Written for Fictober 2018. Day 1 prompt: "Can you feel this?"


Kendra relaxed on the couch and observed as the loves of her life interacted with each other. Baby Ava had just recently discovered her toes, and she spent quite a lot of time these days curled up in a ball while grabbing onto her feet and bringing them to her mouth. She had also discovered her vocal chords and had taken to chirping, giggling and cooing – especially when someone was speaking with her, which was what Bracken had been doing for the past several minutes. He spoke to her in such a gentle, cheerful voice and Ava babbled right back to him, seemingly trying to mimic his tone and cadence. She was barely four months old, yet she clearly already held her father's heart in the palm of her tiny hand. Kendra couldn't help but smile as she listened to the two of them while she closed her eyes. She felt safe, warm, and cozy with her little family. In fact, she started to relax so much that her tired body and mind started to drift off into a peaceful half-asleep state when Ava started giggling up a storm.

This prompted Kendra to sleepily open her eyes and watch the scene.

Bracken had removed Ava from her bouncer and laid her on a blanket on the floor, then had crouched over her on his hands and knees and started making funny faces at her. What really sent Ava off into the throes of laughter, however, was when her father started mercilessly kissing her face, cheeks, hands and feet. He pulled up her onesie and blew a raspberry on her belly. She giggled so loudly that Kendra couldn't help but start to chuckle, too.

"Oh, who's the sweetest baby in the world? Hmm? Who's the sweetest baby with the most contagious little laugh?" Bracken asked his daughter, grinning from ear to ear. She flailed her hands around his face, trying to grab at something. Eventually she successfully snagged one of his nostrils – he hadn't moved his head out of the way in time, and he grimaced as she pulled on it. "Yikes, little one," he began, reaching for her hand and removing it from his nose. "Your fingernails are sharp." He backed his face away and smiled down at her again with open adoration, then diverted his attention to his wife.

"Can you feel this?" he asked Kendra. "This happiness? Can't you just feel it?"

Kendra felt a surge of affection for this wonderful man of hers. "Yes," she answered, her own wide smile still gracing her features.

Bracken scooped Ava into his arms and stood up, then walked over to the couch and sat next to where Kendra had propped herself up with pillows. He tickled Ava a little before passing her over to her mother. Kendra held her arms open wide to receive her daughter, and Ava kicked her legs and giggled in excitement. Yes, she could definitely feel the happiness in their home. The joy in their daughter. The love between the three of them. She felt it in her core, and she couldn't ask for more.