"Please, can you do it?"
Grace asked again, her voice breaking despite her efforts to keep it steady. "While she's asleep? Painless… peaceful. I want to…"
She covered her mouth as her voice cracked, "I want to… I want to remember her like this. My… my baby girl."
Adam's tears started to fall again as he stared at her. A scream built in his throat, raw and primal, but before it could escape, Grace's hand shot out, also covering his mouth. Her eyes were desperate, her head shaking. Pleading.
She looked down at Samantha and whispered so very quietly,
"I love you, sweetie. Mommy... mommy loves you very much."
Grace turned back to Adam, her eyes begging him. The knife trembled between them.
Adam closed his eyes, his teeth grinding together so hard they shattered. When he opened them again, he turned to look at Samantha and gently touched her cheek—and then, with a breath, he grabbed the knife from Grace.
