Page 83 of Flawed

My parents stay quiet, assessing Zara.

Dad finally puts his hand on my shoulder. "Yeah, she looks like a Zara. That's a good name."

"But why, Luciana?" Mom questions.

Heat crawls up my cheeks. I wish I could tell them it's to honor her father. I wish it didn't feel right giving her a piece of him when I can't give her the real thing. But it does feel right.

If I could confess all of this to my parents, I would. Yet I can't. Instead, I tell a half-truth about the reason. "Zara means princess, and Luciana means light. I thought that was a good combination."

"Oh," my mother mutters, pins her eyebrows together, then nods. "That is a good combination."

The nurse comes into the room. "Sorry, but visiting hours are over."

"I'm going to stay the night," Mom states.

The nurse's expression hardens. "No one is allowed to stay the night."

"What if I were the father?"

"Are you?" the nurse questions, crossing her arms.

"Mom, I'm fine," I state.

"Sophia, time to go," Dad orders.

Mom huffs. "What is the big deal?"

"Sophia!" Dad sternly says.

"Ugh." Mom rolls her eyes, picks up Zara, and kisses her forehead. She whispers something in her ear then hands her to my dad.

He kisses Zara, also whispers something in her ear, then hands her back to me. He smiles. "You did good, mon chou."

I tear up again. My parents kiss me goodbye, and Dad drags Mom out of the room.

I get settled into the silence, the sound of Zara breathing the only thing breaking the quiet. She whines and reaches for my breast again. I move her to it, and she latches onto my nipple.

"You're lucky," the nurse states.

"Why?" I ask, looking up.

She smiles. "A lot of babies don't latch right away."

"Oh." I look down and smile at my gorgeous girl.

"I need to fill out the birth certificate," the nurse states.

"Okay."

"Your mom gave us all your information. Can you look it over to make sure it's correct?" she says.

I glance at the form. "All good."

She nods. "And what are you naming her?"

"Zara Luciana," I inform her, my emotions choking me up again.

"That's a pretty name," the nurse claims.

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