MIRACLE

00: Miracle

-3rd Person's POV-

It had been two days after the funeral of Aurora Astor, the once loving matriarch of the famous Astor family. She left a permanent scar in the hearts of her family with her passing, but for her four sons she also left a permanent reminder of the tragedy that has befallen to their once happy and complete family and now they are forced to always remember what happened and who they lost. All in the form of their little sister.

"I want to get rid of that demon spawn, Dad."

Fourteen years old Damion looked at the small baby girl, his newborn sister, peacefully sleeping and swaddled in the arms of his father with so much disdain. He wonders how his father could bear to look at the baby who killed his wife and he wondered why his father wasn't filled with rage or had the urge to drop the small infant like he does.

Instead, Declan Astor, was looking at the baby with so much love and adoration as if he was looking at his own daughter.

Looking at this only fueled the anger in Damion's heart.

"Dad!" He exclaims, not caring at all if the loudness of his voice awakened the sleeping baby, but the baby continued its peaceful slumber much to Declan's relief.

He gave his eldest son a stern look, "Mind the tone of your voice when speaking to me, boy."

"I want you to get rid of that demon spawn." He repeated in a demanding tone.

"Are you calling your own mother a demon? This baby literally came out of her."

"No, the only demon is that fucker who put that thing inside of my mother!" He accusingly pointed at the baby.

Damion knows his father already took care of the said demon who raped his mother, from what the young boy heard his father personally put the rapist in a slow agonizing torture for many months until he eventually died. Damion was glad but he still wished he was able to see for himself how his mother's rapist cried out, he wished he was the one who made him suffer like how he made his beloved mother suffer.

"This thing you're calling is your sister! You do not talk about her that way, Damion."

It was difficult for anyone to believe but Declan Astor quickly loved the baby as soon as the little bundle was placed in his arms, even he himself didn't understand exactly why he felt like this, but he really saw the baby girl to be his own daughter, the daughter he and his wife had been long dreaming of.

"Mummy died because of her. She's not my sister, she doesn't belong with us."

"Too bad you're not the one who makes the decision in this family then."

Declan looked at his son's eyes and he could clearly see the rage, hatred, and pain behind them, as a father seeing his child in pain was breaking him but he had already made a decision.

"Listen to me, son." He began and took a deep breath before continuing, "This little girl meant a lot to your mother that she literally sacrificed her life just so she could live, what happened wasn't her fault."

"That girl isn't worth all the sacrifice in the world." Damion hissed. He still do couldn't understand why his mother decided to choose this girl instead of herself, instead of them.

The truth is the family already knows that Aurora's pregnancy was already a death sentence for her, after she gave birth to her youngest son two years ago the birth took a huge toll on her frail body and the doctors already advised her that she won't be able to survive her next pregnancy.

Why couldn't she just abort the stupid baby in the first place? Damion thought

"But still, this little girl is left to us by your mother to take care and look after, I don't want to put her sacrifice to waste by giving this baby up. From now on this child is going to be my legal daughter and an Astor."

Damion scoffed.

The door suddenly opened and Declan's three younger sons entered the nursery. The identical twins nine years old Maddox and Hendrix, and the youngest two years old Corbin was being carried by Hendrix.

As soon as the twins saw the baby again their faces quickly mirrored their eldest brother. While Corbin who was too young to understand anything only looked at the small baby curiously.

"Why are you keeping that thing, Dad?" Hendrix looked at her in disgust.

"She killed our mummy!" Maddox cried out.

Damion sighs, it pained him to see his brothers like this, their father isn't aware of it yet but he could see how his twin brothers were slowly changing and detaching themselves from everyone, only seeking solace from one another.

Declan sighs again as he looks at his four sons then he looks down at his wife's daughter. It was as if they were asking him to choose, which he knows he never could as he doesn't want to lose his boys and the little bundle that was left by his wife, and the only thing he could do now is his plan and just hope for the best.

"Listen to me. I already had my lawyers and people arrange everything. As far as everyone in the public is concerned your mother died giving birth to our daughter, only the people in this mansion know the truth and it will always stay that way in order to protect your mother, this child, and our family. Do you understand that, boys?"

The three of them didn't like it and wanted to argue more but one more look from their father and they stopped themselves.

"From now on this little girl is going to be known as Miracle Aurora Astor, she is my daughter and your little sister." Declan firmly told them.

Miracle was the last word said by his dying wife as she looked at her daughter for the first and the very last time.

However, the name chosen for the child only triggered the brothers even more. How could a mistake be ever seen as a miracle? They all thought.

"You don't have to love or like, little Miracle. But this is the only thing I ask you, boys, treat her as your sister because she is to your sister and don't you ever hurt her or else you will be facing my wrath."

Declan could only sigh knowing he can't really blame his sons for feeling this way considering everything that happened and what they had lost, but he could only hope that one day they will be able to learn to accept Miracle and be the big brothers she deserves and needed.

For now the only person little Miracle has is Declan and he swore that day that he is going to raise, take care of, protect, and love the little girl like his own daughter.

And he did just that until he died of a stroke when Miracle was eight years old, that was the day Miracle lost the only person who loved and protected her and she finally found out the truth about who she is.

***