The First Night Home

When Marcus and Alicia brought their daughter home from Mercy Hospital in Baltimore, the apartment felt impossibly quiet — until 2 a. m. The baby cried, and Marcus bolted upright. He checked the diaper. Dry. He offered a bottle. She turned away. He rocked her, bounced her, paced the hallway. Nothing worked. His mother arrived the next morning and heard the cry from the doorway.…