"Mako?" The nurse calls out to the expecting father from the doorway of Korra's room.
At the mention of his name, he immediately rises from his seat in the hallway. His head spinning from how quickly he stood up. "Is everything okay?" Mako wonders aloud, his voice slightly shaky from his nerves. "Is Korra okay? What about the baby?" Mako had been asked to wait outside of the hospital room ever since Korra arrived. He had been kept in the dark until now, fearing the worst while Bolin, Asami, Tenzin's family, and Korra's parents were waiting outside with him. Comforting him, and telling him that everything was going to be alright and to be patient. 'Easier said than done,' he had thought to himself.
The nurse chuckled lightly. "It's alright, Korra and the baby are doing fine." She paused, looking Mako in the eye before informing him of the news, "Congratulations, it's a girl." The nurse grinned at Mako's expression, filled with such relief and joy, "Korra asked for only you to come in before having your guests visit."
Mako rushed over to the door before anyone was able to say or do anything, all he was concerned about now was Korra and the baby. But he heard Ikki groan in annoyance, "We've been here for hours! I really really want to see the baby!"
"Just be patient Ikki, we'll get a chance to see Korra and the baby soon enough." Tenzin reminded her calmly.
That was all Mako listened to before shutting the door behind him. His attention now focused on the two most important ladies in his life. "Mako," Korra beckoned him with adoration clearly found in her blue eyes. She looked down to their daughter, her expression the same, smiling, "She's so beautiful, and she's ours, Mako."
"I can't believe it." He sat on the edge of the bed, gazing down at his little girl. He noticed her thick black hair, and the powder blue eyes that were identical to her mother's. "I'm sorry I couldn't be in the room with you. I wanted to, but, the stupid hospital policy prevented me to. You're okay, right?"
Korra giggled softly, "I'm fine and it's okay, I knew you were just outside of the room. And that's all I needed to know, that you were here for me."
"Of course I'm here for you, I always will be." Mako leaned down to give his wife a short sweet kiss on the top of her head. "How was it?" He should have gone against the rules and stayed in the room with her. He would have fought with security if that meant he could have been there for his wife and daughter. And he started to regret not doing so.
"Scary, painful. It's actually hard to describe. But now that I think about it, I hardly remember. Or at least, the bad parts weren't so bad the moment I heard her cry for the first time," Korra's index finger smoothed over the back of her daughter's tiny hand. "And that's when all of it didn't matter anymore, only her. I just wish you were here with me." The newborn's small fingers wrapped around her mother's, firmly holding onto it. Or at least trying to. "But you're here now, that's all that matters." Korra finally brings up what their friends and family were dying to know, changing the subject. "What should we name our baby girl?"
"I thought you were going to pick it when the moment came?" Mako asked, surprised that Korra didn't name her already. He thought that it should have been her decision, since she was the one going through so much just to bring her in the world.
"Yeah, well, I thought that you should have a say in the decision too. That it shouldn't have just been up to me and we could come to an agreement together."
"Alright," Mako nodded, thankful. And now he thought long and hard about some of the names he knew of. "So, does she look like a Le?" They both look down to their daughter and simultaneously agree that wasn't the one. "How about Jia?"
"I actually like that name a lot." Korra pulls the baby closer to her, " Our Jia." She looked back up to Mako, and holds out Jia for him. "Don't you want to hold her?"
Mako wanted to hold his daughter more than anything in the world but she was so tiny and fragile that he was afraid to. He could drop her, or worse, what if Jia didn't like him? What if she wouldn't stop crying because of him? He didn't know what to do despite the ridiculous amount of baby books he read at home. None of them prepared him for this irrational fear he had of screwing up. "Maybe not right now," he informed Korra truthfully. Mako didn't have the heart to tell her that he was afraid of even interacting with their daughter. He wasn't prepared for the disappointment. "Maybe after everyone has had a chance meeting her, I will."
"But," Korra begins, the disappointment clear. "I thought we could have a private family moment, just the three of us. Before Jia met everyone else."
Oh no, Mako couldn't disappoint Korra, especially after everything she had been through. At the same time, he didn't know if he should tell Korra how he felt or not. But seeing no other choice, he decided to tell her the truth. "I don't know if I can, Korra."
"Why not?" She asks, concerned.
"I guess I'm just... afraid to. What if I make her upset or she doesn't like me, or if I ever dropped her? She's just so delicate, I don't want to hurt her in anyway. I'm just afraid of being a horrible father in general." Now that Mako had confessed, he felt slightly better. He just wasn't sure how Korra would react to it.
Instead of being annoyed like Mako thought Korra would be, she looked sad. "Oh, Mako. You have no reason to be nervous, I know you'll be an amazing father. Jia will love you no matter what." Korra sighed. "I felt the same way before, I thought I would screw up because I never really dealt with babies before. Besides Rohan. But then I realized, no parent is perfect and that we're bound to do something wrong at some point. Why be afraid of the inevitable? We just need to be the best parents we can be. I know we'll be great parents. And just remember that you're alone, I'" Korra takes notice of Mako's expression, and now she felt as if she said the wrong thing. "I didn't help, did I?"
"Actually, I needed to hear that. Thank you." Mako kisses her tenderly, Korra gladly kissing him back. But, Jia's small cries interrupt the small moment. "Looks like someone isn't too fond of our affection."
Korra chuckles and adds jokingly. "She'll have to get used to it." Korra scoots herself to the other side of the bed, being careful with Jia while she made room for Mako. "Sit with me." He listened to his wife, and slid into the spot next to her. "You won't be able to drop her if you're sitting," she pointed out. He didn't even realize he was slightly shaking until now. "Don't be nervous, it'll be fine. I promise."
Before Mako knew it, Korra was passing Jia into his arms. One hand held her head up, and the other supported the rest of her, his fore arm holding her close to his chest. The moment Jia settled into her father's arms, her cries ceased. "See? She loves you."
Mako's nerves quickly reduced as he watched his daughter snuggle into his chest, comfortable and content in his arms. He finally understood the love of a father, unconditional and everlasting. When Mako looked at Jia, he knew that he would protect her with his life. He would protect his family, no matter what. "I honestly have no words. She's... perfect."
Korra leaned against Mako's side as she gently stroked the top of Jia's head, smoothing out hairs that were out of place. Both of them looked at their daughter which such love and hope apparent in their expressions. "I love you, Korra. Both of you," Mako spoke softly.
"I love you too, Mako." She gives him a peck on the cheek.
Mako wanted to say more but then the nurse came in to check up on them. "There's only 15 minutes left until visiting hours are over, did you still want everyone in here?" They must have been like that for awhile. Since last Mako checked, there was an hour left of visiting hours.
They wanted to remain like that the rest of the day, admiring their newborn, but they knew there were others who wanted to see their bundle of joy. "Of course." Korra nodded. "You can bring them in now." She nods in understanding and takes her leave.
"You get to meet your grandma and grandpa, and your Uncle Bolin and Aunt Asami. Along with Tenzin and his family, you should be excited!" Korra whispered to Jia.
"She looks so thrilled," Mako jokes, but then he leaned down and added, in a hushed tone, "It can get overwhelming with our family, but trust me, it gets better. I promise."