Sakura pushed back her tears. She counted to three in her head and her chest contracted as she sang a strained mindless tune to her screaming baby. Who had been screaming for two hours.
She didn't know what to do. She wasn't hungry, she didn't need changing, she obviously wasn't tired and when Sakura tried to love her, tried to play with her, she wanted nothing of it.
She just wanted to scream.
Which made Sakura want to scream. To cry. But she wouldn't cry. No. She promised herself she wouldn't cry, she wouldn't show her daughter the weakness she felt.
She would hide her failure as much as she could, for as long as she could.
She started spinning, bouncing the baby probably a little to harshly, but she just didn't know!
"Sara-chan, Sara-chan!" Sakura tried to make in a sing-song voice. "Please stop! Shh-Shh. No need-"
She almost screamed as her baby was plucked from her hands.
She hadn't heard the door open, she hadn't felt anyone walk in, and now she heard nothing but small cooing and a small gurgling sound.
Silence.
Tears were streaming down Sakura's face as her ears still anticipated the scream. She looked, slightly dazed, to the intruder.
Her eyes widened. "Kakashi-sensei…" Kakashi-sensei, in full Hokage regalia was standing in her living room, holding her baby, his finger in the baby's mouth. Sarada had grasped his finger with her tiny hands and moved around in her mouth, gnawing on it, smiling brightly up at him.
"She's starting to teethe." Kakashi-sensei said softly, or maybe in a regular voice and Sakura's ears were still sensitive. Fingers are hard, but a bit soft." He gave her his signature cheeky grin. "A tip from Kurenai."
Sarada gurgled her approval.
Sakura leaned against the wall, letting out a small, low laugh. Running her fingers through her hair, she watched as, instead of bouncing, Kakashi-sensei waltzed Sarada around the room, humming softly to her.
It was the first time in two months that Sakura felt her world had finally slowed. She kept telling herself that after he-after everything that she could do this. She could raise her little baby. But looking at Kakashi-sensei…
Sarada's eyes were closed, her hands still grasping her sensei's finger, but it lacked the energy from a few seconds ago. She started snoring softly. Kakashi-sensei slowly retracted his finger, carefully placing Sarada's hand up to her mouth. He kissed her softly before turning back to Sakura. "My hands were clean, I promise."
Maybe I can do this. She smiled,wiping her eyes. "Thanks." She whispered. She hesitated taking the baby back. She seemed so comfortable in Sensei's arms. And he really didn't seem to mind. He was gazing fondly at Sarada.
"Something to drink?"
He smiled. "That would be great."