Although she had gotten only an hour or so of sleep, an exhausted Ruth still happily allowed their friends into the room to meet the baby once visiting hours started - they had chosen to stay in the waiting room all night (again), after all. Fortunately, the visits were staggered because they didn't want to overwhelm the new family, especially said baby. Justine gasped when she laid eyes upon her new sister. "Holy shit. She's so fucking tiny and wrinkly."
Instead of being offended, Sam and Ruth only laughed. "From the baby pictures I've seen of you, you looked about the same," he pointed out to his eldest. And holy shit, now he had two daughters. When he first started GLOW all those years ago, Sam had never expected it to turn out like this.
"How are you liking being a big sister so far?" Ruth questioned, still unwilling to let go of her daughter. She knew she'd have to give her up in a few minutes but held on as tight as she could as she could without hurting the baby and tried to prepare herself to temporarily give her up.
Justine eagerly held her arms up. "Gimme!" she demanded.
Sam looked down at his girlfriend, who let out a whimper. "You're going to have to give her up at some point."
"Fine," Ruth grumbled. Yawning, she reluctantly handed the baby over to Justine.
"Wow. Having a little sister is pretty fucking awesome so far. But don't think I'm changing any shitty diapers," she warned.
And with her daughter occupied, Ruth turned her attention towards Debbie. "Why didn't you tell me how much labor fucking hurts?"
Debbie sighed. "I did fucking tell you - in graphic detail, numerous times, after I had Randy. And then again when you got pregnant but you freaked the fuck out and told me to stop," she reminded her friend.
"Oh, yeah. Well, this is the only kid I'm having so she better be thankful that I went through that hell for her." Happy to be a mother of one, Ruth didn't think she'd ever change her mind on having another kid.
"Two's enough for me," Sam agreed, watching Justine melt with the baby in her arms.
"So what is her name? You two were fighting over it even in the car ride on the way here," Debbie needled.
Ruth winked at Sam. "Maybe we're just going to keep it to ourselves."
Justine's head snapped up and she glared at the two of them. "Don't you fucking dare. What's this precious, gross looking baby girl's name?" Then she went right back to cooing at her little sister.
"Well, you'll be pleased to know that I talked Sam out of naming her Samantha," deadpanned Ruth.
"Thank God. Now stop stalling." Debbie didn't have time for this shit - she just wanted to get back home and nap before tonight's show.
"Patience," Sam chided with a shit eating grin on his face.
"Fuck you both," Justine hissed.
"I think it's time to put them out of their misery. Sam and I are thrilled to introduce Sylvia Elaine Wilder."
That caught both women off guard. "Your last name?" Justine finally asked. When Sylvia started crying, the look of panicked horror on her face made them laugh as she handed her back to Ruth.
Ruth nodded. "Sam kept mentioning how he didn't want to carry on his last name, and honestly, if we ever get married, I'm keeping my maiden name. But I still wanted to honor him, if you will, in some way, and Sylvia seemed like the perfect way to do so." Once Sylvia calmed down and fell back asleep, Ruth handed her over to Debbie.
"Hi, Miss Sylvia. Oh, you're perfect. Not as perfect as Randy, of course, but nearly so. You're lucky, kid, because you have so many people in your corner." Debbie rocked her back and forth for a few minutes before returning her to Ruth's arms. Then she looked back at Ruth, smirking. "Liberty Belle is pleased she was born on America's holiday but Zoya must be furious," she joked in Liberty's Southern accent, winking at her.
Ruth squinted her eyes at her. "I'm too tired to play along but yes, she was born on the fourth of July in a dramatic bit of irony. We'll just about it later when I'm not about to pass the fuck out."
"We should go then." Debbie grinned at her, already intending to take Ruth up on the offer in a few weeks.
"Send in some of the others," Sam implored them.
"I intend to get some cuddling time in once you're home." Justine was dead serious - she wasn't going anywhere once Ruth and Sylvia were finally discharged.
Just minutes after the two women left, the new batch of visitors arrived - Bash, his boyfriend Jake, and Carmen. "Wow, I can't believe you two made her," Carmen murmured in awe.
"She's pretty cute. Congratulations, you guys," Bash said, peering over Carmen's shoulder to look at Sylvia.
Jake nodded his head in agreement. "She looks a lot like you, Ruth. Lucky Sylvia," he teased.
"Bash, hit your boyfriend for me," Ruth playfully ordered and snorted when Bash lightly tapped his shoulder.
Bash looked at them. "I know you two have money of your own, but I'm setting up a trust fund for her. And don't tell me no - there's already one for Randy, so she won't be the only one."
"He's so generous and sweet." Jake grinned at his boyfriend and then kissed Bash, who eagerly returned his enthusiasm.
"Your uncles are pretty sappy," Ruth stage whispered to Sylvia.
"Pot calling the fucking kettle black," Bash sing-songed. He gasped when Sam deposited the baby in his arms. "Wow. You're so small. Nice to meet you, Sylvia Wilder. Uncle Bash loves you already, kid." He had been pretty inquisitive and involved during Ruth's pregnancy, which ended up being both sweet and annoying.
"I'll baby-sit if you need it," volunteered Carmen as she watched Bash and Jake whisper to Sylvia.
"Thanks, Carmen. We appreciate it," Ruth replied.
"You're welcome. Now hand her over," Carmen demanded of her best friend.
Bash did so and then hugged Ruth and a complaining Sam. The others filtered in and out for the next few hours before they all went back home, and finally left the new parents alone.
"Tired," Ruth murmured, her eyes starting to close.
"I know you are. It's been a long couple of days - it's two in the afternoon and you went into labor around noon yesterday. I love you, Ruth."
"Love you too, Sam." And then she drifted off into a hopefully uninterrupted nap, leaving Sam alone with Sylvia.
He walked over to the incubator which held her and smiled. "I love you too, Sylvia Elaine. You, your mom, and your sister are the most important people in my life so don't ever forget that when I inevitably fuck this up. And I can't wait to introduce you to GLOW - you're going to love it."
Sylvia Wilder would always know what love was thanks to her large, supportive family, even when her parents did occasionally fuck up. She was seven months old when Sam and Ruth eloped, something they never came to regret.
