Chapter 8 - The First Cry
I pulled air into my lungs, feeling the cold floor beneath my back, and pushed with every remaining shred of life inside me.
The release of pressure was instantaneous, followed immediately by an overwhelming wave of absolute emptiness and exhaustion. For two agonizing seconds, the hallway was dead silent except for my ragged, panting breaths and the faint rustle of medical gloves.
Then, the sound arrived.
A sharp, indignant, furious wail cut through the air.
“There she is!” Jessica beamed, wiping a tear from her own eye as she quickly cleared the infant’s airway. “Healthy cry! Beautiful, strong girl!”
Mark clamped and cut the umbilical cord before wrapping the tiny, squirming infant in a warm fleece blanket. He placed her directly onto my bare chest.
She was warm, slick, and completely perfect. A thick tuft of dark hair clung to her forehead, and her tiny fingers clamped instinctively around my thumb—the very thumb I had bitten Daniel with just minutes earlier.
“You’re safe,” I sobbed, kissing the wet crown of her head. “You’re safe, Maya. Mommy’s got you.”
May you like
The lead deputy walked quietly back up the stairs, removing his cap as he approached. He carefully held a clear evidence bag containing the manila folder Patricia had dropped. Inside was the fraudulent deed transfer, the notary stamps Patricia had forged, and three cut lengths of nylon utility rope retrieved from the living room floor.
“Paramedics are bringing the stair chair up,” the deputy said softly. “Detective Vance from Major Crimes is waiting for you at the hospital. Those two aren't getting out anytime soon, ma’am. You have the whole department behind you.”
