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He was nervous. He’d handled grenade launchers, guns with hair triggers, pipe bombs, but this? This was by far the most important thing he’d ever had to carry. “I don’t want to screw this up,” he said, looking at his wife.
“It’s easy. You just cradle her against your body and then make sure you’re supporting her head, and you walk slowly and take her into the house.” Molly smiled at him. “Now I see why you have'nt held her yet. You’re nervous.”
“I’m terrified I’m going to squash her. Or drop her.”
“You’ll do just fine,” she said, carefully leaning up to kiss his cheek. She was still sore, and he knew it, and he planned to do most of the care of Beatrice to let her rest, but still. First, he had to learn to pick his daughter up. Then the caring could begin.
“Could you at least get her out of the car?” he asked, hoping she didn’t think he was a fool.
She chuckled softly and nodded. “I’ll get her out of the car seat and hand her to you. I think it would be easier that way.” He moved out of the way and Molly leaned into the car to unlatch Beatrice and pull her out of the car seat. She had her mother’s light brown hair but his errant curl to it, and he thought she was almost as beautiful as her mum. But cradling her made him feel like she was a prized piece of china and he was a bull in the shop and it would all end terribly.
He didn’t have much time to think about it before Molly was holding her, waiting for him to take her. “Are you ready?” she asked.
“No, but I’ll have to suck it up and do it,” he said. He carefully modeled his arms after hers and she placed their daughter in his arms. She checked to make sure she was comfortable, and all she did was let out a little yawn and snuggle into her swaddling a little deeper. “She’s...not heavy.”
“No dear,” Molly said. “She’s quite light for now. Why don’t I head to the door and unlock it and you follow?”
He nodded, and Molly shut the rear door of the car and slowly made her way to the front door. He followed, taking one small, slow step, and then another, but Beatrice did not move. He had finally begun to relax by the time they got to the door. Maybe he’d be okay with this after all...