Chapter 15 - The Longest Night
Labor lasted fourteen hours.
Alfred would later insist it lasted approximately three years.
Mina squeezed his hand hard enough to make him question whether several fingers were broken.
He never complained.
At 3:42 in the morning, their daughter entered the world screaming.
Alfred cried before Mina did.
The nurse placed the baby against Mina's chest.
Everything else disappeared.
The investigations.
The warehouses.
Victor.
Raymond.
Sarah Jenkins.
There was only a tiny red-faced girl blinking beneath hospital lights.
Alfred stood beside the bed.
Mina looked up.
“Do you want to hold her?”
He hesitated.
The hesitation surprised her.
“You're scared.”
“Yes.”
She smiled.
“Good.”
“Why is that good?”
“Because it means you understand she's precious.”
The nurse showed him how to hold the baby.
Alfred looked enormous beside her.
He cradled his daughter as though holding something made of light.
“Hello,” he whispered.
The baby opened her eyes.
Alfred stopped breathing.
Mina watched his entire world rearrange itself.
“What do we call her?” he asked.
They had debated names for months.
But now Mina knew.
“Grace.”
Alfred looked at her.
“Grace Costello.”
Mina nodded.
“Because that's what she gave us.”
He bent and kissed Mina's forehead.
Then he looked at his daughter.
“Grace.”
The baby wrapped her tiny hand around his finger.
Alfred cried again.
Later, while Mina slept, he remained beside the window holding Grace.
“You'll never owe me anything,” he whispered.
“You don't owe my name anything.”
Grace slept peacefully.
“You get to choose who you become.”
May you like
Mina heard him.
She kept her eyes closed and smiled.
