After the caesarean Madison came too from the anaesthetic to see Scott looking down on her, worry and warmth in his eyes.

"Is she..?" Madison asked, her voice catching in her throat. Her one and only thought was her baby.

"She's beautiful." said Scott, he squeezed her hand. "She's perfect. She's already breathing on her own."

"I need to see her." said Madison trying to sit up.

"Give yourself a moment to recover." Madison turned to see Frankie. "Then I will escort you to the neonatal unit myself." he said smiling down at her.

…

Madison held her breath as Frankie wheeled her wheel-chair towards the NICU. Scott was walking beside her, holding tight to her hand. The images in her head were that of Sara, so tiny, thin, and helpless; so small she could fit on the palm of a hand. She couldn't imagine what she her new baby would look like.

They stopped in front of the large window and at a signal from Frankie a nurse wheeled forward an incubator. Madison pressed her face to the glass… her baby girl, she looked… she looked plump and pink and perfect. Her heart almost stopped at the wonderful sight, tears pricking in the corner of her eyes.

"My daughter!" she gasped, resting her palm on the glass to try and get even closer.

"Didn't I tell you she was beautiful." said Scott, squeezing her shoulder.

"We will have to keep her in the NICU until we are confident she capable of regulating her temperature and is feeding correctly. But she is doing exceptionally well. She's a fighter this one."

Madison couldn't stop her tears of relief and delight.

"Do you want to hold her?" Frankie asked.

Madison looked up at him in wonder.

"I can hold her?" she asked, it felt like he had just offered her the moon.

Frankie looked from Scott to Madison. "We can only let you in one at a time, but she is strong enough to be out of the incubator for a short time."

"Yes, oh yes, oh yes…" sobbed Madison.

…

The NICU nurse introduced herself as Paula and placed an large pillow on her lap. Madison waited in anticipation as the nurse carefully lifted her daughter from the incubator and placed her gently in her arms. There were still wires going in and out of her baby's body, attached to various monitors, but she still looked so flawless. Madison was entranced by the way her baby's small form curled perfectly against her chest. She caught herself trying to count the strands of white blonde hair that covered her daughter's head, her ten tiny toes and ten tiny grasping fingers. She was hypnotised by the way her child pursed her pink lips, and blinked her blue staring eyes. There was never a more beautiful sight in the world.

"Do you want to try for a feed?" Paula asked.

"Is it safe?"

"We can't guarantee that she will be able to feed properly at this early stage, but we find it is a good way for both mother and child to bond. You did want to breast feed?"

"Yes." sighed Madison; she felt she might start crying again she was still so overwhelmed by it all.

"She really is a beautiful little girl." said Paula, helping to loosen Madison's hospital gown. "Do you have a name for her yet?"

"Holly," said Madison, trying in vain to sniff back her happy tears, "Her names Holly."

Paula smiled down at the baby.

"Well Holly, it looks like it's dinner-time." She turned back to Madison. "And don't worry; I'll talk you through it."

Madison looked up briefly to the nurse before looking back down at her baby.

"I'm not worried." She said with a relieved smile.

…