*Briella*
The weight of my eyelids felt like anchors as I peeled myself from the cocoon of sweat-dampened sheets. My limbs protested, a symphony of aches playing through each muscle, but the soft sighs from the crib called loudly to me.
With a resolve that seemed to drain the last reserves of my strength, I shuffled across the room, the cool wooden floor soothing the fire in my soles. For a moment, I contemplated crawling to the crib but fought through it until I looked down upon the most beautiful sight I had ever seen.
"Shh, little Emberly," I murmured, my voice grainy with fatigue. Gently lifting my daughter from her bed of clouds, I cradled her tiny frame against my chest. Her wispy dark curls tickled my skin, a sensation that sparked a surge of warmth through my weary heart.
