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“Mama”
Nic smiles; she doesn’t think she’ll ever get used to that. All her old favorite sounds (songbirds, church bells, even Conrad’s voice) now pale in comparison to those simple syllables spoken by her daughter.
This early in the morning, the world takes on an eerie quality, like it knows no one should be awake yet. They’ve beaten even the birds, but Gigi is awake. And thus her mother is too.
“Yes, darling. Mama loves you, don’t you know?”
Nic rests her cheek against the soft blonde hair of Gigi’s head, inhaling the smell of baby shampoo and lotion. Another new favorite, vanilla and coffee don’t hold the quite same appeal for her now.
Nic has found herself with what one would describe as a clingy baby, ironically born to two extremely independent parents. Gigi is content for now, fed and clean and warm in her mother’s loving arms, but the moment Nic puts her in the crib she will make well known her determination to shatter an eardrum. They had tried self-soothing once, but after hours of listening to Gigi cry Nic had told Conrad not-too-kindly that they would not be trying that again any time soon. Nic nuzzles one dimpled cheek, leaving a string of kisses there, and Gigi babbles happily.
“Mama loves you, and Dada loves you,” Nic continues speaking softly against Gigi’s ear, rocking her gently back and forth, “And your Grandpas love you too.”
“Mama,” Gigi says again, repeating the word she recognizes and, so far, the only one in her vocabulary.
There’s a creak of the door, and Nic glances behind to see Conrad step over the threshold, rubbing at his eyes.
“We don’t have to be up for a few more hours,” Nic tells him, “You should go back to bed.” Conrad shakes his head and comes to stand behind her. He presses a kiss against Gigi’s hair before wrapping his arms around Nic from behind. Out of habit he’d developed when she was pregnant, his hands settle over her belly and he presses his face to her neck.
“Can’t sleep without you,” He mumbles, tightening his arms around her middle. Her arms are full of their daughter, so Nic cannot hold him back, but Conrad doesn’t seem to mind. He had been right when he said alone time would be hard to come by, but that doesn’t just mean sexual intimacy. She would be dishonest to say it is difficult to pull herself away from him when Gigi is crying for her, but Nic still misses him too. Each day Gigi wails with anguish when they leave her at daycare, and the knife that stabs Nic’s heart every time she has to leave her has not let up even once. So she refuses to deny her baby the indulgence of her mother’s comfort in the sanctity of their own home, even if it means even less time sleeping or with her husband. These days won’t last forever, there will come a time when Gigi won’t need Nic to fall asleep, as much as Nic doesn’t want to think about that eventuality.
Instead of responding, Nic leans back against him. She turns her head slightly to rest her cheek against his, letting her actions speak for her. Conrad presses a gentle kiss to her cheekbone, message received.
Gigi watches them quietly, her dark blue eyes bright and curious even in the low light. Irritated that her Mama’s attention has shifted away from her, one chubby hand raises to land against Nic’s cheek, and Gigi coos.
“Mama”
Nic chuckles, holding the little hand in hers and kissing Gigi’s palm, “I didn’t forget about you, baby girl.”
“You need to learn how to share, sweetheart,” Conrad says, but there’s no admonishment in it, since they both know that’s not true. Gigi will never want for love from either of her parents, not if they have anything to say about it. From the moment she saw her Nic knew she was a goner, her heart no longer resides in her chest; it lives instead inside the tiny person in her arms.
Blue eyes, baby’s got blue eyes. Like a clear blue sky, watching over me.
It’s a familiar song, one Nic had started singing when it became apparent those baby blues were here to stay. Having grown up bearing a strong resemblance to her own mother, Nic is happy her girl will have a trait uniquely her own, regardless of which genes she ends up favoring.
Blue eyes, I love blue eyes. When I’m by her side, where I long to be, I will see
Conrad starts to sway, leading the three of them in a dance around the nursery. Nic puts a gentle hand against the back of Gigi’s head, coaxing her to lay it on her free shoulder as those blue eyes grow heavy in their fight to put off the inevitable sleep.
Blue eyes, laughing in the sun, laughing in the rain. Baby’s got blue eyes, and I am home. And I am home, again
“This is my home right here.” Conrad whispers, one hand moves from around Nic’s waist to stroke Gigi’s cheek. She has fallen asleep, and with only slight difficulty Nic turns her gaze from her daughter’s face to look at him, tilting her chin to meet his lips in a lingering kiss.
“Mine too,” She whispers back.