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Theron sighed as, slowly, the well-wishers and healers and medical droids filed out of the small room. They meant well, of course, but…
But their presence meant that he had no moment of privacy with his wife. With his family, his—their—son.
He glanced towards the bed, unsurprised to find Rhinaa already sleeping; in spite of all of the medical assistance he could procure, which was no small amount considering his pull within the new Republic, it had still been an ordeal and she had borne it with more poise than he was sure he would have, had their roles been reversed. She deserved her rest.
But Caelus…
He padded, as softly as he could, to the bassinet. His son, after being deemed healthy by the nurses and fed, had promptly fallen asleep, curled up in the gift from his grandparents. A small smile tugged at his mouth as he imagined Supreme Commander Malcom of the Republic military struggling with the little wooden crib, or arguing over the color with the Grand Master of the Jedi Order. Somehow, he had the feeling the shopkeepers had to be completely blown away by the entire situation.
Then again, considering it was likely their first opportunity to prepare for a child, he supposed he couldn’t blame them for their enthusiasm. In some ways, it was just as much a small miracle for them, in their own right, as it was for him.
A quiet whimper caught his attention and he reacted on instinct, scooping up Caelus before he could fully cry out. “Hush now,” he whispered, hoping that Rhinaa wouldn’t stir from her well-deserved slumber. He adjusted his arms carefully; all of the parenting advice in the galaxy hadn’t prepared him for how small his son was.
How warm and solid and perfect he was.
Theron sat down on the edge of the bed, still cradling a softly sniffling Caelus to his chest. “It’s okay. Daddy’s here.” He blinked, wondering if, in another life, he would have heard that, and tightened his hold instinctively. “I’ll always be here, I promise.”
Striking green eyes, the exact same color as Rhinaa’s, peered up at him. Theron smiled. “You hear that, little guy? We’ll be here. We’ll take good care of you, okay?”
For another second, large eyes stared up, unblinking, at him, and then trembling lips mirrored his expression. He froze, his vision suddenly blurring. Caelus was too young to understand what he was saying, and yet…
“You’ll make us proud someday. I know it.”
“Theron, is that you?” Rhinaa’s voice, soft and hoarse with sleep, cut through his reverie. “Is everything okay? Did I hear Caelus?”
Blinking hard, he smiled, inching his way closer to her side and leaning over to press a kiss to her temple. “Go back to sleep.” He stole a glance down, grinning as Caelus curled tighter against his chest. “Everything’s perfect.”