Chapter 9 - Perfect Lie

Bright stared at the tiny bundle in the incubator. She looked so helpless. He flashed back to when Hannah first told him they were going to be parents. He had imagined holding an exact replica of Hannah in his arms and staring at her tiny, curly tendrils.

Bright leaned back in a chair that the nurses had placed beside the incubator and closed his eyes. Sleep was irrelevent to him, yet all the hours he had spent awake were caching up. His eyes resisted the effort he made to open them, and Bright slowly gave up. He started to form apparitions of a perfect life with Hannah and their baby girl. Nothing seemed too far off...

"Bright!" a cheerful Hannah yelled from the kitchen.

"Alright, I'm coming!" he yelled back, hurrying down the stairs of a two-story house, brand new off the market.

"We're going to be late, and we don't want to be late. This is a very important day, and we CAN'T be late!" Hannah's ramblings would have ensued if Bright had not grabbed her by the waist and pulled her in for a kiss.

They were interrupted by the squeal of their daughter, who happened to be looking on from her car seat stationed on the kitchen counter, with her fingers in her mouth and a little trail of drool spilling over onto them.

"Don't get any ideas. Not until you're NEVER." Bright told the infant, pointing his finger, playfully. Hannah smiled proudly and looked at the clock on the wall.

"No, no, no! We're going to be 2 minutes late!"

Amy was standing outside the room with Ephram behind her. Watching as Bright dozed off, they were content on leaving him be. They knew he'd want to wake up to see his daughter.

"He doesn't deserve this." Amy said, almost ready to cry. "God knows he wasn't a saint, but this...no one deserves this, no matter what their past." she said defensively. Ephram put his arms around her and kissed her cheek.

"Sorry we're late!" an apologetic Hannah said.

"It's no problem. It happens all the time in this business." the photographer explained. "Gotta make sure you look your best." Bright shot Hannah a look, as if to say 'See, I told you it'd be fine.'

The photographer got to work. "Alright, I was thinking you could stand here, behind Hannah; and then Hannah, you sit down here, and hold the baby."

Bright and Hannah did as the photographer instructed; Hannah took the baby out of her carrier as Bright waited in his designated place. Hannah sat down on the stool in front of him, holding the infant, who was in such a carefree mood. Bright placed his hands on Hannah's shoulders.

"Perfect!" he said, just before looking into the camara lens. "I want big smiles on the count of three: one...two...three!"

No sooner did the flash go off, did Bright open his eyes. He heard fast and quick footsteps from behind him, towards the door. He looked the baby, and seeing that she was okay, he got up quietly and left the room.

"What's happening?" Bright asked Amy and Ephram, who were frantic for answers also.

Bright grabbed hold of a doctor's arm. "What's going on?"

"Follow me; You'll probably want to see this for yourself."

Hopefully you like? Miracles do indeed happen(beware: spoiler). Please review!