Chapter 208

Tristan

Three weeks had passed since Adrian and Arianna were born, and every single day felt like a small miracle.

I stood at Adrian's isolette, watching him sleep without any wires attached except for the monitoring leads. No feeding tube. No oxygen support. Just my son, breathing on his own, eating on his own, getting stronger every day.

"He gained another two ounces overnight," the nurse told me, updating his chart. "And Arianna gained three. They're both over five pounds now."

"Five pounds," I repeated, feeling that familiar swell of pride and relief. When they'd been born, Adrian had been four pounds three ounces, Arianna just under four...