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In the days after Sophie’s traumatic labour, Sophie had been recovering and they still hadn’t chosen a name for their little princess who was now still nestled on her father’s chest as she slept peacefully, her head that was bald when she was born had a few strands of hair trying to push through atop her pale head, white, blonde, almost imperceptible but Benedict had spotted them and in the emotions of the few days had broken down in tears. He had gotten his wish; his daughter was going to be every inch her mother.
“We can’t keep calling her Princess” Sophie said tiredly, her head resting on the itchy pillow of the hospital bed. They had refused to let her out, they wanted to check on her and her baby and Benedict refused to take their daughter home without Sophie and as Sophie was breastfeeding, though it had taken two days before Sophie was able to produce milk, and their princess had been bottle fed as she was now able to Sophie was adamant she would breastfeed her daughter as she had done her sons.
“I don’t see why not? It suits her” Benedict said with a grin on his face. From the moment Sophie had woken up and breathed a tired “hi” and he had sobbed on her and told her off for scaring the living daylights out of him, he had a grin on his face that Sophie was sure would never leave his face ever again. He was just so happy.
“Ben, we are not naming our daughter Princess Bridgerton. It’s just ridiculous” she said with a sigh and a wince as she moved on her side a little to look at her husband “it can be a nickname if you wish but she needs an actual name”
“What about calling her Sophie?” Benedict said honestly.
Sophie rolled her eyes “We not naming my daughter after me…” she said.
“But!” Benedict said with a pout.
“What about naming her after your mother?” Sophie asked “she has done so much for me… for us over the years… she deserves to have a grandchild named after her” she continued.
“Violet?” he said looking down at his little girl in his arms who moved and stirred at the sound of her father’s voice.
“Violet Katherine?” Sophie added. “Named after the two women who really helped us get to where we are today?” Sophie said with a small smile on her face.
“I was going to suggest your name, but I like that… Lottie does have your name as her middle name and you’re right” Benedict said with a smile as he got up from his seat and moved to the edge of Sophie’s bed.
“Violet Katherine Bridgerton, our little miracle princess” Benedict said as Violet’s eyes fluttered open, and she gave a little tired gurgle.
“I think she approves” Sophie said with a small smile, taking her daughter from her husband.
“Named for the other two important women in my life and looks like the most important woman in my life. I am a lucky man” Benedict said putting his arms around his wife and pressing his lips to her head gently.
~*~
The following day, Sophie was finally allowed visitors, the doctors were passed the point of concern about an infection and she was finally allowed to see her boys. Because she was so high risk of infection only Benedict was allowed in and Benedict had refused to leave the hospital and as the boys were having such a good time with their Grandmama, they had remained with her. Eloise and Phillip had taken them out for a few hours and Sophie and Benedict facetimed their sons’ every night and they had met their baby sister over video but not in person and they had decided to keep her name a secret for the moment.
They wanted to tell Violet in person, rather than over the internet that they had dedicated their daughter to her.
So shortly after lunch, Violet made her way through the hospital, Will perched on her hip as he had thrown a tantrum in the car and had not wanted to walk. Charlie carrying a ridiculously large bunch of flowers that was nearly bigger than he was, that he chosen, having begged his Grandmama to stop and let him spend his pocket money on flowers for his mama. Alex carrying a polar bear, it was a family tradition that each of Benedict’s children had been gifted a Polar Bear like the one Sophie had as a baby and Alex wanted to gift his baby sister one as well.
The two eldest were practically bouncing as they made their way through to Sophie’s ward, Violet telling them to speak in hushed voices. They were excited to see their mama and their new baby sister. Benedict had finally relented and gone home the night before for a change of clothes and a shower and had seen the boys and promised they could come to help bring Sophie and their baby sister home.
Outside the door, Violet could see Benedict sitting on the bed with Sophie, the purple blanket Violet had crotched the moment she found out that Benedict and Sophie were expecting a girl wrapped around the little bundle that was in Sophie’s arms and Violet felt her heart squeezing as it always did when one of her babies had a baby of their own. She loved all her grandchildren, but she knew what Sophie had been through to bring her granddaughter into the world and knew it would be the last for Ben and Sophie and it just felt a little more special.
Violet reached out and knocked on the door and Charlie carefully opened it peeking his head in “Mama!! Can we come in?!” Charlie asked politely trying to peer over the edge of the flowers in his arms.
“Please!” Alex yelled from behind his brother trying to peer over his head, despite being 18 months younger he was only a little shorter than his older brother.
“Of course,” Benedict said with a smile as he took Violet carefully from Sophie. “Just carefully with Mama though boys, she’s still very sore” Benedict said as Charlie flung the door open and went to sprint across the room.
Both Alex and Charlie paused and nodded their heads and walked nicely into the room as Will squealed “MAMA!!!” and made grabby hands towards his mother wanting off his grandmama’s hip. This was the longest the youngest Bridgerton had been without his mother and he was now very unhappy.
“Is that our baby sister?” Charlie asked, “she’s real?” Charlie asked still holding the flowers.
“It is your baby sister. If you want to climb carefully onto the bed and give me hugs because I’ve missed you all so very terribly, then daddy can let grandmama have a hold then you can each have a turn?” Sophie said to her boys “you can pass Will to me Violet, thank you”
“Are you sure my dear?” Violet asked, her brow raised as William continued to thrash, her eyes flicking between William and the purple bundle in her second son’s arms.
“I’m fine, Will, you will settle nicely for mama won’t you?” Sophie asked her youngest son who burst into tears as he nodded and Violet carefully handed William to Sophie who immediately buried his face into Sophie’s neck and hugged her, his tears stopping almost immediately.
“I gots these for you mama” Charlie said holding up the flowers as he carefully climbed on the bed.
Sophie chuckled “they are a rather large bunch of flowers” she said with a smile
“I picked them!” he said proudly.
“Just like your daddy” she chuckled.
Benedict flushed and turned to his mother “would you like to hold your granddaughter mum?” he asked
Violet beamed and nodded holding her arms out as she took a seat “does the little princess finally have a name?”
Benedict and Sophie looked at one another, “she does” Benedict said with a smile.
“She’s named for the two most important women in our life” Sophie said.
Benedict nestled his daughter in his mother’s arms and said “Mum, we would like you to meet, Violet Katherine Bridgerton”
Whatever Violet had been expecting, it wasn’t that. Her mouth fell open as her head shot up from the sleeping bundle in her arms, the weight of her granddaughter taking root in her heart as her eyes flew to the face of her daughter-in-law and her son. “Are… are you sure?”
“Absolutely positive” Sophie beamed at her.
“That’s grandmama’s name!!” Alex beamed as he pointed at his grandmama and his baby sister.
“It is trouble” Benedict grinned. “You did so much for us both mum, it just seemed right. You and Kate helped us both, you are the very best woman, and it is an absolute privilege to be your son and we wanted to honour all the help you and Kate both gave us, we wouldn’t be where we are, none of this would have happened without you” Benedict said a little gruffly.
Violet burst into tears as she looked down at her little granddaughter, “I… I… thank you” she sobbed as she looked down at her granddaughter, her namesake, as baby Violet started to stir, and her eyes fluttered open and Violet gasped. “Oh my!”
“I know!” Benedict grinned.
“Oh Sophie, she’s absolutely beautiful, she’s… she’s you” Violet said “there is barely a trace of the Bridgerton in her”
“You think so? I think she’s got Benedict’s ears and nose” Sophie said looking up from her sons who were chattering away to her filling her in on everything she had missed and everything they had done with Grandmama and Nannie Mary.
“She’s all you love” Benedict grinned.
“Mama can we hold vii… viiii….” Alex said struggling a bit, their grandmama was never called Violet, as they had Grandmama and Nannie Mary there was no need to differentiate between the two.
“Vi–o-let” Sophie enunciated
“Vi-let” Charlie repeated
“Vi… vi…” Alex said still struggling
“VI-vi!” William giggled following his middle brother and at that moment baby Violet chose to gurgle, almost in improvement.
“Vivi works” Sophie chuckled
“I think she approves as well” Violet said as she stood and walked to the bed with her daughter-in-law and grandson’s settled and as she placed Violet carefully in Sophie’s arms, she kissed her daughter-in-law on the cheek with a whisper of “thank you” before she turned and hugged her son tightly.
“Love you mum” Benedict said as he hugged his mother tightly and Violet couldn’t help but break down into tears again, it always made her so happy to see her children happy and to hear them say this but after everything Benedict and Sophie had been through. This was extra special and having them name their daughter after her… was just the icing on the cake.
She excused herself from the room to compose herself and to let the new family of 6 have a few moments to themselves and as she made her way back into the room, and watched Benedict, who was the spitting image of his father, with his 4 children and wife.
Violet felt like she was transported back in time, to her holding Daphne, her first girl, with her three princes around her and her king at her side.
Violet was sure that Edmund was watching down on them, he had kept them all safe, and he would continue to do so, and she felt an overwhelming sense of peace and almost like she had her husband standing behind her, his head resting on her shoulder, arms around the waist as she watched with tears in her eyes, her heart full of love and happiness.