Chapter 19 - A Daughter at the Door
The baby arrived two weeks early. The delivery was difficult, but the specialist team was ready. Vincent waited in the hallway with Elena and Sofia, while Clara's friend from the hospital held Daniel's watch.
When the nurse finally came out, she was smiling.
"A healthy baby girl. She's small, but she's doing well."
Clara named her Elena Daniel Bell, keeping Daniel's name where it belonged and honoring the woman who had helped save him.
Vincent did not ask to hold the baby first. He waited until Clara invited him. When she placed the newborn in his arms, he stared at the tiny face and felt the weight of every year his family had lost.
Sofia stood beside the bed, uncertain.
"Is she my cousin?" she asked.
"Yes," Clara said. "Your daddy's brother was her daddy."
Sofia thought about that. Then she placed a small paper star beside the baby's blanket.
"For Daniel," she said.
Elena began to cry quietly. Vincent reached for her hand, and this time she let him hold it.
Later, when the room was calm, Clara asked Vincent to promise one thing.
"Don't turn my daughter into a piece of your business. She is a child. She gets to be a child."
"I promise," he said.
Outside the room, the investigator called. Victor had agreed to a plea deal, but the terms included one final name.
May you like
Sofia asked whether the baby would know Daniel. Clara showed her the photograph of him holding a fishing pole, smiling at something outside the frame. She told Sofia that a person could be gone and still leave good things behind. Sofia placed the photograph beside the crib.
Someone inside the Moretti organization had helped him.
