Chapter 4 - A Miracle in the Dark
The change in the room was immediate and profound.
The ragged, harsh sound of the baby's breathing smoothed out into a rhythmic, steady cadence. Leo swallowed—once, twice—and then began to feed with a fierce, ravenous hunger that defied his tiny, weakened body.
Hunter let out a breath she felt like she’d been holding for weeks. A wave of profound, bittersweet relief washed over her, mixing the ghost of her own loss with the living miracle happening in her arms.
Leo’s tiny hand reached up, his small fingers instinctively crumpling the fabric of Hunter's maid uniform. He pulled himself closer, his pale cheeks quickly regaining a soft, rosy color as warm milk filled his starving system.
Beside the crib, the heart monitor that had been emit tracking rapid, erratic satisfy tones suddenly shifted. The rhythmic, steady beep... beep... beep... pulsed softly through the dark room, signaling a stable, healthy heart rate.
Hunter looked down at the top of his head, watching his dark hair catch the moonlight. She smoothed a soft lock of hair away from his forehead.
"You're eating..." she whispered, her voice thick with stunned relief. "You're okay..."
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She closed her eyes, letting her tears fall freely now. For the first time since she left the hospital with an empty car seat, the unbearable aching in her chest loosened its grip.
She was so consumed by the quiet warmth of the moment, so lost in the sensation of keeping this fragile life anchored to the world, that she didn't hear the faint click of the heavy brass door handle turning behind her.
