his eyes. "You have parental rights to sort out. The state registrar will be here at noon. The mother listed no father on the intake form."
"I am the father," Julian said without hesitating. The word sounded foreign on his tongue, yet it anchored him completely.
Mercer smiled faintly. "Then you should go meet your daughter properly. She's waiting in the nursery."
Julian carried Leo through the glass partition. The nurse on duty, a warm woman named Maria, lifted the tiny bundle and turned toward them. Up close, under the soft nursery lamps, the infant's face was a mirror. The distinct cleft in her chin, the sharp curve of her brow—identical to his own.
"Leo," Julian whispered, crouching down so his son could look into the swaddling cloth. "Look here."
Leo stretched out a small, hesitant index finger. The baby’s miniature hand brushed it, her fingers curling automatically around his knuckle.
May you like
"She’s very small, Daddy," Leo said in awe, his voice pure and clean. "Is she going to come home with us?"
"Yes, buddy," Julian whispered, a lump swelling thick in his throat as he kissed the baby’s forehead. "We're all going home."
