Chapter 13 - Meeting Leo
The neonatal nurse wrapped our tiny, angry son in a warm blanket and brought him over to the drape. He weighed barely four pounds, his skin red and wrinkled, but his eyes were clamped shut in a fierce scowl that broke my heart with pure love.
"He's small, but his lungs are incredibly strong," the nurse smiled, lowering him so Sarah could press her cheek against his tiny head.
"He's beautiful," Sarah breathed, tears of absolute joy mixing with the sweat on her face. "Hi, baby. Hi, Leo."
We had chosen the name months ago, but hearing it spoken out loud, in the flesh, made it real. Leo Vance. A new beginning. A severed tie from the toxic bloodline I had come from, and the start of something pure.
Because he was premature, they couldn't let us hold him for long. He needed to go to the NICU for monitoring and incubator support. But as they wheeled him away, the heavy, suffocating dread that had anchored itself in my chest for the last three days finally lifted.
Sarah was stitched up and moved to recovery. For the next several hours, we simply existed in the quiet sanctuary of the hospital room. We didn't talk about Eleanor, or the stolen money, or the impending legal battles. We only talked about Leo. We scrolled through the single photo the nurse had taken, marveling at his tiny fingers and perfect, fragile nose.
Later that evening, as Sarah slept soundly, my phone buzzed. It was Marcus.
May you like
Just an update, the text read. Bail was denied due to flight risk and the severity of the assault charges. She’s spending the night in county. The DA is pushing for a minimum of five years. Also, Greg flipped. He’s cooperating fully to save himself. The money is frozen and will be returned to your accounts within the month.
I locked my phone and set it on the nightstand. The war was officially over. We had won.
