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“Don’t be afraid,” Lilith immediately sensed my apprehension. She adjusted herself on the pillow, urging me to sit down next to her. I did as she bid, then she placed our baby in my arms.

I smiled at her, her little eyes looking at me curiously. I expected her to be crying, but she wasn’t. She was perfectly calm. I wanted to touch her little hand with mine, but instead, her little fingers tightened around my index fingers. She was holding on tight.

“I think she likes you,” Lilith teased.

“The feeling is mutual,” I replied, without taking my eyes off of her.

“You know, we haven’t decided on her name,” Lilith pointed out. “Do you have any suggestions?”

“Actually,” I looked at her this time. “I do. How about we name her Cassandra?”

Lilith choked at first. She didn’t know what to say. She pressed her hand to her chest, unable to control this swirl of emotions inside of her.

“Cass… after my sister,” she whispered, as if she didn’t have enough strength to use her regular voice.

I nodded, a lump forming in my throat as well. “Yes. After your sister,” I affirmed, gently brushing my thumb against our baby’s tiny fingers. “I thought it would be a way to honor her memory and keep her spirit alive.”

Lilith’s emotions seemed to overwhelm her, and she wrapped her arms around our daughter, holding her close. “Thank you,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “Thank you for this beautiful gift.”

I couldn’t help but smile through my own tears. Holding our daughter, the image of Lilith’s sister, I knew that this name was a perfect tribute. It would forever connect our little girl to her aunt, to the family she had never known.

As I looked at Lilith, I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude for this woman I loved. She had faced so much pain and loss, yet here she was, bringing new life into the world with such strength and grace. My heart swelled with love and pride for her, and I knew that together, we would cherish and protect this precious gift we had been blessed with.

“I love you,” I murmured, leaning in to kiss her forehead. “And I love our little Cassandra. We are blessed with such a beautiful family.”

Tears were now streaming down Lilith’s cheeks, but her smile shone through them, like a beacon of hope. “We are,” she replied. “Thank you for keeping your promise and being here with me, Adrian. I… I don’t think I would have been able to do this without you.”

“You would have,” I smiled. “You are much stronger than you think. But you don’t have to do anything without me, because I will always be here. Always.”

That night, we put Cassandra to sleep together. We couldn’t stop staring at her as she lay in her crib. Lilith started to sing a lullaby, a song that could soothe even a wildebeest, and little Cass fell asleep quickly. We knew that this was our cue to leave, but we couldn’t. We wanted to stay there and watch her the entire night.

“She is perfect,” I whispered, my voice filled with awe.

“She really is,” Lilith agreed. “Not in my wildest dreams could I have imagined a daughter so sweet, so delicate, so loving.”

I couldn’t agree more. It was as if our love had taken form in this tiny, beautiful creature, and I felt an overwhelming sense of responsibility to protect and care for her.

As I gazed at Cassandra, I couldn’t help but reflect on the journey that had led us here. From the moment we met, our lives had been intertwined, and now, with the addition of our daughter, it felt like everything had fallen into place.

As we stood there, enveloped in the soft glow of the nursery, I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the love and happiness that now filled our lives. We had been through trials and challenges, but they had only strengthened our bond and brought us closer together.

I knew that as parents, we would face new challenges and difficulties, as well as joys. But in this quiet moment, watching our baby blissfully asleep, I knew that we would be able to guide little Cass through every challenge. Our love would be her light.

As I wrapped my arms around Lilith, we shared a knowing smile. Our hearts were full, and in the presence of our daughter, our love had found its greatest expression. From this moment on, we would cherish every precious second, savoring the joy ofparenthood, and creating a lifetime of memories filled with love, laughter, and the boundless wonder of our little Cass.

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