The first time they seen each other, Noah had just turned one, and his mom had brought him to the hospital to see the newest Jewish addition in Lima. Rachel Berry was almost a full day old, and the rambunctious little boy was running down the halls giggling gleefully to the room he had heard the nurse tell his mother the baby was in. He had been there the night before too. He vaguely remembered it though.
As soon as he stepped foot into the room he quieted and walked to the crib in the middle of the room. In Noah's young mind even he knew that the baby was smaller than average. How could something so small survive in this world?
"Baby?" Noah was lifted by one of the men in the room—the tall black one that always snuck him cookies before dinner at the celebrations the Jewish community held.
"Yes, this is Rachel." The much shorter other man said amusedly.
"Baby." He grinned and reached in the glass confinements and poked a squishy cheek gently. The tiny baby opened her eyes and stared up at him, cooing softly up at him, and grabbing his finger—which was thankfully clean—and sticking it into her mouth and sucking on it.
"Noah, what have I told you about running off?" His mother strode into the room with the big pink teddy bear—that Noah had been upset he couldn't play with all day—and handed it to one of the Berrys'.
"Baby." He smiled at his mother and allowed the tiny baby girl to suck on his finger. "Rashel."
"Yes, now be nice to her, understand?"
"Yep."