She had never held anyone so fragile.
She was afraid of moving too quickly, supporting the baby's head incorrectly, or doing something that might hurt her.
Then Sophie opened her eyes.
And something inside Emma changed.
Not all at once. Not in the effortless, magical way people sometimes describe motherhood. The fear did not disappear, and the confusion did not suddenly become confidence.
But beneath the fear was a powerful desire to keep this little girl safe.
Emma did not know what kind of mother she would become.
She only knew that Sophie deserved love, protection, and a childhood far different from the one Emma had unexpectedly lost.
What Emma could not have known was that the circumstances surrounding Sophie's birth had already set another story in motion.
A story involving threats, silence, regret, and a decision made by someone who loved Emma more than anything.
For eighteen years, that story remained hidden.
