This story is completely fictional and all for fun!
That was the only word that could fully describe the room that just mere hours earlier had been alive with the hustle and bustle of nurses and doctors. Now, only a dimly lit lamp mounted on the wall near her hospital bed illuminated the darkened room.
At just after two in the morning, he was finally attempting to get comfortable in the leather recliner next to her bed. He knew if he woke her and asked her to scoot over, she would, but she was sleeping so soundly already that he couldn’t find it in him to disturb her. With one last sleepy-eyed glance in the direction of the newly acquired plastic, hospital bassinet, he pulled the blanket a nurse had brought him over himself and closed his eyes to get some much needed sleep.
He was almost over the edge of being completely pulled under when the sound of tiny whimpers softly reached his ears. Immediately, he was brought from the brink of sleep and back to the reality of the room he was in. Scrubbing a hand over his scruffy face, he quietly brought his chair to its original upright position and in three quick yet groggy strides found himself in front of the newest member of his family, his precious, teeny daughter.
Smoothly, he slid one of his hands behind her back and the other carefully under her dainty head and brought her to his chest. That was the moment she opened her deep blue eyes and looked up at him. In that split second, everything was calm, but not for long. The next thing he knew her little face was scrunching up preparing to let out the wail of a lifetime. “Hey. Hey,” he whispered softly, “You’re okay, sweetheart. You’re okay. I’ve got you. Daddy’s right here.”
Recognizing his accented voice, her face began to relax again, and she peered up at him curiously. He couldn’t help but stare intently at her, trying to memorize every curve and inch of her angelic face. But all too soon, their moment was cut short by a gentle knock on the door followed by a nurse peeking her head in.
“Just checking in. Everything okay in here,” she asked quietly with a smile as she stepped inside.
“Yeah, I think I’ve got it under control,” Rob grinned sheepishly.
“Looks like your long nights have already started.”
“Guess so. I was almost out, but I heard her start to get fussy, and I didn’t want her to wake her Mummy.”
“Do you think she’s hungry or needs a change,” the nurse wondered, trying to help him out so he could get some sleep.
“I don’t think so. She just ate, and her diaper was changed shortly after that,” he replied, looking back down and seeing her scrunch up again. “Hey, hey. No, no, none of that. Let’s not cry and wake Mummy,” he chastised her tenderly.
“Would you want me to take her to the nursery, so you can get some sleep?”
For a brief second, he considered it, but quickly, he came to the conclusion he didn’t want to be away from her so soon. “Nah, we’re good. I’ll just hold her till she falls back asleep.”
“Wanna try a trick to maybe help her fall asleep faster? This always worked when my husband took the night shift with our kids,” she suggested.
“Sure, I guess,” he shrugged tiredly.
The nurse came in further and held out her hands toward him, “I’ll hold her while you take your shirt off.”
“Uhmm…what,” he eyed her suspiciously, confused. He briefly wondered if she was using this as an opportunity to ogle him and started to feel a bit awkward, blushing lightly.
She noticed his hesitation and realized immediately what he was thinking. “I promise, I’m happily married, and this is all part of the trick; not some ploy to see you shirtless.”
Gently, he placed his daughter into the nurse’s waiting hands before standing. He looked to eye her suspiciously again, but she’d turned her back to him, placing his little girl in her bassinet as she started to remove her onesie while she waited for him to get situated.
He pulled his t-shirt over his head, still feeling quite awkward, and threw it down next to the recliner. The squeak of the leather as he sat signaled he was ready for whatever she was about to show him. Turning around, he watched as she brought his daughter back to him, dressed only in her diaper that seemed to swallow her tiny body.
“Babies’ love skin to skin contact,” the nurse softly explained as she placed Eden on his chest. “It makes them feel safe and secure, as well as works as a wonderful bonding technique for parents and their newborns,” she continued, placing the blanket over the two of them.
“I didn’t realize that, and I read all the books,” he chuckled quietly.
“Well, now you know,” her eyes crinkled in the corners as she smiled. “See if that works, and I’ll be back by to check on you all in a little bit,” and with that, she tiptoed her way out of the room.
Looking down, he began to take her in again like he’d been doing before the nurse had popped in. It was still hard for him to fathom that she was real and here, lying safely on his chest. Healthy with ten fingers and ten toes. A tuft of downey, light blonde hair sitting atop her perfect little head. She looked up at him with droopy, innocent, blue eyes, and his heart melted. Though he’d loved her since first finding out about her, it was different now than it was then. Then she’d only been an idea, a concept, and he could only imagine her from how she felt through her mother’s taught skin. Often, he’d wondered where her place would be in his heart, but after she’d been born, he’d soon realized there wasn’t a specific compartment in which he loved her. Like her mother, she owned him completely like no other person in the world did. Now, he thought about how hard saying ‘no’ would be when she got older, and heaven forbid, when she started dating.
She began to wiggle in his arms, getting restless, so he brought his right hand to rest along her back, lightly running his fingers along her baby soft skin. He relished in the feeling of her against him and could detect when her movements stilled. Her breathing began to even out as he started to hum a familiar lullaby. He wanted her to get used to the sound of his voice and the beat of his heart. The hope was that, from this day forward, he would be her safe haven from all the harmful people and things in this world. A small grin crossed his lips as he thought about how sappy that was. He’d never truly been one for sap or romance until they’d come into his life. Now, it was like he couldn’t help himself, and he was more than okay with that.
Finally, it seemed she’d drifted off, and he could feel his own eyes becoming heavy as the events of the day hit him full force. He felt as exhausted as he had when he’d worked an eighteen hour day on set, and he wasn’t even the one who’d done all of the work. Welcome to fatherhood, he thought to himself before sleep encompassed him.
She startled awake around 3:30am and glanced alertedly around the room. The baby had yet to make a noise since she’d fallen asleep, and she grew concerned. A surge of panic washed over her as her eyes found the empty bassinet next to the bed. She was about to call out for Rob as she turned in his direction, but caught herself when she found him, shadowed by the light, sitting in the recliner in the corner next to her.
The sight she found made her heart soar with happiness and love for their new, little family. Reclined in the chair was a shirtless Rob, sleeping with his head lolled to one side and his mouth just barely open, and their newborn daughter resting on his bare chest. Both covered by a blanket and snoring lightly after the days exciting yet draining events.
She couldn’t help but stare at them. Fondly, she remembered back to when she’d told him she was pregnant. The tears of joy and the utter happiness he’d radiated told her all she needed to know: he was going to be the best daddy. Now watching the two of them sleep, snuggled up together just mere hours after officially becoming parents, her conclusion had only been reaffirmed. Reaching over to the bedside table, she unhooked her charging phone and opened the camera, wanting to capture this first moment before it was gone. Quietly, she snapped the photo before checking to make sure it turned out okay. Grinning as she studied the screen, she knew that image was going to be in their home for many years to come.
Followers and lurkers! What’s up? Yep, yep! It’s that time of the week again, so here’s a new story coming at ya, hot and fresh off the press! It was one I had working in progress that I decided to finish. Hope you all enjoyed this little, precious family moment. I love writing Daddy Rob and his little babies. So yes, you can bet your ass I’m a sucker for some good family sap. Anywho, hit me up with some feedback and some love in my inbox or replies, it’s so greatly appreciated, and I don’t get it much! Lastly, and most importantly, don’t forget to like and reblog! Until next week…
