EIGHT MONTHS LATER Liya had a tear rolling down her right cheek as she gazed at the child in her arms. He was hers. Perfect, a bundle of joy, and most of all, utterly and undeniably hers. She thought she would burst of happiness just by watching him wiggle and whimper in her arms. Was this the love of a mother they spoke of? Just a few hours ago, she thought she would definitely give up due to the amount of pain she was passing through while pushing the baby. Dice had held her hand while she pushed, encouraging her to push for him, and she tried, heaven knew she put in her last strength to get the baby out. She did it. He was here now, even if his dad wasn't, at the moment. She already missed him, and she wanted to see how proud he was of her, because it was always there in his eyes—how much he appreciated her strength. She had missed that look in his eyes, because she had fallen unconscious immediately after the baby was all the way out. The nurse said he had stepped out sometime