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“Those are soooo pwetty, Aunt Wivvy!” Jesse reached across the coffee table to gently stroke the colorful tulips Liv had just placed there in a vase. “I bet the new baby WOVES it!”
Liv smiled and ran a hand gently through the little girl’s hair. “You think she will? Hopefully she likes pretty flowers, huh?”
Jesse nodded vigorously and continued to stroke the petals as Noah responded, “Mom, you’re so silly! Babies don’t like flowers! Anyway, you said you got them for Uncle Rafa and Uncle Sonny to say congratulations.”
“You’re absolutely right, honey.” Liv moved to the bar, arranging the small spread of treats she had purchased. “This is a really big day for all of us--we get to welcome a new baby into the family!”
Just then, Rollins emerged from the used-to-be guest bedroom/ now nursery. “Okay,” she said “I think I’ve got it all taken care of. I got the banners hung up and put the rocker and teddy bear in the corner.” She smiled, feeling proud of her organizational skills. “They’re set.”
Benson smiled to herself. This day was bringing back her own wonderful memories of the day she adopted Noah; she couldn’t help recalling how both Barba and Carisi had been there that day, sharing in her joy. Noah had fit so snugly in her arms then. She hadn’t completely understood then how important these men would become, not only to her, but to her son. In those early months, she had sometimes worried that she wouldn’t be able to provide the kind of male role models Noah might need. But immediately, Carisi had stepped up, babysitting frequently, and over time, Barba had begun to take Noah to places she had never imagined. When Noah was two, Barba had taken him to the MOMA; at three he had taken the boy to his first Broadway musical. When Benson had looked at him skeptically, he had only shrugged before saying, “Come on, Liv. Everyone likes music, right?”
A knock at the door brought her out of her thoughts. “I got it!” Jesse cried, racing toward the door, and her mother swooped her up just in time. “Aww, tome on, Momma! I tan open it!”
“Uh, no.” Rollins unlocked the door and opened it to see Fin and Carmen both standing in the hallway, and Rita, arms crossed, behind them. “Hey! Welcome to our new baby’s homecoming!” she grinned as she let them in.
Rita looked around the room. “They’re not here yet?” she asked, accepting a glass of champagne from Olivia. “How long does it take to get a baby?”
“Usually, about nine months,” Fin quipped, humoring himself and taking his own glass. “Gotta hand it to them though...wasn’t sure this day would ever come, after last year.”
The room fell silent for a moment as they all recollected the time once before they had gathered like this. A little over a year ago, they had waited in this same room, drinking champagne that day, only to have Sonny and Rafael show up several hours later with no baby. The adoption had fallen through last minute, and while the two men held it together long enough to get everyone out of their apartment, the devastation of that loss had haunted them.
Liv knew that they had considered giving up on having a child after that. “I’m ready to try again,” Rafael had confided in her several months afterward, “but Sonny…” He had swirled the ice in his scotch for a moment before taking a large gulp. “His heart is still broken.”
Time. It had taken time, and a bit of crazy luck for Rafael and Sonny to try the process again. But when they had been contacted by the agency about a teenager wanting to place her baby for adoption upon birth, Rafael had nudged Sonny gently. It was supposed to be, he told Sonny. This girl had chosen them. She wanted them to raise her baby. She could have chosen a different couple--people more like her, heterosexual, younger--but she had asked to meet them, and ultimately felt they were the best fit for her baby.
And slowly, Sonny and Rafael had allowed themselves to prepare for their new daughter. A crib in the former guest room, now decorated with giraffes and elephants and monkeys. A changing table equipped with diapers and wipes. A bassinet in their own master, near their own bed, to best meet their tiny girl’s needs at night during these beginning months.
“Aunt Wivvy,” Jesse pulled on Liv’s shirt. “Tan I have one of dose dwinks too?”
Liv laughed. “How about I get you and Noah some really special white grape juice? Will that work?”
“Yes!” Noah and Jesse high-fived each other and followed Liv into the kitchen.
“I’m kind of surprised Detective Carisi’s family isn’t here,” Carmen mused as she sipped her champagne. “I would have thought they would all be here. Same with Mrs. Barba.”
“Sonny said they were going to his mom and dad’s place first for the Carisi introductions. Lucia was going to join them there so they could have some family time,” Amanda supplied. “I think he and Barba thought it would be too overwhelming for the baby if everyone was here. You know we are all under strict orders to say welcome home and then basically get out, so make sure you grab yourself a few cookies before you split.”
Fin was already munching on a cookie with M&M’s. “Don’t worry,” he said confidently. “I’m here to do my part.”
Rollins rolled her eyes. “You didn’t think that maybe the M&M cookies were for the kids? Maybe the fancy decorated ones that Barba paid way too much for are for us?”
Fin shrugged again before passing an M&M cookie to Rita, who look it and took a bite before making a face. “I like ‘em.” Rita handed her cookie back to Fin, then dusted her hands off. “You and the trash can,” she muttered snarkily before snagging one of the custom decorated cookies for herself.
“Hey Momma, wookit!” Jesse bounded over to Amanda, holding her cup out. “Wivvy gave us weally good juice! Wait a minute,” she continued, spying the two cookies in Fin’s hand. “Why do you have TWO cookies? Momma says we stop after one. Didn’t your momma teached you dat rule, Untle Fin?”
“Nope,” Fin responded, handing Jesse the cookie Rita had given back to him. He rolled his eyes at Amanda, who was scrunching up her mouth. “Oh, don’t be all cootie-shy. I’m actually helping her build her immunity.”
“Right,” Rollins responded, handing Jesse a napkin. “I’m sure you’re just working for a healthier future.”
There was a rattle at the door and then Rafael pushed it, holding it open for his husband. “We’re home!” he announced, grinning, and everyone quickly surrounded them, attempting to peer at the tiny bundle in Sonny’s arms. With a gentle smile, Sonny carefully leaned out and moved the teal blanket off of his new daughter’s face. The pride in Rafael’s voice was undeniable as he said, “Meet our new daughter, Marlene.”
“Oh, she’s beautiful,” Liv breathed softly, taking in the baby’s tiny features. Amid oohs and aahs, Sonny made his way to the sofa and took a seat.
“That she is,” Sonny agreed. “She’s perfect, isn’t she?” He ran one finger across Marlene’s coffee-colored cheek. He had no words to describe the love bursting in his heart, and he looked up to catch his husband’s eyes. Rafael smiled back, an intimate look saved only for him, and his heart filled even more.
“Can I hold her, Uncle Sonny?” Noah asked, stroking the baby’s blanket. “I promise I am very careful and I’ll even sit down!”
“No honey,” Liv put a hand on Noah’s shoulder. “Marlene is very, very new and we don’t want our germs to get on her. In a few weeks when she is bigger, you might be able to hold her.”
“What about me?” Jesse wiggled her body into the small space between Noah’s and Sonny’s. “I don’t got no germs. I washeded my hands too.” She held them up to Sonny’s face to examine. “See? All twean.”
“Same rule for you, missy.” Amanda took a step toward Jesse to move her, but Rafael gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
“It’s all right,” he said softly. ‘She just wants to see her.”
Jesse glanced back from her mother to her uncle, and to her mother again, before leaning forward over the tiny baby.
“Hewoooo, pwetty baby,” she crooned. “We are all your family and we wove you.” Jesse stroked the blanket around the baby’s face gently. “Your daddies wove you, and I wove you, and Noah and Aunty Wivvy and Untle Fin and Tarmen and my momma and…” She stopped suddenly, shooting a puzzled look at Rita. “What’s your name?”
“Rita,” Rita replied, raising an eyebrow. “Rita Calhoun.”
“And you even dot a Wita Talhoun who woves you, wittle baby. You’re so special. I don’t even have a Wita.”
Sonny and Rafael’s eyes met, and Sonny felt his own eyes tear up as he watched Rafael dab his face with a tissue.
“Yep, baby Marwaine, you dotta whole wotta wove.” Before anyone could stop her, Jesse leaned forward and kissed the blanket. “I’m so happy you’re our baby.” She looked up at Sonny, then at Rafael, and said, “Aren’t you happy too, Untle Wafa and Untle Sonny?”
“Yes we are,” Rafael responded, moving beside Jesse and kneeling to her level. He placed a gentle kiss on his daughter’s cheek before placing another on Sonny’s, and then turned toward Jesse. “Just like we are so happy that you’re our family too.”
Jesse giggled, then threw her arms around Rafael. “We dot it pwetty dood, don’t we duys?” she announced.
And Sonny spoke for everyone when he said softly, ‘Yeah. We certainly do.”