Beatrice Gwendolyn Casey

"My lady, my lord, it's a healthy girl!" The middle-aged woman's face lit up as she went about cleaning me, as if my piercing cries were nothing new to her.

Even after she swaddled me gently, my cries didn't subside. Panic coursed through me – the unfamiliar place, the unfamiliar faces – it all fueled my anxiety.

Would this life confine me to loneliness and isolation once more? Would their initial warmth fade if I couldn't meet their expectations? The fear of ending up alone clawed at me.

Their smiles were meant to reassure, yet doubt lingered. But my thoughts were interrupted when the scene shifted. Suddenly, I found myself in the arms of an animated man, his eyes full of affection.

He rocked me back and forth, gradually soothing my cries. His embrace felt like a refuge, a place of safety amidst the uncertainty.

His presence brought comfort and stability. Meeting his gaze, I felt a connection, and in response, a smile broke across my face, accompanied by a tiny chuckle as he playfully booped my nose.

"Catherine, look, she bears your enchanting eyes. I bet she'll grow up to be as beautiful as you." He lowered and tilted his arms to a suitable position to pass me to a woman who looks frail, but still showing a radiant smile that never seems to fade away. I giggled as I was put in her arms.

"She takes after your smile!" She said, never taking her loving sight away from me. "Oh, my dear, the twins will be elated to greet her."

"Bea," The man mumbled.

"Pardon?" She asked.

"Bea," He repeated, his focus back on me.

"You, my little angel, will be known as Beatrice Gwendolyn Casey."