It was hard for Emmeline not to smile at those big, curious looking green eyes. They stared up at her with such veracity that it was hard to believe that they were real, and belonged to her; in a sense at least. What really got to her were the ears though. They were large, and though they looked odd on her daughters face for the time being, Emme had no doubt that she would grow into them eventually.
Beaming even more brightly, Emme shifted so she could let her daughter suckle on her pinky finger. Leaning back against the hospital bed, she sighed contentedly, closing her eyes for a moment. She was tired, but she wasn't going to pass up these few precious first moments with her baby.
"Nicole."
The name came to her out of nowhere, but as she said the name aloud, it felt right. Opening her eyes again, Emme looked over to her husband who was sitting next to the bed in a chair, looking just as sleepy as she felt. Meeting familiar green eyes, she smiled again.
"Nicole Grace Fenwick."
Benjy chuckled softly at the name, but nodded his agreement as he glanced at their baby girl who shared so many of his features, including those endearing big ears.
"She's perfect."
Emme woke with a start, heart pounding with the memory of the dream. Sucking in steadying breaths, she closed her eyes again, calming herself down and making herself forget. That was nearly impossible to do. Her relationship with Benjy had been almost perfect and she had looked forward to their future together, especially starting a family. But the fact that they had broken up almost a year ago made that a moot point.
Letting out a soft sigh, she rolled over and snuggled into Dimitri, curling up next to him and using his chest as a pillow. It was pointless dreaming about the past when her future was right here next to her. She loved Dimitiri, and was almost certain that he loved her in return, but it was that small uncertainty that held her back.
Emme understood that Dimitri was by no means ready to settle down and start a family; she respected that and didn't mind slowing down after having already lost that alright. But the fact that he was almost completely unwilling to talk about the future, and the possibility of being together longer, scared , she could wait forever for him, but she didn't want to live that forever in uncertainty. It was too much for her to handle at once.
Sucking in another shaky breath, Emme clung more tightly to Dimitri, pressing her face tight against his skin – uncaring if she woke him or not. Closing her eyes, she attempted to fall back to sleep, hoping that the new day would bring her the courage she needed to face her fears, and discover her future.