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Dean was resting back against the pillows with his eyes closed, tired, but incredibly happy. It was almost nine thirty, three hours after little Marigold Ellen had been born. Dean felt good and the baby had already nursed twice, but he knew he needed to nurse her again in a bit. Benny was also due back any minute with Jack. It had taken some convincing to get Benny to leave the hospital to go get him, but Dean wanted their little family to be together and bond before they had any other visitors. Ellen understood and simply got Jack ready for Benny and Sam and Jess totally understood having just had Henry six months ago. They would all come to the hospital at eleven so that they could meet Marigold and take Jack back home for lunch and a nap.
Dean rang for the nurse, wanting to use the bathroom now so that their family visit could be undisturbed. When he was back in bed, he brought Marigold with him and smiled at her dainty features. She had perfect bow lips and the sweetest button nose. She had blonde peach fuzz under her pink knit cap that Dean prayed she would keep because he had always loved his mother’s blonde hair. He unwrapped her and she objected, drawing her knees up into a position Dean was sure they had held while in his belly, it looked so natural to her. She squeaked and squawked, fingers curling and uncurling as she stretched her newborn body. She was so much more relaxed than Jack and looked nearly perfect. He had really worked on the hypnobirthing techniques and had made it to the end in complete control, allowing his body to do its job. He felt the results of that in the birth process this time and saw it in Marigold’s appearance and demeanor.
“Hey there sweet baby girl…look at you stretch… and you have such long fingers…Daddy’s pretty girl,” Dean cooed at Marigold. She moved around in his lap, mouth rooting each time her hand hit her face. Dean picked her up and touched the tip of his nose to her right cheek. Her mouth shot to the side to find the source of the touch. He couldn’t help but giggle and repeat the same on the left cheek. Dean thought rooting was the most adorable reflex, he couldn’t help but tease her a bit. She needed to be good and awake before he fed her anyway or she would just fall asleep at his breast, which would not be helpful at all. Benny and Jack arrived just as he was nestling her in his arms and helping her latch on. He covered her with a blanket so Jack wouldn’t see her.
Benny held Jack in his arms; he looked so big compared to Marigold. He saw his daddy and put his arms out making a little gimme motion with his chubby hands and calling out “DaDa, DaDa,” nearly jumping out of Benny’s arms to get to Dean. Benny walked him over to the bed shushing him saying, “Remember Jack, Poppa told you to be quiet by Daddy and the baby,”
“Hey big boy, Daddy missed you,” Dean said as Benny leaned him over for a kiss. Jack grabbed a hold of Dean’s gown and wouldn’t let go. “Let him sit with me Benny, he’ll be fine,” Dean encouraged his husband. Dean gingerly scooted over and made space for his son. Benny set him down and he tried to climb into Dean’s lap. “No no Jack, sit down next to Daddy,” he corrected before Jack landed on his sore belly. “Sit down, Jack. Good job, big boy,” Benny said helping Jack settle.
Little Jack patted Dean’s belly and said, “Be be…DaDa…be be?”
“Yes Jack, Daddy had a baby in his tummy, but now she’s here. Do you want to see the baby?” Dean asked. He nodded and repeated touching Dean’s belly. Dean pulled the blanket off of Marigold and introduced his two children. Jack looked at the baby and giggled just like Dean. His eyes lit up and he pursed his lips in a tiny little “o” saying bebe over and over again. Then he realized she was nursing.
“Num nums, Dada?” Jack asked looking at the baby and then Dean. Benny explained “Yes Jack, Marigold has num nums. You have a cup and eat in your high chair like a big boy.”
“NO! Dada…num nums,” Jack objected, bottom lip pouting out and quivering. “Num nums,” he said as he began to cry. He had nursed until he was twelve months old and Dean was about six and a half months pregnant. He clearly hadn’t forgotten how much he loved to nurse. Before he was weaned, he would pull at Dean’s shirt when he wanted to nurse and he was pulling at Dean’s gown now as he cried. Benny was lifting him away when Dean stopped him. “Don’t take him Benny. I don’t want him to be jealous. He’s just curious, unbutton my gown and let him nurse for a minute.”
“Darlin’ you know that’s a slippery slope, and you can’t nurse them both,” Benny warned.
Cas walked in and interrupted, “He won’t nurse long. Clare was curious when we had Meggie and once she realized she could, she didn’t care anymore. But Benny is right, you can’t nurse them both, so just let him satisfy his curiosity and hope he doesn’t like colostrum.”
Benny helped Dean with his gown and to settle Jack comfortably so he could nurse. He took a few pulls as he patted the baby and then Dean’s belly. Dean smiled down at him and Jack let go long enough to smile at Dean. Cas pulled a package of crackers out of his pocket and Jack took notice and sat up.
Cas opened them and gave the crackers to Jack, saying, “When in doubt, distract with food. He asked Dean how he was doing and checked on Marigold as she nursed. He told Dean he wanted him to stay one night but he was doing well over all. He hugged both Dean and Benny congratulating them before he left.
Benny pulled Jack into his arms and sat on a chair by the bed as Jack munched away and Marigold nursed. He laughed as he chewed and looked from Benny to Dean, crinkled his nose and kept saying “bebe” and he snuffled through his nose, thinking he was so funny.
Dean and Benny just looked from Jack to Marigold and smiled at each other. It had gone better than they thought and Jack was officially a big brother.