On that particular night, the crying had been going on for hours. Maya wasn’t even supposed to be in the nursery, but she’d been walking past and couldn’t ignore the desperate little wails.

She stepped inside quietly, her heart tightening at the sight of Lily in her crib—tiny fists waving in the air, cheeks wet, gasping for breath between sobs.

“Shhh… sweetheart,” Maya whispered, scooping the baby up without thinking. Lily was warm and trembling, her head pressing into Maya’s shoulder like she had found the one place she belonged.

Maya sat down on the rug, rocking her gently, humming a lullaby she hadn’t sung in years. Slowly, the baby’s cries softened. Within minutes, Lily’s breathing was steady and deep