he didn’t know how it happened.
one night he was having fun at the pub and then the next he had a baby. the next day, after about 9 hours of just staring at his sleeping daughter with shaking hands, simon decides to go out and get the supplies he needs for his baby.
he walks into the tesco extra, holding his baby in his jacket to keep her warm, a blanket wrapped around the perfect angel. she hasn’t cried once since he picked her up off the porch. he also decided to forego his mask so he doesn’t end up scaring the tiny thing.
he gets a cart and pushes it with one hand while holding the sleeping kit close. he feels like a giant while holding the babe so close, though he oddly enjoys the feeling of her warmth against him. makes him feel whole.
as he stands in the aisle of baby stuff, overwhelmed with the seems like a thousand types of formula, a nice, pretty worker walks into the aisle. you. with your nice smile and pretty eyes.
“is there anything i can help you with, sir..? oh, who is this??” you beam, captivated by the baby tucked into this tall man’s jacket. she’s so tiny, but she’s a beauty. soft blond tufts of hair, and rosy cheeks that make any cherub pale in comparison.
“er-…she’s my…my daughter…” he doesn’t have a name for her. not yet. he pats her bum, awkwardly staring at you before you hum, nodding,
“she’s very pretty, uh….” you glance up at him, curious of his name.
“simon…simon riley…” he gruffly speaks, though his eyes are uncharacteristically soft. like having such a pure soul tucked against him causes his heart to melt.
“nice to meet you, simon…uh…are you having trouble deciding which kind..?” you point at the wall of formula, he nods with a slight pink tint to his cheeks. you hum, looking around for a moment before bending down to pick up a can of formula.
“this one is the one my sister used for her son, said it worked well for newer babes…” you offer it to him, smiling softly as he nods along. “said it’s…full of iron and supplements the baby needs at this stage. she’s…around a month or two, right?”
he nods, still quite speechless that someone is actually helping him. he looks down to his daughter, finally finding the courage to say what he needs help with.
“u…uhm…yes, i…i need…a lot more than just formula…” he smiles sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck while still holding the tiny thing. “i…don’t have anything for her. bottles, nappies….none of it.”
your eyebrows raise in concern, smiling softly and tilting your head, “uhm…do…do you have a crib? or…or a changing table? let’s start with the basics…”
he sheepishly shakes his head no, smiling gratefully when you just decide to take his cart and walk toward the living section, deciding to get the basics before overwhelming him with detail.
you spend about an hour or two walking him around the store to get supplies, a baby carrier, car seat, changing table, nappies, and allllll the overly expensive things a baby needs.
by the end of the very expensive shopping trip, he put his little one in her new car seat and buckled her up to go home. after he got in the driver’s seat, he pulls out the receipt to check the damage. he winces at the triple digits before his lips curl into a smile. it seems he also got a 11 digit number…
and a note, reading, call me ! <3
