CIARA'S POVThe crying started again at 4:12 a.m. I was already half awake, breasts throbbing, when the monitor lit up. This time I didn’t wait for Cain. I dragged myself out of bed, wincing as my core protested every step. Six weeks postpartum and my body still felt like it belonged to someone else.By the time I reached the nursery, our daughter was red-faced and furious. I scooped her up, murmuring nonsense against her soft hair. “Hey, little one. Mama’s here. Shh.”She quieted a little against my chest but started rooting immediately. I sank into the rocking chair and got her latched. The pull was still sore, but the relief of her eating settled something deep in me. Cain appeared in the doorway a minute later, hair sticking up, eyes bleary.“You should’ve woken me,” he said, voice rough.“I’m up. You had the last two.” I rocked slowly, watching her tiny fist knead my shirt. “Besides, you have that meeting in the morning.”He crossed the room and knelt beside us like he always did
Read more