“One more push, Ivy. You’ve got this.”
I gripped Nurse Bianca’s hand so tight I thought I might snap her fingers. The contraction crested, and I pushed through it with everything I had left.
And then, all at once, the room filled with that impossible sound. A baby crying. My niece crying.
“She’s perfect,” I whispered, out of breath. “Ryan, go hold your daughter.”
I gripped Nurse Bianca’s hand so tight.
My brother moved slowly, like a man walking through water. The nurse placed the swaddled bundle in his arms, and exited with the others to give us a moment. I watched my twin brother look down at his little girl for the first time.
And I watched his face change as he inspected her.
It wasn’t joy. It wasn’t even shock. It was something worse, something quiet, like a light going out behind his eyes. His shoulders dropped. His mouth opened, then closed.
