I walked past Dr. Keller, approaching Michael’s bedside. I didn’t look at Jessica with hatred anymore. Instead, I reached down and placed my hand over theirs.
“What’s her name?” I asked gently, looking at the sleeping newborn.
“Maria wanted her to be named Hope,” Jessica whispered, her voice cracking. “But we don’t know what to do now. The state will try to take her if we can’t prove emergency guardianship.”
I looked at Michael, the man I loved, a man who would risk his life and his marriage to protect a vulnerable child. Then I looked down at my own belly, thinking of the son we were about to welcome into the world.
“They won’t take her,” I said firmly, wiping a tear from Michael’s cheek. “Your uncle is a family court judge, Michael. And you’re the best lawyer in the state. We are going to sign those guardianship papers today.”
Michael stared at me, his eyes filled with profound gratitude. “Clara… you’d do that?”
“We are about to have a son,” I said, a soft smile finally breaking through the trauma of the afternoon. “He’s going to need an older sister to look out for him. Let’s bring Hope home.”
