Karen came back barely forty five minutes later, her arms full of groceries. Her feet hurt like hell and she kicked her shoes off with a sigh of relief. She closed the door with her back and headed to the living room, excited to see if Matt and Gracie were getting along.

"So, did she kill you after all?" she cheered.

She froze when she saw the two of them sound asleep on the couch. Matt hadn't moved one bit, and Gracie looked peaceful in his arms. Karen grinned and felt like tearing up. "Don't be ridiculous," she whispered to herself. She put the groceries down on the counter and emptied the bags. It was weird, ordering everything, filling the fridge as if it were hers. She felt at home, and that was bad, because she wasn't. She sighed and closed the fridge a little harder than she had intended to.

"Karen, you're already back?" she heard.

"Yeah," she answered in a smile. She stood before Matt and crossed her arms over her chest. "See, she didn't harm you, big boy."

"She's an angel," he sighed. He almost looked in love with that baby.

"That's because she wasn't hungry or anything," Karen noted. "Don't trust her looks, I'm sure she's a little demon, they all are."

"Should I wake her up?"

"Well, it's six, I think it's a bit early to sleep soundly. She won't sleep through the night if we let her sleep now." She put a finger on her lips and stared at Gracie. "Just put her in the baby bouncer," she finally said, "we'll see if it wakes her up."

Matt nodded and moved carefully. Karen stood still, even though it killed her, but Matt needed to realize he could to this alone. The way he put her down in her bouncer - after Karen had removed all Gracie's stuff – was so graceful that she almost forgot he was blind for a split second.

"I was starting to have pins and needles," he admitted once she was lying in her baby bouncer.

"I'm not surprised," Karen laughed. "I take it it went well?"

Matt nodded. "Yeah, it felt... right." He paused and the hesitant smile on his face turned into a huge grin. "She fell asleep in minutes so I didn't have to do much."

"You're a natural," Karen teased.

"I wouldn't say that, let's not get carried away. I should've started with a plant, not a baby."

"A bit too late for that, isn't it?"

"Yeah, I guess so." He focused on Gracie's steady breathing, as regular as the ebb and flow of the sea. "She isn't waking up," he remarked.

Karen sighed. "Dammit, I hate waking babies, it feels so wrong."

Matt silently agreed. He couldn't see her peaceful face, but her breathing was so soothing, like a cat's purr, that he couldn't bring himself to make it stop. "What does she look like?" he asked.

Karen tilted her head to the side as she scanned the baby's features. "She's a redhead. Her eyes are big and sea green. They're so twinkling. She's got a tiny, pointy nose and fat cheeks. She's a beautiful baby, really." She bit her lower lip, a mischievous smirk soon lifting the corners of her mouth. "Does it sound like her mother?" she inquired.

Matt flashed her a cheeky smile. "How would I know?" he quipped, but he knew Karen wouldn't have any of that. He drew in a deep breath and scratched the tip of his nose. "Candace, right..." he began. "From what Foggy told me back then, she's not a redhead, she's a blonde. But her eyes are sea green as well."

"Did you date for long?"

"A few weeks. It wasn't exactly serious..."

Karen looked down, embarrassed, and then peered into his dark glasses. "Is it ever with Matthew Murdock?" she asked.

Matt gulped and a smile soon lit up his dull face. "So, what did you buy?"

Of course he would elude that. Where's your tact, Karen? she thought. "Formula," she answered, "baby food, pasta, chocolate..."

"For the baby?" he inquired with surprise.

"What?" she scoffed before realizing she hadn't been very clear. "Oh, no, hum, I figured I could cook us something. We have to eat as well, right?"

"Another of your grandmother's recipes?"

She laughed heartily. "No, my own. Or more precisely a recipe by Chef_1658."

"What a shame, I'll miss that whiff of virtue," he said.

She gave him a faint smile, touched that he remembered. Silence stretched between the two of them until reality struck back.

"She's crying," Matt remarked.

"Yeah, I noticed," Karen smiled, his words snapping her out of her reverie. There was an actual tiny human being crying at their feet, and she suddenly lost her self-confidence. "Okay, okay," she said, trying to calm down, "so what should we do?"

"She's hungry," Matt stated.

Karen frowned. "How would you know?"

Right. Matt was only Matt to her, and it was both a relief and a complex situation. Well, my heightened senses allowed me to listen to her stomach and from the noises it made I assumed she was hungry. "It just... makes sense," he tried.

She blinked and simply nodded. "Okay," she said, "I'll go warm up her vegetables puree."

"Sounds appetizing," he deadpanned.

"Well, it was the easiest thing to cook."

Matt stood up and put a hand on her shoulder, and she felt a blanket of shivers covering her skin. "Sit down, Karen," he told her, "I'll take care of that."

"You sure?" she asked, surprised.

"Yeah, rest a little, you just came back from shopping."

"Thanks," she replied in a smile. "I'll, hum, I'll cook for us while you feed her. Will you..."

He shook his head reassuringly. "Don't worry, I can handle this." He grabbed her food and the little spoon Karen had bought and made his way towards the baby bouncer. He suddenly stopped in his tracks. "But she'd better wear her bib, just in case," he added.

Karen covered her mouth with her hand and suppressed a laugh. "Sure," she managed to answer.

Matt pouted and put down the food and spoon on the couch. He then took Gracie in his arms and sat down, and Karen noticed he was now much more confident. Granted, he had only seen (she would go to hell for that pun) the ups of taking care of a baby, but it was a good start. This man needed to realize good things could happen to him too.

Karen sat down next to them and tilted her head back until it touched the soft and rugged couch. She closed her eyes and breathed heavily, inhaling and exhaling deeply. She smiled despite herself, pleased with her day. It was all so puzzling and new, and yet, it felt right. The presence of Matt was enough to bring a smile to her face, but this, the baby, the apartment, the domesticity of the situation... It was all she had ever wanted. Her heart clenched when reality crept into it, tainting her blood with its harshness. She opened her eyes, determined to enjoy these few days in their company. She looked at Matt tying the bib around Gracie's neck, hot tears rolling down her rosy cheeks. She smiled when she wondered what would happen if adults cried every time they needed something. What if Foggy cried whenever he was hungry, what if Matt burst into tears whenever they proved him wrong?

"Karen, can you hand me the spoon, please?" Matt asked as if he were a surgeon asking for his tools.

"There," she answered as she put the spoon into his hand. "Relax, it's gonna be okay."

"If she chokes to death, kill me before Foggy does."

"Deal," she giggled.