AN: The Characters do not belong to me, except for one! and the names and some of the story was based on DCOM's HSM. No copyright infringement intended. This is purely a work of imagination intended for entertainment purposes only. Song lyrics used in this story belong to the Disney movie Dumbo (cover by Allison Krauss).
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Troy's eyes shot open as the sharp sound of an intense cry broke through the midnight silence.
Checking the bright red numbers of the digital clock besides the bed, he realized he had been asleep for no longer than twenty five minutes before the tiny baby in the wicker bassinet with the green and beige linens woke up again.
He groaned and buried his head underneath his pillow. Troy was not a night person, and he definitely didn't do well with not being able to sleep at least eight hours straight. And that had been nearly impossible since his little piece of heaven had arrived in his life.
"Shhhhh. It's alright sweetie"
Another voice spoke out loud, a voice he had grown to know and love since the winter of his 17 birthday. Such a wonderful voice, such a meaningful voice in his life. The one that had whispered sweet nothings in his ear, had told him the truth even when he didn't want to hear it, had given him the news that they would soon become three.
Troy smiled and sat up on the bed. Watching as the short and beautiful brunette stood next to the bassinet by the foot of the bed and reached down to take the small bundle into her warm and welcoming arms.
"Come now… It's too late at night for such screaming Abigail Rose Bolton" –She talked softly to the child. The fuzzy pink blanket wrapped around the one week old fell slightly to the side as two exploring fists came up in the air. Revealing the soft brown hair at the top of her head.
Gabriella rocked the baby from side to side slowly. It felt so wonderful to have her daughter in her arms. To feel so complete by someone who she'd only seen face to face a few days ago. Tears ran down Abigail's round, rosy cheeks as she continued to cry.
Big blue eyes stared up at Gabriella. So much like her father's it seemed to be an image reflection. The slightest green ring around the pupil; surrounded by different tones of dark and light blue which seemed impossibly entwined.
The warm embrace of her mother's arms helped calm the baby's cry a little. Abigail's mouth was turned into a tiny pout, a frown upon her forehead. Her chest moved up and down rapidly while her two little lungs got ready for another set of screaming.
"What's wrong?" –Troy asked and turned on the bedside lamp. A faint yellowish light filled part of the room, enough for Gabriella to maneuver around the bedroom without hurting herself.
"I don't know. We put her down not too long ago. She's fed, she's dry and she's got her binky. I don't know what it might be"
"Maybe she's cold" –He suggested.
Gabriella walked over to the curtains and parted them, closing what little window space there was open. The full moon shone directly across their bed. Then she placed the blanket back around the baby's body and touched her face with her open palm.
"She feels warm though, and the door is closed. She's wearing her terry pj's with the footsies and the blanket. She can't be cold"
"Maybe she's hot then"
Gabriella shot him a look and reached down to snap open the first two buttons of her daughter's nightie. She touched the silky neck with two fingers.
"If she were too hot, she'd be sweating. And she isn't"
"Well, maybe she's still hungry" –He shrugged.
"Stop it Troy! She can't be hungry, I nursed her and then she drank two ounces of formula you prepared yourself. She can't eat that much, she's only a week old"
"Why don't you just give it a try?"
Gabriella walked back to the bed and sat down next to her husband. He instinctively put a pillow behind her back, and one on her lap so she could lay the baby on it. Gabriella placed her baby to her breast, caressing the silky dark hair. But the baby wouldn't take, and continued to cry.
"Here, hold her for second." –She handed the baby to Troy and stepped up to the bassinet to retrieve the green binky and a burp cloth.
"Come on Abby, Daddy's got a game at 9 in the morning. I don't play well when I don't sleep baby girl, and basketball is very important in our family so you gotta start helping me out." –He patted her bum with the hand that was holding her lower body, as his other hand held her head.
"Let me see if she needs to be burped some more" –Gabriella took the baby back again and placed her up on her shoulder. Hearing her daughter cry was breaking her heart, mostly because she didn't know what was wrong.
"What kind of parents are we Troy? We don't even know how to help our own baby!" –Troy could hear the desperation in her voice, and he knew her hormones would make her loose it and start crying as well if he didn't do something. Only thing was… he didn't know what the hell to do.
"Look, Gabi, everyone goes through this with a new baby. We'll get better at it. You have to stay positive ok. It isn't easy for anybody honey." –He wrapped his arms around her and held her and Abigail tightly.
The baby's cheeks had turned red from all the crying. But it didn't seem like it would stop any time soon.
"Maybe our parents were right. We're not ready for this!" –Gabriella closed her eyes and could see her mother and Troy's parents' shocked faces as if it had been yesterday.
"No! No, Gabriella. They just said that because we're still in college and they knew it would be hard with our scholarships and all, but we worked it out with the dean. Didn't we? And we'll work this out too babe, but you can't start thinking like that. Ok?"
She nodded. She knew he was right, but at the moment it was hard to concentrate on anything but the sound of her tiny baby crying her eyes out.
"Hey, why don't you try signing to her?" –Troy suggested, smiling his best smile at her. "You know it always makes me feel better, and she does have my blood in her veins"
"Yeah. Maybe. I mean, It can't hurt. Right?"
"Exactly. Just give it a shot. I'm sure she'll love your voice as much as I do"
"But what do I sing? I don't remember my mother singing to me. And I don't really know any lullabies, except for one I learned when I was little and it's from a Disney movie."
"It doesn't matter. I don't think she'll pay attention to the lyrics just the melody."
"Alright" –Gabriella laid the baby in the hook of her arm and started to sway her lightly while she began to sing. The words came to her like it had so many years ago, when she sang it to her favorite doll before bedtime every night. Only now, she had a real breathing, living, and delicate doll instead of a fake one.
"Baby mine, don't you cry.
Baby mine, dry your eyes.
Rest your head close to my heart,
never to part,
baby of mine.
Little one when you play,
don't you mind what they say.
Let those eyes sparkle and shine,
never a tear,
baby of mine.
If they knew sweet little you
they'd end up loving you two.
All of those people who scold you
what they'd give just for the right to hold you.
From your head down to your toes,
you're not much, goodness knows.
But you're so precious to me,
sweet as can be,
baby of mine.
If they knew sweet little you,
they'd end up loving you too.
All those same people who scold you,
what they'd give just for the right to hold you.
From your head down to your toes
you're not much, goodness knows.
But you're so precious to me,
sweet as can be,
baby of mine.
Baby of mine"
Troy was amazed by the beauty of her voice, and by the touching image of his wife singing such tender words to their baby. He felt like his heart would explode into a million little happy pieces.
And tears inevitably filled his eyes as he realized that Abigail had indeed stopped crying; and she just lay there, in Gabriella's slender arms, panting her cry away and with her blue eyes wide open… staring up at the woman who had given her life. And who loved her more than life itself.