James nodded, though he couldn’t help but glance back at the baby, the vivid copper of her hair catching the light. “Yeah,” he said, forcing a smile. “Of course. She’s perfect.” But as he lifted Anna off the stool and held her close, he couldn’t ignore the quiet doubt settling in the back of his mind.
The first few days at home were a whirlwind of activity. The cries of the newborn punctuated the quiet hours of the night, leaving the house in a constant state of fatigue. James and Susy worked like a tag team, trading off responsibilities—feedings, diaper changes, rocking the baby back to sleep.