Prologue

Zane

I could hear my mother moaning and crying from the waiting room.

She was birthing my sister today and I couldn't have been more excited.

I'd overheard my parents taking about how worried they were about my being indifferent toward baby Elena, but I was going to be a good brother.

I would love her.

And care for her.

And feed her.

And whatever else one needed to do for a little sister.

And I would not deny her when she asked to play dress up.

Oh I couldn't wait to see her, all tiny and bundled up in a little white towel with a pink stripe.

But boy mom sure sounded in a lot of pain.

I hoped she was okay.

I was left to wait for a long time.

At least a few hours.

And I dozed finally, that would pass the time nicely.

A good...

Long...

Nap...

Because it was almost midnight...

And I really needed to sleep.

I got my way in terms of that until about two-o-three when I was jostled by my father who had faint bloodstains on his shirt. He was smiling very wide.

"Son, you can come and see her now. But mother is very tired. You will need to be very quiet."

I looked at his shirt a little fearfully. "Is mom okay?" I asked.

He nodded, still very elated. "Yes, she is safe and healthy. Come, come!"

He took my hand and drug me from my sitting position, I was still groggy from my nap but I was just as elated to know that my baby sibling had finally been born.

We rushed through a multitude of halls until we came upon room one-sixteen, where we entered and saw mom laying on a bed with a nurse in the room, she had something small and caterpillar-shaped in her arms and tears in her eyes.

She smiled tiredly at me. "Hi sweetie." She cooed softly. "You come to see your new sister?"

I nodded eagerly, bounding up to her and standing on my toes to try and see, but father put a hand on my shoulder.

"Now Zane, the baby is VERY delicate, you will need to be extra careful."

"Yessir."

Very carefully, I crawled up into the bed, then turning back towards my dad and letting my feet dangle off the edges of the mattress.

I looked down eagerly at the little bundle in my mom's arms.

She was very pink, chubby, and a little splotchy with a lot of white hair. Her eyes were closed but she was moving her head around slightly as if she was trying to see something.

She was so cute, and really tiny, it was as if the slightest of movements would break her.

I smiled sheepishly, glancing up at my mother. "Can I hold her?" I asked.

My mother and my father exchanged glances, staying silent for a moment before she answered.

"Yes...but you must be very, VERY careful with her." Mother said. "You have to support her head like I am now, and make sure you won't drop her."

I chuckled. "I won't drop her." I stated. "I promise."

Reluctantly, very much so, she tucked the little girl into my waiting five-year-old arms. She was really soft, like a teddy bear almost, I was afraid to do anything so I just sat stiffly, looking down curiously at her half hidden face until dad spoke to me.

"You can move that bit of the blanket, son. She isn't that delicate."

Blushing a little, I took one arm out from under her, balancing her on my knees as I peeled back the part of the blanket that covered her face.

She was just so little and pretty, and she was making the cutest face, she would sort of open and close her mouth repeatedly as if she were sucking her thumb but she wasn't, and one of her little arms popped free from the fabric prison and when I tried to tuck it back into place she clutched my pinkie so tight and I didn't have the heart to take if from her.

"I love you, Elena." I cooed down to the girl, who was now waving her arm a little, pulling my hand around with it.

Mommy said that babies always have really soft heads when they're born, but I had the feeling I could be careful enough not to break anything; I leaned down really close, trying not to breathe so I might not get her sick, and I just barely brushed my lips along her forehead.

That's when she opened her eyes, they were bright, crystal blue.

But I was distracted by their beauty when she released a pitiful little wail.

I jumped, not expecting her to react that way. Mom made a noise and took her back from me, cradling her close to her chest when she started to cry.

I wanted to cry myself, and actually I could feel the tears in my eyes; I looked to my mother, who was whispering to Elena softly.

"Does...she not...like me?" I asked her.

She offered me a smile. "No sweetie, it isn't that, she loves you very much. But babies cry when they need something, and we have to figure out what it is."

My dad patted me on the shoulder. "She's fine, kiddo. She's probably tired and hungry like us. Lets go get some chairs and we can sleep with mom for the night."

I went with my father to gather the chairs in question but I honestly wasn't tired anymore.

I just wanted to stay up, I could hold baby Elena for hours and sing to her and talk with her and let her play with my hands...

I was going to be a good big brother...

I would always be there to protect my baby sister.