The next morning, Sarah woke to the sound of birds chirping and sunlight streaming through the windows. The storm had long since passed, leaving the world outside looking fresh and new.
Sarah blinked a few times, momentarily disoriented, before the events of the previous night came rushing back to her.
She got up and went straight to Siri's crib to check up on her and the baby from the night before. The sight caused her to coo, Raphael was next to Siri, hugging each other. They were both still asleep, their tiny chests rising and falling peacefully. A protective warmth spread through her as she studied their delicate features.
The sound of small feet padding on the floor drew her attention. Sophie appeared in the doorway, her hair messy from sleep. She rubbed her eyes and gave her mother a smile.
"Good morning, Mom," she whispered, her eyes darting to the baby. "Is he okay?"
"He's fine," Sarah replied, her voice soft. "He slept through the night."
Sophie makes her way to the crib, careful not to disturb the babies. "What do we do now?"
"I'll call the authorities first," Sarah said, though her chest tightened at the thought. "They'll know how to handle this."
Sophie didn't look convinced. "What if they take him somewhere bad?"
Sarah sighed, pulling her eldest into a one-armed hug. "We'll make sure that doesn't happen. But we need to do the right thing."
Before Sophie could respond, Alex's voice called from the kitchen. "Mom! Breakfast is burning!"
Sarah glanced at Sophie. "Keep an eye on them, okay?"
Sophie nodded, her face filled with determination. "You can count on me, Mom."
Hurrying to the kitchen, Sarah found Alex standing on a chair, frantically waving a dish towel at the smoke rising from the toaster. Sarah suppressed a laugh at the comical sight and moved to unplug the device.
Sophie then makes her way to her downcast daughter. "It's okay, Alex," She said, patting her middle daughter's back. "We'll start over."
"I wanted to make breakfast," Alex said, her bottom lip quivering. "For the baby."
Sarah's heart ached at her daughter's thoughtfulness. "That's very sweet of you, but let me help next time, okay?"
Alex nodded, and Sarah set to work making a proper breakfast. She scrambled eggs, toasted fresh bread, and poured glasses of juice. By the time everything was ready, Sophie had brought Raphael and Siri to the table, wrapped snugly in a blanket. She placed them in a makeshift cradle of cushions on the bench beside her.
As they ate, Sarah kept glancing at the baby, her mind racing with questions. Who had left him on her porch? Why had they chosen her house? And why did it feel as though Raphael belonged here?
The sound of the doorbell startled her from her thoughts. She froze, exchanging glances with her daughters.
"Mom?" Sophie whispered. "Who is it?"
"I don't know," Sarah replied, her pulse quickening. "Stay here."
She approached the door cautiously, peering through the peephole. A uniformed police officer stood on the porch, his expression calm but serious. Sarah was pretty sure she hadn't called the police yet. Swallowing hard, Sarah opened the door.
"Good morning, ma'am," The Officer said, tipping his hat slightly. "I'm Officer Reynolds. We received a call last night from one of your neighbours about a disturbance in this area. Just wanted to check if everything's alright."
Sarah hesitated, glancing back at Raphael. "There was... something unusual," she admitted. "A baby was left on my doorstep during the storm last night."
The officer's eyebrows shot up. "A baby? May I see them?"
Sarah nodded reluctantly and led him inside. Sophie and Alex were sitting protectively near Raphael, who had woken and was gazing up at the officer with his intense blue eyes. Officer Reynolds crouched down, studying the infant.
"Do you have any idea who might have left him?" He asked to which Sarah shook her head.
"No," Sarah said. "There was only a note with his name - Raphael."
The officer frowned. "That's highly unusual. We'll need to report this to Child Protective Services. They'll conduct an investigation to see if there is any information about him."
Sarah's stomach twisted, but she forced herself to nod. "Of course."
"I'll file the report," Officer Reynolds said, rising to his feet. "But in the meantime, will it be alright for him to stay here? If you're comfortable of course."
"I am," Sarah said quickly. "He'll be safe here. In fact, I am thinking of adopting him myself."
The officer gave her a reassuring smile. "Very well. Thank you for stepping up, ma'am. Someone from CPS will likely visit in the next day or two. If you need anything, make sure to call us."
With that, the officer left. As the door closed, Sarah turned back to her daughters, who were watching her with wide eyes.
"Are we really going to adopt him?" Sophie asked.
Sarah knelt in front of Sophie, her eyes searching her daughter's face. "What do you think?" she asked gently.
Sophie hesitated, glancing at Raphael, who was now cooing softly in Alex's lap. "I think he already feels like part of our family."
Alex nodded vigorously. "He can be our baby brother! I'll even share my room if he needs it."
Sarah's heart swelled at her daughters' enthusiasm. "Adopting Raphael would mean a lot of changes," She warned. "We'd all need to work together to make this work."
"We can do it," Sophie said confidently. "Right, Alex?"
"Right!" Alex chimed in, wrapping her arms protectively around Raphael.
Sarah smiled, but her mind buzzed with the enormity of the decision.
Adopting a child was a serious commitment, but as she looked at Raphael, she couldn't imagine letting him go. Something about him felt special - like he'd been meant to find his way into their lives.
"We'll take things one step at a time," Sarah said. "First, we'll wait to hear from CPS. But for now, he's staying with us."
Sophie and Alex beamed, and Sarah felt a surge of determination. Whatever challenges lay ahead, they would face them together - as a family.