Maka panted as she relaxed into the hospital bed. Aftershocks still shook her body and the pain hadn't quite receded, but she'd done it. As a baby's cries carried through the air, she grinned a little, trying to blink the tears out of her eyes.
She glanced at her husband, who was no longer looking at her, but in the direction their daughter had been carried away to be cleaned, weighed, measured and whatnot.
"Alright Mrs Evans, just a little bit more and we'll have the placenta out, OK?" the midwife said at the end of the bed, calling her attention back to the next pressing matter.
Half an hour later she had it out, thank fucking death, and could relax. Soul stayed by her side, even when she had nearly crushed his hand, and brushed her hair back behind her ear, pulling her bangs from her sweaty forehead.
"You did it," he said in awe.
"Damn right," she replied tiredly.
He grinned and stroked her cheek, eyes misty as they met hers.
"Mr Evans," one of the nurses said from behind him.
Soul turned and Maka glanced over to see the nurse holding a little bundle in her arms. She could feel he husband's soul pulse anxiously, but giddily.
"Would you like to hold your daughter?" the nurse asked, holding out the bundle.
Soul slowly pulled his hand from hers and reached out, settling his arms into the position he'd been taught and let the nurse place the baby in the space he provided. Then the nurse stepped away as Soul slowly turned back around to face her, looking down at the bundle reverently.
Maka could only smile at the elated and awestruck look on her weapon's face.
"She's blonde," he said softly. "Like I was when I was born."
"Maybe her hair'll be like yours," she suggested.
"Or yours. It could darken."
He sat down gently on the side of the bed, keeping the baby tucked close to him.
"Look at her," he whispered, voice wavering a little.
She looked and grinned at her daughter's tiny face, her big newborn-blue eyes blinking up at them in curiosity.
"She's so beautiful," she breathed.
"Yeah," Soul said. "Just like her mama."
She giggled and sniffled a little at that.
"Wanna hold her now?" Soul asked, finally glancing up to meet her watery green eyes with equally watery red.
Unable to say anything around the lump in her throat she nodded, holding her arms out for her baby despite her exhaustion. He gently handed the bundle of blankets and baby over then settled back to watch his wife's expression.
He'd been worried when she first told him she was pregnant again, especially after the trauma she suffered from the miscarriage. But seeing the smile that lit up her face and how she blinked back tears of joy, he knew she had fully healed.
"I love you," he murmured, leaning down to press a soft kiss to the crown of her head.
She looked up at him, still smiling wide. "I love you too."
He continued to gaze into her eyes for a long moment before pressing his forehead to hers. "Thank you."
She giggled again, the sound still watery, but undeniable happy. "Thank you," she whispered.
"Do you have name for her?" the midwife asked suddenly, breaking the couple out of their little celebration.
Maka cleared her throat and nodded. "Yes. Charlotte Annabelle, for her great-grandmothers."
"It's a beautiful name," the midwife said as she wrote it down.
"Yes," Maka said, glancing up at her husband for a moment before looking back down at her daughter. "It is."