It was a stormy night as Sarah Cooper laid her youngest daughter, Siri, to bed. It had been a week since her husband's unexpected passing from a car accident and she definitely is having it rough trying to keep her family afloat.

After making sure that her baby was sound asleep, she decided to call it quits for the day and went to her own bed to sleep.

Just when she had just closed her eyes, her ears picked up a sound of muffled crying amidst the storm. Blinking, she checked on Siri only to find her still sleeping.

Getting up from the bed, Sarah waddles through the hallway of her house in search of the source of the noise.

It was then that she noticed the crying, which was eerily similar to that of a baby, was coming from the front door.

"Mom? What's that sound?" The voice of her eldest daughter, Sophie, startled her. Sarah looks to find her eldest daughter accompanied by her second daughter, Alex, both standing at the edge of the hallway, their faces filled with worry. 

Sophie, at eight, had always tried to be brave for her younger sisters, but even she seemed unsettled by the eerie crying.

"I'm not sure," Sarah admitted, trying to keep her voice steady. "Stay here. I'll check it out."

As she approached the front door, the crying grew louder. Her hand hovered over the doorknob. The storm outside howled, shaking the windows, as the chilling sound pierced through the house.

"Mom, be careful," Alex whispered, clutching her older sister's arm tightly. The six-year-old's voice was trembling, and her wide eyes reflected Sarah's unease.

Sarah hesitated, but her instincts as a mother told her she couldn't ignore it. Slowly, she unlocked the door and pulled it open. The wind blew rain into the house, and she found the source of the crying. The porch was empty, save for a small bundle wrapped in a soaked blanket lying just beyond the threshold.

"What is it, Mom?" Sophie asked, stepping closer despite Alex's protests.

Sarah leaned down cautiously, her heart pounding in her chest. She unwrapped the blanket, her breath hitching when she saw what lay inside.

A baby, no older than a few days old, with pale skin and deep blue eyes she couldn't help but get lost in. The baby stared up at her, still crying, but its gaze sent a shiver down her spine.

"Mom?" Sophie's voice cracked at seeing the soaked baby. "Who... who would leave a baby out here in this storm?"

"I... I don't know," Sarah murmured, her mind racing. She picked up the bundle and brought it inside, shutting the door against the storm.

The warmth of the house wrapped around them as Sarah held the tiny infant in her arms. She could feel the baby shivering, its fragile body cold from the storm. Her maternal instincts took over as she hurried to the living room and set the bundle down on the couch which caused a slip of paper to fall from the baby's blanket. Sophie and Alex followed their faces a mix of curiosity and concern.

"Sophie, grab me a towel from the bathroom," Sarah instructed her eldest, her voice firm but gentle. The eight-year-old nodded and sprinted off. Turning to Alex, she added, "Can you bring the baby's clothes from Siri's drawer? Anything will do."

Alex hesitated for a moment, her eyes glued to the infant. "Is the baby going to be okay?"

"I think so," Sarah said, though her own heart was pounding. "We just need to get him warm and dry."

Sophie returned first, her arms full of towels. Sarah carefully dried the baby, speaking softly in a soothing tone to bring some comfort to the baby. The baby didn't cry anymore, but its tiny chest rose and fell rapidly as if trying to catch its breath. Alex appeared moments later with a small onesie and blanket.

Sarah worked quickly, dressing the baby and wrapping it tightly in the fresh blanket. The storm raged on outside, but inside, the house was quiet save for the occasional soft coo of the mysterious infant.

"What do we do now?" Sophie asked, sitting beside her mother on the couch. Alex clung to her sister's side, her face still pale.

"I'll have to call the police," Sarah said, though the words felt strange leaving her mouth. "It's the right thing to do."

"But who would leave a baby in the middle of a storm?" Her eldest asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "And why here?"

"I don't know, sweetheart," Sarah admitted, brushing a strand of hair away from the baby's forehead. "But we'll make sure he's safe."

As she reached for her phone, the baby's tiny hand gripped her finger. Sarah froze. The warmth of the infant's touch spread through her, and for a brief moment, the storm outside seemed to quiet. The baby's blue eyes locked onto hers, and an unexplainable feeling washed over her — like this child was meant to be here, in this moment, with her family.

"Mom..." Sophie began, her voice trembling. "Something about him feels... different."

Sarah nodded, unable to tear her gaze away from the baby. "I know," she said softly.

The baby's gaze held Sarah in place. The storm continued to roar outside, but inside, time seemed to slow as the mysterious infant nestled closer to her chest. 

For a moment, she felt as though the world around her had shifted.

Alex spoke up, her small voice cutting through the silence. "Is he going to stay with us?"

Sarah hesitated, unsure of how to answer. "I don't know, Alex. We need to figure out who he is and where he came from."

"But what if he has nowhere else to go?" Sophie asked, her eyes wide with concern. "We can't just give him to someone who won't take care of him."

Her eldest daughter's words echoed Sarah's own fears. Something about the baby's sudden appearance, his calmness despite the storm, and the way his tiny hand still clung to hers made it hard to imagine letting him go.

Before Sarah could respond, the baby stirred, letting out a soft coo that reminded her of her youngest. His deep blue eyes closed as he nestled into the crook of her arm. A strange sense of peace filled the room as if the storm outside had been momentarily forgotten.

Sophie and Alex exchanged glances with each other before Sophie spoke again. "Mom, maybe... maybe he's supposed to be with us."

Sarah looked at her daughters, their innocent faces full of hope and uncertainty, and then down at the baby in her arms. The weight of her responsibility pressed down on her, but she couldn't deny the growing connection she felt.

"I don't know what's going to happen," Sarah said finally, her voice steady but soft. "But for now, he's safe here with us. And that's what matters."

"What should we name him?" Sophie asked. Remembering the piece of paper that fell out of the blanket earlier, Sarah unfolded it, revealing a single thing written on it. Raphael.

"Raphael. Raphael Cooper."

Her daughters nodded at the name, their expressions brightening. As they sat together on the couch, the storm continued to rage outside, but inside, a fragile warmth began to take root. Little did they know, the baby's arrival was only the beginning of a journey that would change their lives for the better.