ashton was short of breath as he watched his wife become limp on the hospital bed. he heard the shrill shriek of his daughter fill the room. a nurse quickly cleaned the baby off with a soft towel, swaddled her, and handed the baby to ashton.

he gripped his daughter and cried and cried along with her. she was beautiful. he was in awe of the perfectness of this baby.

"she's gone," the doctor told him.

his wife had just died in childbirth. another reason for the poor man to cry. so much had happened in the last fifteen minutes.

he looked down at his frail baby, who was still screaming.

"don't cry, lovebug," he whispered to her, pecking her button nose through tears. "daddy's got you."