Page 15 of Madness Behind the Mask
Swallowing, feeling the electricity in the air sharpen, I take those final steps up to the crib.
Suddenly, the thunder clouds break, pierced by a ray ofsunshine as I look down at the little girl’s face.
She’s so tiny…
Not much bigger than both my hands.
She stops crying as she looks up at me, lying on her back in a blue onesiethat matches her light-sky eyes. She is the ugliest baby I’ve ever seen, but there’s something about her, something soft and sweet that makes me smile.
“What’s her name?” I ask, not looking up, not wanting to break the connection pulling us together.
“I haven’t named her yet,” Delun says, his voice like rumbling gravel. “Pick.”
I glance up in surprise.
“She is to be yours,” he says simply, and I glance back down, studying the little baby once more.
She is mine…
I like that.
Reaching forward, I bop her nose. Her eyes followed my finger until they couldn’t, and now she looks silly as well as ugly and sweet.
“Sau,” I say softly,not sure where that came from but liking it.
When Delun doesn’t say anything, I look up at him, shifting on my feet.
“Why?” he asks.
I shrug.
“‘Sau’ means ‘defender,’ and she is a woman.”
But she’ll defend a part of meno one else can.
And I’ll be her defender too.
My tongue heavy, uncertain under his gaze despite the strong, sure beat of my heart, I shrug again. “I like it.”
He studies me a second longer, then nods.
My smile spreads wide across my face as I look down at her again.
“Sau,” I say softly.
My little sweet Sau.
I will cherishyouforever.
And protectyouforever too.
Six
CADEN
16May1917
Present day…
