Chapter 1

Waking up to baby Naveah crying, I climbed out of my bed and picked her up out of her crib. Seeing that it was still dark outside I looked at the clock on my bedside seeing that it was only 4 o'clock in the morning and I let out a groan. I just went to sleep about two hours ago and I was up once again.

Cradling her in my arms I started to walk up and down in my room to stop her crying, it always helps. She started to quiet down a bit and I looked down at her seeing her staring up at me with those blue eyes of hers.

"You need help Aaliyah?" Liyana asked, peeking her head around my bedroom, sounding half asleep.

"Thank you but I'm fine Liyana, go back to bed. You have work tomorrow." I said usering her back to her room.

"So do you Aaliyah." She said back, stopping at her bedroom door.

"My shift doesn't start until 11 oçlock Liyana and yours starts at 8 o'clock. Your alarm is going to go off in about a hour, go back to sleep."I said, closing her with the duvet.

Just when she laid her head down she was out like a light. Smiling down at my best friend, I turned around walking out her room, closing the door behind me. Liyana and Neveah are all that I have in my life. I don't have any blood relatives, they are my family now.

My mother and father are somewhere in this world. I just don't care what they are doing with their life or how they are doing. I grew up in an abusive household with my parents not caring about my well being. I applied to a college and at the end of high school I moved far away from home never looking back.

Walking back into my bedroom I laid Neveah down in her crib just for a second to reach for a diaper and she started to cry again.

"I'm right here,okay." I said picking her back up and laying her down on my bed.

After changing her diaper, I climbed back into bed with her. Cradling her in my arms I reach for her bottle feeding her. She held onto my hand, holding the bottle with me with her small hand while she played with my necklace that hangs from my neck with her other little hand.

The crazy thing is Neveah isn't by blood my baby. It was already two months since I moved to Sicily where I tracked my target and one night I was on my way to do my job but on my way to the location I heard little cries, I couldn't decipher where it came from so I followed it and found her on the street next to a dumpster wrapped in a thin blanket. I did what any person would do and took her to the nearest hospital and reported it to the police but the very next day I got a call that they needed to see me urgently at the hospital.

Upon arriving the police were also there and they told me that they found her parents but unfortunately both parents were dead. The father killed the mother and then commit suicide. I couldn't wrap it around my head that both her parents were dead and not one relative wanted her.

Apparently there were multiple police reports of screaming and fighting from their neighbours coming months before all that happened but the police neglected it and moved past it not doing anything about it.

Even her mother made a report to get a restraining order against the father but yet again the police didn't even care because they were low lifes as they put it when I asked them why they didn't do anything. I was infuriated to get all that information about them being neglected all this time.

I did the only possible thing I could think of and adopted her. I couldn't let her get sent to the orphanage or grow up in the system because I didn't know what kind of family would end up adopting her. I didn't know how she would be taken care of so I took her knowing I would give her everything possible raising her how her mother would. 

I will raise her as if she were my own. I know nothing about raising a baby but for Neveah I will learn. In about a few weeks she will be 5 months old, and when I found her she was already 2 months old. So it's been three months since I started to take care of her, since I adopted her

Placing the empty baby bottle on my bedside draw, I placed her over my shoulder to burp her. Rubbing up and down on her back and patting her softly she let out the most adorable burp.

"Come on, let's get you back to sleep. Mamma needs to go to work in a few hours and I need sleep." I said cradling her in my arms, rocking back and forth. I started to hum a song , one my mother used to sing to me when I was still a baby before the abuse began. A few minutes later she fell asleep with her mouth slightly open. 

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Hearing my alarm going off , I switched it off quickly before it could wake Neveah. Liyana already left about 30 minutes ago for work. It was 8 o'clock and I had about two and a half hours to get me and Neveah ready for the day. The bakery was only a 15 minute drive from our apartment not very far but with a baby it will take a long time to get ready.

Getting up to go to the kitchen to make myself breakfast which was only cereal and a cup of coffee. Finishing my breakfast I went back to my room seeing Neveah still sleeping but unfortunately I had to wake her up to get her washed up first.

Before I woke her up I took out her clothes. Pair of white socks, a diaper, the baby powder and her baby lotion. A white long sleeve bodysuit and a light pink floral pattern knit jumpsuit. Pairing it with her little white air force.

"I'm sorry baby, but you have to wake up now." I said picking her after I placed everything on the bed.

"Good morning my sweet baby girl." I said sitting down on the edge of my bed, placing her on my lap facing me when I felt her chewing on my shoulder. She let out a cute little laugh.

I started to take off her little bear romper, leaving her in her vest and diaper.  Seeing that her diaper was clean I took it off and wiped her off with a baby wipe. 

Standing up I went to the bathroom, closing the tabs ,feeling if the water was the right temperature I placed Neveah in. After a few minutes of struggling I was done washing Neveah. Taking her out I wrapped her like a burrito in her towel, carrying her back to the room and laid her down to dry her off. Reaching for the baby lotion ,I opened it and placed it next to her. Mistake I made because her little hands reached into the pot of lotion

"Neveah no." I said when I saw her grabbing a handful. There was no time to stop her because she was too damn fast. She started to laugh that adorable laugh of hers. 

"You want to help." I asked, seeing that she wanted to help. I gave her a little and she started to rub it on my arm with her little hands. Being done I threw powder inside the bodysuit and jumpsuit. Rubbing baby bum cream on her bum to prevent a rash before I put on her diaper.

Putting on her diaper was already a struggle because she didn't want to lay still. After I accomplished that I started to dress my little flower. Finally putting on her shoes she was done and now it was my turn. Walking to my closet with Neveah I took out a brown high-waisted dress pants. A white tank top and a white cardigan and my undergarments.

Taking out Neveah's toy's I took it with me to the bathroom. Placing everything on the floor I placed her on the bathroom floor to keep her busy while I washed. Closing the bathroom door behind me I turned on the shower to let it heat up while I got undressed. Getting into the shower I started to clean myself not wanting to leave Neveah alone on the other side of the shower glass even though I could see her.

After a few minutes I was done and I got out and dried myself off. Wrapping the towel around me I walked towards the sink to brush my teeth. Neveah wasn't worrying about me; she was too busy playing with her toy's. When I was done brushing my teeth I started on my hair. 

Picking Neveah up I walked out of the bathroom and placed her on the bed so I could get dressed. I was done getting dressed and finally put on my white air force.  Neveah still had one bottle left so I gave it to her while I got started on packing her diaper bag. 

Taking her baby bag, I packed everything I will need. 5 pairs of diapers, a packet of wipes, her bum cream, another outfit if she got the one she has on dirty, her pacifier, a few of her toys, a chewing toy because she is starting to get teeth, a blanket and a nappy for if she throws up. 

I placed her in her high chair, so I can get started on making her bottles. Neveah was still drinking from the one so I only made 4 bottles. I already cleaned them last night before I went to sleep, so it didn't take long for me to make them. While I waited for the water to boil, I played with her. She let out the most adorable laugh.

"Mamma is almost done, baby." I said when she started to cry when I stopped.

The water was done so I had to pour the water in the bottles. Going over to her, I picked her up with one arm while I was busy shaking the bottles with the other. I placed all the bottles in cold water to cool them down a little before we left. Going to my room I placed Neveah in her crib so I could make up the bed.

Time passed quicly and it was 10:30 and it was time to leave. Standing up I went to the kitchen. I took out all the bottles from the water and packed it in the diaper bag. Making sure I turned off everything I picked Neveah up and was ready to leave. Grabbing my car keys from the counter and the bag we left the house on our way to the bakery.