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Mac stood in front of the nursery window. Staring at that tiny human in the cot in awe.
She was his.
His and Riley's.
Their daughter. Nova.
Riley was asleep, exhausted by the birth. She had told Mac to go home, get some sleep, but after all she was the one who had done all the hard work.
Mac was so proud of her and he had supported her the best he could.
His heart was still fluttering when he thought about hearing that wonderful first cry, when they laid the tiny girl onto Riley's chest and the way she had snuggled into him when he first got to hold her.
It was a magic moment.
Jack rounded the corner a few moments later. They had come by earlier for a short visit.
Mac had enforced some pretty strict rules to ensure Riley was comfortable.
No visits for longer than 5 minutes, and not in the first 5 hours after the birth.
Everyone had been respectful of that, and Riley was beyond grateful for that.
Diane was with her now, watching her baby sleep while Riley’s baby, her grandchild was in the nursery.
Jack clapped his hand onto Mac’s shoulder. „How you doing there, dad?“
Mac almost started bawling.
„Pretty good,“ he smiled teary eyed. „it’s an incredible feeling.“
Both men looked through the glass where the little girl had woken up, a tiny yawn escaping her, squinting.
„She looks so much like Riley,“ Jack said, „but she’s got your eyes. Look at that shade of blue.“
„Yeah,“ Mac said, „but who knows if that’ll stay that way.“
A nurse came out of the room. „Mr. MacGyver, do you want to hold her?“
Mac’s face lit up. „of course.“
Sitting down in the chair the nurse handed him the baby. „Here you go.“
Nova started fussing, Mac gently shushing her. He hummed a melody that Jack recognized as „September“ the baby calmed immediately, recognizing the notes from when Mac used to play the little music box for her every night.
Jack watched the scene, feeling filled with such warmth.
„You’ll be a great dad.“
Mac smiled, gently rocking the baby. „I hope i’ll be.“
Jack took something out of his bag. „i bought you something, and i think it’s singh enough that you’ll be“
It was a crocheted blanket. One that Mac had made himself.
It was soft and black, with a galaxy pattern that resembled a Supernova.
In the bottom right corner a name was stitched in. Nova Ellen MacGyver
Mac choked up. „I totally forgot to bring that. Thank you Jack.“
Jack grinned. „I’ll leave you now, okay. And you’re doing great.“
„Thanks,“ he whispered.
Moments later he waved as Jack and Diane walked by the nursery, making their way home.
Mac was about to put the baby back, when he saw Elwood outside the window.
Walking out he greeted him. „Hey.“
„Hi,“ the older man said. „I just said hi to Riley and i just wanted to see the baby through the glass, i didn’t want to disturb.“
„Oh, it’s fine.“ Mac said. „You can see her up close now.“
Elwood looked at the baby teary eyed. „this reminds me so much of when Riley was born. I was so happy then.“ His face fell. „I wont fuck up again. I’m gonna watch her grow up, I'll not miss any years with her like I did with Riley. I won't do that again.“
„I know,“ Mac reassured him.
Elwood nodded, then cleared his throat. „Well, Riley asked for you, so i’ll leave you alone.“
Walking back into the room, he saw Riley awake.
„Hey, Riles“
She smiled. As he settled the baby down in her arms and then crawled next to her.
He watched as Riley opened her gown and latched the baby.
„Does it hurt?“ he asked, concerned as he watched the baby suckle.
Riley shrugged. „It’s not really pleasant, but it’s fine.“
„Okay,“ Mac kissed her cheek, while gently supporting the baby’s head with one hand. „I wish i could do more.“
Riley shook her head. „Mac, you are doing absolutely amazing… from the day we found out we were expecting… you bought all the supplements i would need, you bought a pregnancy pillow, you build an adjustable slatted frame, you build every piece of furniture in the nursery yourself, you bought so many books to be prepared and a doll to learn diaper changing and swaddling and how to put a baby in the car seat. You massaged my back, my feet and my belly, you helped me bathe and shave, you drove to get my cravings in the middle of the night, you held my hair back when the morning sickness made me vomit, you cooked and cleaned and barley let me do any chores after i entered the third trimester, and even when i looked like a whale you were looking at me as if i was the sexiest women in the world. And you literally crocheted a blanket for her. You were so amazing during the labor, You were doing everything you could and more and i love you so much“
Mac opened his mouth, just to close it again. Wiping a tear out of his eyes. „i love you too baby. And still, you did all the impressive work, you grew a whole human.“
Riley chuckled, looking down at the sleeping, drunk on milk baby. „I mean, you helped, didn’t you?“
„I contributed 40 minutes, that's nothing in comparison.“
„40 very impressive, amazing minutes, you could have done it in two.“
Mac raised his eyebrows. „And miss out on watching you fall apart underneath me? Nah, I love that too much.… but seriously. You did all the hard work, and I am so proud of you.“
She pulled him down into a kiss, Mac melting into it. He eventually pulled back. „I love you, Riles.“
„I love you too, Mac.“
He scooped the baby up to lay her in the bedside crib, the baby waking up while he did.
He rubbed the baby’s stomach, humming their song again. He turned to Riley, quietly singing. „Do you remember, the very first night of December.“
She chuckled.
„So,“ he said, „what would you say about meatball sandwiches, cookies n‘ cream ice cream, mango and peach iced tea?“
Riley’s eyes lit up. „Yes please!“
„Good. I’ll get that for you and then I'll be right back.“
Walking out, he pulled his phone out, looking at the message he had sent into the group chat earlier.
A picture of the baby and the following words.
Nova Ellen MacGyver
1st December 2023,
10:23 am
20 inches,
7 pounds 5 ounces.
Everyone was congratulating them.
With a smile he got into the car, to get Riley some food.
Finishing his errands about half an hour later he spotted a flower shop, the very same one where they had gotten the flowers for their wedding, an idea creeping up in his head.
He stepped into the graveyard a bit later, walking toward the two granite headstones with his parents' names on them.
„Hey,“ he whispered, laying down a bouquet of white roses, his mothers favorite flowers. „I am very happy to inform you that as of today you’re officially grandparents.“ He smiled. „Her name is Nova Ellen, and she is just the cutest little thing, and i already love her with my whole heart.“ He paused for a bit, smiling sadly. „I really wish you could have met her.“
He sighed, a hand kiss on both headstones, before making his way to the hospital again.
When he came back into the room, in one hand a bag with food, the other one with a bouquet of red roses, Riley started crying, but immediately caught herself. „Sorry, hormones," she sniffed, unwrapping the sandwich.
Mac just sat down next to the bed, setting his hand down on Riley’s still swollen belly, gently rubbing it a bit.
„You are so beautiful,“ he murmured and for a moment, Riley stopped chewing.
She was in a hospital gown, not wearing make-up, hair disheveled, belly wobbly, feet swollen and wearing diapers.
Mac chuckled at her disbelieving face. „Yes, even like this, You are the most beautiful women in the world to me.“
Toying with the two rings on his necklace,he sighed. „If someone had told me years ago that one day i’d be here, i wouldn’t have believed them. “
„Me neither,“ Riley whispered, thinking about the crazy journey that laid behind them.
It had been unconventional.
They had gotten married on accident after they got drugged by bad guys, had to stay together for a year because it was a marriage experiment, and somewhere in the middle of it, they had confessed their feelings for eachother, Mac had proposed again, they had a real wedding, and now they were here with their baby.
Cuddling up next to each other, sharing the food, they eventually fell asleep, on their first night as a family.
Two days later
Carefully taking the carseat out, trying not to jostle it and wake their newborn daughter, Mac wrapped his free arm around Riley's hips to support her.
Opening the door they both stopped for a moment.
Everything was cleaned up, a banner hanging up with the words ``Welcome home, Nova'' on the wall. And a note attached to it, explaining that the fridge was full with pre cooked meals.
Mac grinned, looking at Riley. „We have great friends, don’t we?“
She laughed and nodded.
Mac took the baby out of the seat. „Let’s show you around little lady, what do you think?“ The baby made a little noise and yawned.
Mac walked into the nursery.
One of the walls, where the crib stood, was painted in galaxy colors with tiny stars on them, the other 3 walls were dusty pink, the furniture in a grayish white. The ceiling was full with little led lights making it look like a sky full of stars
On the galaxy wall, Nova's name stood in golden letters, a mobile out of stars, clouds and a moon hanging over the bed, a music doll, looking like a bunny hanging from the bed, she song on it obviously being september.
There was a picture above the changing table, the picture of a supernova that NASA had taken the day they found out they were having a girl.
The fuzzy light gray carpet and the curtains were matching as well as the armchair in the corner, and Riley was still amazed by how beautiful the whole room was.
She fell in love with Mac all over again when he quietly talked to the baby explaining and showing her everything despite her being asleep.
Riley knew his voice soothed her. That had already been proven during the pregnancy.
Finally, he went into their bedroom, setting the baby down into the bedside cot, then looking at Riley. „You look like you could use a shower.“
Riley just nodded, and Mac guided her into the bathroom, leaving the door open in case the baby cried.
He helped Riley undress, before doing it himself and stepping into the shower with her, gently scrubbing her skin and washing her hair, Riley enjoying his soft, caring touches.
He touched her like she was the most valuable thing in the world, like her body was the holy grail.
She felt a bit unsexy right now.
Not that the situation was even the slightest bit sexually charged, but the pregnancy had changed her body .
Mac seemed to know what she was thinking, cupping her face. „I know you don’t like it, but i love to see the signs of how hard your body worked for this. It is proof you created a life.“
He smiled. „And to reassure you, i think you’ll bounce back in no time. But I'll love you either way.“
She kissed him. „I know. Thank you Mac.“
Helping her to dry off and get dressed before doing it himself, they walked back into the bedroom, cuddling up in their usual position.
Riley sighed as she sunk into his arms, enjoying his smell.
Mac hummed their song and she enjoyed feeling the vibrations of his chest.
He was still wearing the pink armband the hospital had given him, and Riley knew that it would eventually enter into his wallet and stay there, just like the paperclip he had uncuffed her with when they first met.
Mac kissed her forehead. „Unbelievable that a few days ago it was just the two of us and now we’re three…“
He paused for a moment. „She is ours… your DNA and mine combined. A perfect tiny human… it is insane.“
Riley nodded into the darkness, remembering their conversation about atoms and soulmates. „Do you think her atoms were ever close to ours before and came back to us?“
„That is a beautiful idea… I like that.“
Riley sunk her fingers into his hair, scratching his scalp, a satisfied hum escaping him.
„This is all I ever wanted… beeing mere with the love of my life who is my soulmate and our baby. This is perfect, I could explode with happiness.“
The baby made a tiny noise in her sleep, and Mac could have sworn, his heart grew ten times wider.
A few hours later, Mac woke up by Riley stirring and the baby crying. He got up without a word. He had told Riley he’d do all the night changes.
He came back into the room a bit later. „All freshened up. But she’s probably hungry.“ He handed Riley the baby, crawling into bed behind her as she began to feed her, supporting her back, so she could lean on him and rest a bit.
When she was finished, Riley didn’t lay her back into the cot immediately, instead, she rocked her for a little longer, while Mac hummed a familiar melody into her ear.
When he finished, he gave her a soft kiss on her cheek. „You know i don’t believe in fate, but i believe in that atom theory, hm?“
„I do“, she answered with a smile.
„Maybe our Atoms were stars once, until they died and exploded in a Supernova… but i like to think that it means that, one way or another we were once written in the stars.“
„Written in the Stars“ Riley repeated. „I like that.“
She leaned back, to face him, and he gently pulled her in to kiss her.
„I don’t think we’ve read it all yet… there is more to come.“ He whispered then.
And they both knew it was true.
The stars had already given them so much.
But they held even more…