He held Ayah any chance he could, and the sight made my heart swell. The way he looked at her was enough to make me cry. It was a wonder he hadn’t woken up now to take her in his arms. I couldn’t even be jealous because of how beautiful their bond was, and it had only just begun.
I looked out the large windows of our bedroom to the black sky beyond, the only lights coming from nearby buildings. Twinkling and competing with the stars. Gray clouds hung low in the sky, with the promise of rain. Or possibly snow. I glanced over at the clock on the nightstand. It was nearing 4 a.m.
“What’s our girl doing?” whispered Jeremiah through the darkness, breaking me from my thoughts.
I looked over at the sleepy smile he had on his face as he looked over at us. His two girls.
“I think she just wanted a snuggle,” I said softly, stroking her cheek with the crook of my finger.
“Mmm.” Jeremiah rolled toward us and stretched his arms over his head.
“Happy to be home?” I asked, thinking about the small couch he had slept in for two nights in the hospital.
“You have no idea.” He chuckled. “But it was all worth it.”
He eased his arm underneath me and I nuzzled my head against his shoulder, with Ayah still on my chest. We both lay there in silence, watching her breathe.
“She’s perfect,” Jeremiah whispered. I think it was the thirtieth time he had said it since she arrived. I loved to hear those words, dripping with adoration.
“She is,” I whispered.
“You are, too,” he said softly, adjusting his head so he looked down at me. I looked up into his eyes that shone through the darkness and softly kissed him.
“Really. I’m so proud of you. You did it. You brought our angel into the world,” he said, before placing his chin gently on my head.
Moments later, his chest rose and fell slowly. The feeling of him began to lull me back to sleep. I carefully placed Ayah back in her bassinet next to the bed, careful not to wake her or Jeremiah, before settling against his chest once more. The three of us fell into a deep sleep.
We woke up a few hours later to the sounds of Ayah’s soft cries. I pulled her into bed and nursed her, while Jeremiah stroked my hair with his fingers sleepily.
“It’s snowing,” he whispered.
I looked to the windows, and sure enough, a soft flurry of snow floated down to the city below, settling peacefully on the window ledge outside. It was a magical sight. I felt my eyes tearing up.
“Hey there,” said Jeremiah softly, turning to me. “Are you okay?”
“I’m just happy,” I said, smiling through my tears.
“Me too.” He kissed me. “Me too.”
We watched the snow fall for a few minutes before Jeremiah climbed out of bed, and tucked another blanket around me and Ayah, who was now asleep on my chest after her feeding. I looked at him curiously.
“I’m making you breakfast.” He winked, before striding out of the room in my favorite pair of sweats on him. I smiled after him before settling into the pillows, continuing to watch the city turn winter white. It was as if it were blanketing our messy past, melting away to something new.
A little while later, Jeremiah came back into the room, balancing a white tray. He carefully set it on the nightstand next to me before curling his fingers toward him, a silent gesture asking for Ayah. I laughed softly and lifted her off my chest, handing her to him. He carefully took her and cradled her in his arms. He gave her a kiss on the forehead before nodding to the breakfast tray.
“Eat,” he commanded softly.
I pulled the tray in my lap and looked down at the spread. There were two over medium eggs with salt and pepper, breakfast potatoes with bell pepper and onion, turkey bacon, and a small bowl of fruit. It smelled heavenly, making my stomach grumble. I didn’t realize how hungry I was until now. Nursing was taking a lot out of me.
“There’s protein, healthy fats, and some nutrients from the fruits and veggies. Orange juice for something sweet. Oh, and your postnatal vitamins too,” said Jeremiah, rocking Ayah gently.
“Thank you,” I whispered, in awe of how good of a man he was.
“After you eat, get some sleep. Okay?” He leaned in and gave me a kiss on the head.
“But what about…” I looked to Ayah asleep in his arms.
“She just ate. She’ll be fine. I’ll take her to her nursery and have some skin-to-skin time. You need rest.”
