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“Doc?” he says, his voice so sad

“She is s to have to put her in the NICU on a respirator”

“How long is she going to have to be here?”

“It is too soon to tell You can hold her for a second, but then we have to get her hooked up to the monitors” I nod my head, with my arms open She places this beautiful little baby, wrapped in a pink blanket in my arms My heart melts and hurts

“Duke,” I whiht now

“I know, precious She is going to be okay Our angel is going to be fine She didn’t irl?” He kisses the top of her head, before kissing uish inside of me I am so happy to be a mom and I am over the ht now, my heart is with this little surprise bundle, and I a?

“Angel,” I say to hiel”

“That’s perfect, precious”

“Alright It’s tiet her settled, ill let you know Don’t worry We will take care of your baby” God, I hope so I don’t think I will ueDukeSeven Years LaterThe day el was born was the scariest of oing to h and through I felt so guilty that we didn’t know she was in there I was so focused onboys that I somehow ile For months we could only look at her in a plastic box until her lungs were strong enough She stayed in the NICU for six ot a clean bill of health I prayed every day that she’d recover I refused to leave the hospital, refused to eat until Esther made me Thank God she didn’t fall apart like I did and took care of our boys When we brought her ho up to do with her brothers, but she thrived and exceeded them all

Our little princess rules the house and she knows it The boys are with Frannie and Baron right now as Esther and I watch Angel’s first dance recital Dressed like a ladybug, she dances circles around the other girls Of course, I can’t help crying as she does the little solo, she’s been working on for weeks now

“Can you believe it?” Esther says, squeezing my hand

“She’s a back

“Our miracle,” she says

When she’s done, I give her the bouquet of flowers I picked out and she jumps up into my arms