Work Text:
Tim stares down at his baby girl in her crib before Lucy is pulling him away. He looks at her one more time before he lets Lucy lead him to bed.
“She’s so little.” He mutters under his breath. Lucy kisses him on the cheek as she climbs into bed. He looks over at the crib just off to the side of Lucy’s side of the bed. They put it close enough that Lucy could easily get out of bed to grab the baby. She had been in a bassinet when she was first born, but she was four months old so Lucy decided to bring in the small crib so she could sleep in that before moving her to her own room.
“Babies are little Tim.” Lucy reminds him gently. “She’s fine. She’s been sleeping through the night.” Tim nods and then turns away from the crib so he’s facing his wife.
“I love her so much.” He mutters. Lucy’s eyes soften immediately and she reaches over to cup his cheek.
“I know you do Tim. But she’s not going to be in our room forever.” She says gently. “She has to learn to sleep without us in the same room.”
Tim knows this and it’s logical but ever since Ava was born his heart grew about ten sizes. And every milestone she had was both amazing and heartbreaking for him. His phone screen lights up the room and he groans rolling over to see who it is.
It’s just an alert that their security system had been set. He taps his phone again and he sees his Lock Screen. It’s the newborn pictures they did with Ava. The picture he chose was one of him, Lucy and Ava. Ava was sleeping but they were both peering down at her lovingly. Lucy tugs in his arm again and he rolls back over.
“Tim. She is always going to be your baby girl. But her growing and growing up is kind of a part of the process.”
“I know.” He says and he leans forward to kiss her. “I know.”
***
A few nights later Tim wakes up to Ava’s cries. He clambers out of bed before Lucy can move and goes over to the crib. He picks Ava up soothing her the best he can. Lucy is already sitting up one half of her shirt down. Tim places their daughter on her chest and she latches and soothes immediately. Tim brushes her soft hair off her forehead and then goes to lay back down. He throws one arm over his head and closes his eyes.
But he can’t sleep, Ava is making cooing noises happily sucking from Lucy’s breast. Tim rolls over to face his wife and stares at her in awe. She’s amazing she created and carried life and then brought their beautiful daughter into the world. And on top of all of that she provides the food for their daughter to grow up healthy and strong.
Lucy’s catches him looking and smiles at him. One hand one Ava’s back rubbing soothing circles she knows the baby likes.
“What?” She asks. He shrugs and leans over to kiss Ava on the head. Her eyes are half shut so he knows she’s almost done.
“You are just amazing.” He says softly because it’s true. And he will never stop telling her that.
She smiles at him softly. “Well thank you. So are you.” She says. Ava is now fully asleep, Lucy pulls her away and hikes up her shirt before swinging her legs out of bed and carrying Ava over to the crib. She burps her gently and then lays her down before coming back over. She crawls into bed and gives him a swift kiss before turning on her side facing the other way. He knows she’s tired, so he just wraps his arms around her and they fall asleep. Their baby girl sleeping peacefully in the corner.
***
When Ava is five months old Lucy decides it’s time she moves to her own room. Tim’s not sure how he feels about this and he’s so stressed and anxious about it he brings it into work without realizing it.
“Bradford!” Says Angela’s voice and then she’s waving her hand in front of his face. He tries to seem annoyed but he can’t even muster that.
“What?” He says. “What’s wrong?”
“Are you okay? You have been zoning out for the last few minutes.” She says and he shrugs his shoulders.
“Lucy wants to move Ava into her own room.” He says not looking at Angela instead focusing on the paper on his desk.
“She’s five months now right?” Angela asks. Tim nods and glances at the picture of Ava he has on his desk. It’s one of her newborn photos. He needs to update it, but he just can’t seem to find the heart to replace it.
“Is she sleeping through the night?” Angela asks and Tim looks up at her tilting his head a little bit.
“Yeah pretty much.” He answers. “Isn’t it too soon to move her though?”
Angela shrugs. “Look it’s honestly up to the parents. Jack and Aria went into their own rooms around 5 months. She’s going to be fine Tim. She can’t sleep in your room forever.” She says in a comforting tone.
Tim knows this but it doesn’t stop him from being anxious for the rest of the day and into the night at home. And Lucy seems totally fine with it, not anxious at all and he knows it’s not fair to be mad at her but it’s kind of pissing him off.
“Why aren’t you anxious about Ava sleeping in her own room tonight?” He snaps at her as she’s putting dinner on the table. She glances at him eyebrows raised.
“Because I know it’s time for her to sleep away from us and it will be good for her.” She answers calmly. “She will be fine.”
Tim swallows down the retort and walks out of the room and into the nursery. Lucy did a great job decorating it. It was a light pink and grey. And everything in the room matched and it just felt cozy. It would be a shame if it was never used.
He sighs and sits in the rocking chair, leaning back and breathing deeply. He doesn’t hear Lucy come in but next thing he knows there is a weight on his lap. He looks down and sees Ava smiling her gummy smile and his anxiety melts away.
“Hi baby.” He mutters kissing the top of her head. She claps her tiny little hands and then lays her head on his chest, just like Lucy does.
Lucy smiles down at him. “She will be fine Tim. And you know when she has a bad dream or she’s sick or whatever she will be right between us. She will always be our baby girl, but babying her will not help her in the long run.” She says calmly. And she’s so patient with him and so loving Tim knows he doesn’t deserve her.
“Come here.” He mumbles. He adjusts himself so Lucy can slide in next to him. “I just hate that she’s growing up so fast.” Lucy nods in understanding running her hands through his hair.
“I know but we gotta enjoy these times because she’s not gonna be this little forever.”
“I love you.” He says and both Ava and Lucy turn to look at him. He smiles planting a kiss on both their heads.
Lucy is right he can’t hold on to Ava as a baby forever, he’s gotta let her grow up. And he knows watching her grow and learn new things and hitting milestones will be the best thing ever.
***
Ava sleeps in her own room that night and sleeps until morning. And surprisingly so does Tim. He does however go into the nursery when he wakes up to find her wide awake and smiling. He scoops her up and holds her close and sits down in the rocking chair. She settles on his chest much like she did when she was a newborn and closes her eyes her tiny hands fisting his shirt.
He sighs happily.
Oh, darlin', don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up
Just stay this little