The Beginning:

18 Years ago…

“ I don’t know if I can do it! I don’t know! I don’t”, he could hear his wife yelling and struggling to catch her breath. He could see that she was in pain, but not only physical pain; emotional pain beyond imaginable. He knew that not only was this the first time he was going to see his unborn child, but it was going to be his last. He knew that nothing and no one can alter the fate of him and his family. But he knew he had one thing on his side. Hope. That’s all he could and would hold onto; hope. He hoped that his child would come into this earth safely and healthy. He hoped that him and his wife would have the courage and strength to look upon, cradle, hug, kiss, and love their child before they had to send it away. Away to safety. Away to uncertainty. Away to hope. Hope that the child would be safe and out of harm’s way without it’s parents. “ AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” was what brought him back to reality. He felt the life-squeezing grip of his wife’s hand as she yelled in agony as she gave her last push. And then it was all over. There was absolute silence. “ It is a girl my lord “, said one of his servants as he came up from the curtain of his wife’s robe. In the servant’s arms was his daughter. “ Give me her, please.” whispered his wife, barely able to speak long due to the exhaustion of birthing their child. The servant quickly handed over their child. His wife gently brought the child to her with slow but genuine motion. She brought the child to her lips and gently kissed her on the head. “ I don’t know if I can go through with this.” his wife started to weep, bringing the child closer into her embrace as if at any the moment something or someone was going to snatch the child away. “ We have no other choice my love. We have to do this. For her.” he said wrapping his arms around his wife and staring lovingly, but sadly at his daughter. “ Why?! Why her?! Why our child?! Our first and only child!” cried his wife bringing her daughter closer to her even more. He hugged his wife even more and kissed the top of her head as though to soothe her, to calm her, but in a way to calm himself. For he too was dreading the thought of being separated from his child. “ I  know. I wish there was another way. Oh, how I wish we can change this unfortunate destiny of ours. But we can’t change what destiny has already written out. We can only pray that destiny favors us and our child. Hope is what we can hold onto for our destiny. And this child. Our child is what our destiny will live on by. Therefore Hope it is. Hope is her name.” he said as he affectionately kisses the top of his daughter’s forehead. Both him and his wife huddled around their child as they prepared themselves for what was to come next. The sound of the bedroom door swinging open attracts him and his wife’s attention. Entering the room is his most trusted friend and warrior. “ It’s time.” he hears the man say. He looks to his wife and instantly takes in the sorrowful sight of his wife embracing their daughter so intimately as a stream of tears that could be mistaken for waterfalls were coming down her cheeks. He wraps his whole body around both his wife and child as if to block out the threats of the world. He hugs them so strongly, but sincerely at the same time. The only thing that pulls away from the embrace is his head as he kisses both his wife and his daughter. But he knows that this cannot last. That at some point he has to let go. So he gives his last squeeze. Kisses his last kisses. And says his last but neverending promise to the two beings he loves most in the world. “ I Love You.” and with that last vow came the last moment him and his wife would ever see their child again. Both him and his wife had gave up their Hope.