The day my daughter was born was supposed to be the happiest day of my life. Instead, it marked the beginning of a quiet unraveling I never saw coming.

Five weeks ago, after nearly twenty hours of labor, I finally heard the sharp, beautiful cry that told me my baby was alive and safe. The exhaustion, the pain, and the fear all dissolved into something close to awe as the nurse lay her against my chest. She was tiny and warm, her fingers curling instinctively around mine as if she already knew me. I remember thinking, This is it. This is what we waited for.