“Shh, Lily… it’s okay, sweetheart. I’m here,” Nathaniel whispered awkwardly, but the child only cried harder, writhing in his arms, red-faced and gasping.
“Why won’t she stop?” he muttered.
Maya’s voice was quiet but steady. “I tried everything. She only sleeps if I hold her. That’s all.”
Nathaniel’s jaw tightened. He stood frozen, as if unsure whether to believe her. The baby’s cries grew more desperate.
“Give her back to me,” Maya said, her tone firm now.
His eyes narrowed. “I said—”
“She’s scared,” Maya cut in. “You’re scaring her. Give her back.”
Nathaniel looked down at his daughter, then at Maya. Something flickered in his expression—confusion, hesitation, and then… defeat.
He handed Lily back.
The baby curled into Maya’s chest instantly, like her body remembered where safety lived. In less than thirty seconds, the crying stopped. Only a few hiccupping sobs remained before she drifted into fragile sleep.
