We'd argued about names for months.
Lily had strong opinions. Marcus had suggestions. My mother had a list. Evelyn had approximately forty ideas, most of them unusable.
But when I looked at her really looked at her I knew.
"Hope," I said.
Declan looked at me. "Hope?"
"Hope Kane." I tested it. Smiled. "It's perfect."
He was quiet for a moment. Then: "Hope. Like"
"Like hope. Like everything we've been through. Like the thing that kept us going when things were hard." I kissed her forehead. "She's our hope. Our future. Our new beginning."
Declan's eyes were wet.
"Hope Kane," he repeated. "I love it."
"You do?"
"I do." He leaned down, kissed her tiny head. "Welcome to the world, Hope Kane. You're so loved already."
---
Lily was the first to meet her.
We'd kept the kids at home until we were settled. Margaret brought them the next morning, both bursting with excitement.
Lily approached the hospital bed carefully. Eyes wide.
"She's so small."
"She is."
"Smaller than Marcus was."
"A little."
Lily reached out, touched Hope's hand gently. The baby's fingers curled around hers.
"She's holding me."
"She knows you. You're her big sister."
Lily's face glowed. "I'm going to teach her everything."
---
Marcus was more cautious.
He stood back, watching, assessing.
"Baby," he said finally.
"Yes, baby. Your new sister."
He approached slowly. Peered into the bassinet.
"She's tiny."
"She is."
"Does she have teeth?"
"No, baby. No teeth yet."
He nodded seriously. "Good. Teeth are scary."
---
My mother arrived within hours.
Crying before she even saw the baby. Crying harder when she did.
"Another granddaughter," she kept saying. "Another beautiful granddaughter."
"Named Hope," I said.
"Hope." She tested it. Smiled through her tears. "Perfect. Absolutely perfect."
She pulled out her knitting bag. "I have blankets. And hats. And booties. I've been busy."
"Mom, you've been busy for months."
"I know." She grinned. "I'm efficient."
---
Evelyn came that afternoon.
Took approximately nine thousand photos. Cried approximately nine thousand times.
"She's perfect," Evelyn said. "Absolutely perfect."
"She is."
"Can I be godmother again? I know I'm already godmother to the others, but.."
"You can be godmother again."
"Good. I'm collecting them." She grinned. "I'll have an army of godchildren someday."
---
Margaret visited after work.
Brought flowers. Brought a gift. Brought her quiet, steady presence.
"She's beautiful," Margaret said. "Congratulations."
"Thank you. For everything. For watching the kids, for…"
"That's what family does." She smiled—real smile. "And you're family. All of you."
---
The first night home was chaos.
Hope woke every two hours. Lily wanted to help. Marcus wanted to understand. Declan and I moved through the darkness like zombies, surviving on coffee and love.
At 3 AM, I found Declan in the nursery, holding Hope, talking to her softly.
"Hey there, little one. You're keeping us awake. But that's okay. You're worth it."
I leaned against the doorframe, watching.
"You're going to have such a good life," he continued. "So much love. So much family. Your sisters are going to drive you crazy, but they'll also protect you. Your grandma will spoil you. Your mama will teach you everything."
He kissed her forehead.
"And I'll be here. Always. No matter what. You're my daughter, Hope. And I'm never letting go."
I crossed the room, wrapped my arms around both of them.
"Hey."
He looked up. Smiled. "Hey yourself."
"You're good at this."
"At what?"
"Being a dad."
He kissed me. "I learned from the best."