Children are a blessing and a curse
Summary: Cosette interrupts some bonding time with Marius and their first child.
Cosette awoke early one afternoon, she had been taking a nap on advice from her husband as she had been feeling quite tired lately. Their daughter Marie was barely three months old at the moment and she could be quite demanding. Cosette breastfed her herself instead of using a wet-nurse, she was adamant about that, she wanted her baby to be healthy and this was her way of making sure she had the best nutrition, but it meant that she had to be with Marie a lot of the time though, hence why she was so tired.
Still, she was feeling better now after a sleep so she arose and went to fix her hair by the dresser. Once she was finished she smoothed down her clothes and went downstairs to find Marius, where he would no doubt be with little Marie.
Marius had really come into his own since he became a father, he was an amazing husband anyway but fatherhood seemed to suit him wonderfully and he loved spending time with his daughter. It was so endearing to Cosette to see him playing with Marie and to see all the time he spent cuddling her and kissing her, he really was a wonderful father. She'd heard about women whose husbands would lose interest in them after they had children and wouldn't want to touch them anymore, but thankfully Marius wasn't like that. He still looked at her like she was the most beautiful woman in the world and he told her he loved her all the time, and she believed him. She thanked God every day that she had such an amazing husband as him.
Cosette was heading to the parlour when she heard Marius's voice, he was in there playfully talking to Marie the way he liked to do when he was alone with her, Cosette entered the room quietly and stood in the doorway for a moment smiling, she didn't want to interrupt this precious moment so she just stayed there silently and watched the two of them.
Marius was sitting on a chaise holding Marie upright with his hands under her armpits, bouncing her up and down gently on his knees; he was so enraptured by his daughter that he hadn't even noticed Cosette at the door yet.
"Arent you just the most beautiful little girl in the world" he said to his daughter, bouncing her again.
"Yes you are Marie" He continued "You're just like your mother, so beautiful"
This made Cosette smile, but she still didn't want to interrupt the two of them just yet, so she continued standing quietly in the doorway.
"I hope you know Marie that I'm never ever letting you go," he said to her softly "I can't, I love you too much already, I'm never letting another man take you away from me. Besides my darling girl, I don't think any man will ever be good enough for you, I think I'll just have to keep you locked in this house forever".
Marie fussed a little in his arms at that moment and she let out a small cry, but Marius adjusted his grip on her and brought her to rest against his shoulder for a moment.
"Aw, don't worry little one" He said to her softly, "I was only joking sweetheart".
He rubbed her back gently for a moment and kissed her soft hair, then he brought her back in front of him and held her again under the armpits.
"But really Marie, I don't think anyone will ever be good enough for you" he said again and then he bounced her up and down a little more vigorously than usual which made her laugh a beautiful little baby laugh.
Marius gasped, this was the first time she had ever done that, and Cosette gasped too at the sound of her baby laughing which made Marius whip his head round to see Cosette standing at the door.
"Cosette…." He said in disbelief, "Did you hear her? She laughed!"
Cosette walked over to Marius with a huge smile on her face, "I know I heard, oh my God it was wonderful Marius"
Cosette sat down next to her husband and he handed her the baby, "Oh you're such a clever girl Marie, did papa make you laugh?" Cosette then bounced her just like Marius had done and then she laughed again.
It was the most beautiful sound both Cosette and Marius had ever heard, the first laugh from their very first baby, Cosette felt so blessed that they had both been there to hear it, she held her baby in her arms and she hoped it would be the first laugh of many from her, and from many more babies yet to come.