𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐘 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐄

ɴɪɴᴇᴛʏ - ɴɪɴᴇ

Blake's cheeks brightened at the thought of doing exactly that as Emiko tugged her toward the door. A few nurses greeted them with soft grins and gentle waves, while others looked at her with a gleam, thankful to see that the mother-to-be had chosen to see her kid after all.

But the deeper they got, the more boxes they rounded, the more the fear ate at her.

Shutting her eyes and exhaling for at least thirty seconds, she allowed Emiko to lead the way. When her arm hit Emiko's, indicating a stop, she still didn't allow her vision to take over.

She had no skepticism in believing she was ready—she knew it as well as the next person that she was meant to be here, but now that she was inside, past the fantasy she saw from behind the glass, she faltered. The more the life-support pumped air, and the EKGs monitored heart rates, the thicker the air grew.

She'd spent those leeway weeks preparing for this moment, steading herself to adopt the lifestyle of being a mother, but when reality sank in, all she could think about was how?—how was she supposed to care for and nurture a little person that depended on her when she'd never done it before? How—

"Blake," Emiko whispered, nipping her thoughts in the bud, "I think she can sense your presence."

Her ears quirked.

"Wait, she?—it's a girl?"

"All seven pounds and three ounces of her."

"I thought ..."

Blake didn't finish her sentence, didn't even have to.

Her eyes indolently split in half, opening to see the life she'd created.

And every thought she'd aforenoted just seconds ago dissolved like rain on hot concrete. Her heart skipped enough beats for her hand to fly to it; love of all forms poured into her veins the longer she stared at a head of dark black hair—the more she looked into eyes of the purest blue. 

A shuddering exhale left her throat as she palmed the plastic, inching as close as possible.

"She's so beautiful," she cried, "She looks just like her daddy."

Blake did not care what happened after this day. From now, until forever, she would be a good mother. She would give this perfect little girl anything she wanted, even if it was the soul from her body.

"Do you have a name?" Emiko asked.

"No," she shook her head, "I wanted to see her first, but out of the list Mason and I created, I already know which one stands out."

Her daughter would never know fear. She would never know monsters—she would never cry on her behalf, and Blake would never let her down.

She would protect her.

Put her first.

Be her life-support way beyond the NICU.

"Would you like to hold her?" a nurse asked to her left.

Blake tore her eyes away from her daughter only to find her lashes thick with tears she hadn't realized she'd been shedding.

Her voice came out thready, "I can do that?"

"Of course, you can."

The nurse popped open the box and motioned for her to round it. Emiko's warmth heated her side as she found it, softly leaning into her as her baby was placed in her arms for the first time. Chubby, pocket-sized fingers instantly wrapped around her given finger, hugging so tightly, Blake felt like if she ever withdrew from this touch, she wouldn't have the strength to stand.