Gift from God
"Waah!"
"Shh, calm down," Ziva said, cradling her baby in her arms.
"Waah! Waah!"
She gently rocked back and forth in the rocking chair Gibbs made for them, "Be׳vakasha Matthew, stop crying," Her begging did nothing to stop his constant crying.
"Waah! Waah!"
"I know you are hungry, your papa is preparing a bottle for you, so please wait," Ziva said.
Barely a week old, Matthew McGee has a set of lungs on him that can wake up the whole neighborhood. In fact he had a few nights ago. Tim and Ziva received many phone calls the next day. But those stopped when Ziva threaten their neighbors for complaining about her son.
"Waah!"
"Tim, what is taking you so long?" She asked quietly to herself not wanting to upset her infant son anymore.
Tim came walking into the nursery, a baby bottle in his hand, "I'm sorry the first bottle was too hot and I didn't want him to burn his mouth.
Ziva nodded, "I understand." She grabbed hold of the bottle and brought it to her son's lips. Matthew shook his little head, the milk getting all over the lower half of his face, "What's wrong? Why aren't you eating?" She asked. Matthew's crying turned into whimpers, "He doesn't want to eat," She said to her husband, a look of desperation on her face.
"Here, let me try," Tim said taking the bottle and the baby from Ziva. He had better luck, "That's my boy," He said as Matthew drank from the bottle. Matthew is a beautiful boy when he isn't crying. He has inherited Ziva's olive-tinted skin and Tim's eyes.
Tim looked back at his wife, "What's wrong Ziva?"
She was still sitting in the rocking chair, "He did it again."
"Did what again?"
She stood up, "I'm not able to calm Matthew down when he cries, but when you hold him, he always stops."
"Ziva, I'm sure that's not true," Tim said as he continues to feed their son.
"Yes it is," She said, "Am I holding him wrong? Am I doing something he doesn't like?" Tim looked on as Ziva walked back and forth in the nursery. She faced him with a serious look, "Is it me?"
His eyes widen, "No, no it's not."
Ziva nodded, "He doesn't love me."
"Don't even say that."
Tears began to fall down Ziva's face, "My own son…..doesn't love me."
Tim can't stand seeing her this way, "Matthew loves you Ziva. You have been nothing but kind to him."
"Then why doesn't he like it when I hold him?" She asked crying.
He assumed she was thinking like this because of the hormones, "He is only five days old, everything is new to him. Maybe tomorrow or after tomorrow he is not going to like me holding him." Ziva wiped the tears from her eyes. "Remember what Gibbs told us at the hospital?" He asked her.
Five Days Ago
"Let us introduce you to our newborn son Gibbs," Ziva said lying in the hospital bed and holding her baby in her arms.
"Son, huh?" Gibbs said, "I thought you said you were having a girl?" He asked looking at Tim.
"Ziva said we were having a girl, I was really praying for a boy," Tim answered him. They were the only ones in the room. Tim and Ziva decided to let Gibbs be the first to meet the new member of the McGee family.
Gibbs laid his eyes on the infant, a small smile forming on his face and a warmness growing in his heart, "Have you chosen a name?" He asked them.
"We had a few names in mind," Tim said, "I wrote down a few boy names and Ziva had a name already in case it was going to be girl."
"Since you know how Tim is at thinking up names," Ziva said, "I thought I would help him. I found one name he wrote down that is perfect…..Matthew," She said.
"Matthew McGee," Gibbs said.
"It's Hebrew, it means gift from God," She said, lightly caressing her son's face with her index finger.
"Boss, would you like to hold Mattie?" Tim asked.
Gibbs looked at Tim and then Ziva. They both had a look on their face almost like they wanted him to say yes, "Sure."
He threw his coffee cup into the trash bin and carefully took Matthew from Ziva's arms, "I hope you two are ready for this," He said to the new parents.
"I think we are boss," Tim said, "We have read and re-read all the books –"
"No," Gibbs interrupted him, shaking his head, "All those books are not going to help you."
"What do you mean Gibbs?" Ziva asked.
"Those books are completely useless. You can learn everything from them, but the one thing they can't describe is what it feels like to hold your child for the first time," Gibbs said. "Besides, I bet when the two of you saw Matthew for the first time, everything you learned went out the window," He told them.
Tim and Ziva exchanged a look, one filled with worry. "Don't expect him to go easy on you…..ever," He said with a smile.
"Gibbs is right," Tim said as he finished feeding Matthew "We can't expect to know all the things that make Mattie cry and not cry."
The tears dried from Ziva's eyes, "I understand," She said nodding her head.
Tim wiped his son's mouth, "Here, why don't you burping him."
Ziva shook her head, "No Tim, I can't."
He carefully handed over Matthew over. She held her son in her arms, close to her chest and patted gently on his back.
'burp,' Matthew let out a tiny burp, Tim and Ziva shared a smile. "Ziva, listen," Tim said.
"What is it?" She asked.
"What do you hear?"
Ziva listened carefully, "I do not hear anything."
"Exactly," Tim said.
She understood what he is talking about; Matthew hasn't cried the entire time Ziva has been holding him. She gently moved Matthew so she could see him better, his little eyes looking at his mama and her looking back. He closed his eyes drifting off to sleep; he moved his head a little towards Ziva, almost like he was trying to cuddle with her.
Tears fell from Ziva's face again, but this time they were tears of joy. "He does love you Ziva," Her husband told her, "He is like us, it just took him time to realize it."
Ziva walked over to him and gave him a big kiss, "Toda."
"Al Lo Davar."
She placed Matthew in his crib. The two parents watched as their son slept peacefully.
Their son.
Their child.
Their baby.
Their Matthew.
Their Gift from God.
Fin
Author's note: Reviews are welcomed and appreciated. Constructive criticisms are welcomed too, but not flames.