She's absolutely perfect, Dan thinks as he scoops the bundle of pink fleece into his arms. He inhales her baby scent, lifting her cap to kiss the tuft of blonde hair already present on her head.
"Who's the most beautiful baby girl in the whole wide world? Why you are Miss Celia Grace—"
"Humphrey?!" Dan's cooing was interrupted by the familiar voice of his adoptive brother-in-law. Shocked, he turned around.
"Chuck, what are you doing here?" He asked dumbly, failing to take note of the newborn he was holding.
"The same thing you are," he said, gently motioning towards the baby, "this explains why Serena never returned our phone calls."
"Yup, our first came on Christmas and the second on Mother's Day," Dan smiled.
The two men were not close, having kept their distance over the years despite being family. Sometimes, he still had no idea why his sister married him. Though he doesn't pretend to be perfect, he can't understand how Serena could bring herself to forgive him for some of the things he's done.
He often suspects that his and Blair's disapproval is what prompted Serena to move her family to Greenwich. It was her way of showing the world she chose Dan, and Chuck respected that.
He noted Dan's disheveled appearance, eyes bloodshot and hair in complete disarray. Ten years ago he would have judged him for his poor appearance, but felt a rare pang of humility in knowing he looked just as bad.
"By the looks of us you'd think we're the ones who just gave birth," he quipped, and Dan shrugged.
"Serena fought me on bringing her to the nursery, ten hours in labor and she'd only agree if I promised to bring her back the second she is ready to nurse," Dan let out a sigh, clearly in awe of his wife.
"Has Will met his new sister yet?" Chuck pondered.
"Not yet, Henry?"
"Briefly, he's actually napping with Blair at the moment. He's been our only child for almost six years, so we want to ensure he still gets one-on-one time with the both of us before he gets acquainted with little Audrey Serena," he answered.
"You named the baby after my wife?" Dan asked, shocked.
"Please tell me you didn't name yours after mine," Chuck deadpanned.
"Oh hell no, her first name and my last name shouldn't be combined in any way, shape, or form."
"Agreed."
"Serena talked me into naming this little angel after her great-grandmother."
"Ah, Celia, I miss that sassy old bird," Chuck said with a sad smile.
"You and Serena both," he said.
Though he didn't want to verbalize it, he carried a lot of guilt with him over the way he ignored Serena at the time of her grandmother's death. He'd been infatuated with Clair, a figment of his imagination that he'd projected on Blair, and utterly blind to the beauty in front of him.
When Will was born, Serena insisted on naming him for her father as a reminder to always be there for her family. Celia, though initially suggested by Serena, represented a similar idea.
"She really is magnificent, Humphrey."
"Yes, she is," he whispered, referring to both Celia and Serena.
Men of few words, the two settled into a comfortable silence, content to have quality time with their babies. But soon they were interrupted by a startling sight. With his usually meticulous hair uncombed, polo wrinkled, and eyes sullen, Nate Archibald knocked on the nursery's glass window.
"Guys, do you know the way to the ice chip machine?" He asked with a relieved smile.
"Amateur," Dan and Chuck said in unison. It was turning out to be a Mother's Day for the history books.
