ASHA
LAURA
I heard them before I saw them.
The soft shuffle of footsteps in the hallway. Josh’s voice–low, soothing, coaxing. A quiet little whisper in response.
My breath hitched.
Then the door opened.
And my world tilted.
Josh stepped inside first, his frame tense, his eyes searching for me the second he crossed the threshold. But I barely saw him–because held in his arms, half–buried against his chest, was her.
My daughter.
Asha.
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She was small–so much smaller than I had imagined. Delicate but not fragile, with soft, dirty blonde curls and wide, cautious blue eyes. Josh’s eyes.
My heart slammed against my ribs.
Three years.
Three years of not knowing her. Of not holding her. Of not being her mother.
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She looked at me.
I didn’t breathe.
I wasn’t sure I could breathe.
Asha pressed herself closer to Josh, gripping his shirt in tiny, nervous fists.
*
Josh lowered his head, murmuring something I couldn’t hear, pressing a kiss to the top of her head before whispering again.
Asha’s little fingers curled tighter. Her legs wiggled slightly, as if she wasn’t sure whether she wanted to move closer or hide
completely.
I forced myself to stay still.
To wait.
To let her come to me.
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My hands gripped the blanket draped over my lap, squeezing as
I fought against the overwhelming tide of emotions rising inside me. I didn’t want to scare her. I didn’t want to rush her.
I just wanted her.
Josh finally reached my bedside, shifting her slightly so she wasn’t buried against his chest. She peeked up at me, her tiny face still half–hidden, her blue eyes filled with something I couldn’t quite place.
She was so beautiful.
My throat closed.
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ASHA
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I lifted my hand slowly–shakily–but I hesitated before reaching for her.
Would she want me to? Would she let me?
Josh saw my hesitation.
His grip on Asha tightened slightly, then he crouched down, coming level with me. “It’s okay, baby,” he said gently. “Mommy‘ s been waiting a long time to see you.”
Asha’s fingers uncurled from his shirt just slightly.
My breath caught.
Je
She studied me, cautious, thoughtful.
Then–so quiet I almost didn’t hear it-
“Mommy?”
My heart shattered.
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Tears spilled from my eyes instantly, hot and unstoppable. I let out a broken, breathless sound as I reached for her–too
overwhelmed, too desperate to hold back any longer.
Josh helped, guiding her closer, and the second she was in my arms, my whole body sagged with relief.
She was real.
She was here.
She smelled like sunshine and baby shampoo, warm and sweet and perfect.
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I pressed my lips to the top of her head, clutching her as tightly as my weak arms would allow. My fingers ran through the soft curls at her nape, my tears falling freely now, soaking into her hair.
“My baby,” I tried to whisper, but nothing came out except a choked sob.
Asha clung to me, her tiny arms wrapping around my neck, her little body melting into mine like she had belonged there all along.
Josh’s arms came around us both, encasing us in warmth, in strength, in him.
And for the first time since I woke up–I felt whole…
