Chapter 36 - Stubborn

The first time Andy got to experience the challenge of juggling both baby and studying for the D`s exam, was an extremely hot day in late June. Toronto was upside down and everyone was just waiting for another blackout. To top it all, their air-condition refused to corporate, and Sam was pulling a double shift at the station, so he could take his family away to St. Catharine's for the 1st of July weekend.

Being able to study and take care of her daughter, was hard enough as it was. But when Olivia decided that this particular day was not one of her best, she showed her mother just how stubborn she could be. It started that early morning, before Sam had left for work. Let`s just say, Andy got to know a new side of her little girl...

Before 3.00 AM, Olivia had decided that she was no longer sleepy. So, she did what she knew. She worked her tiny, yet powerful set of lungs, so loud that Andy actually thought something was seriously wrong. Turns out, (after several phone calls to their pediatrician) there wasn`t.

She made her way into the nursery, still half asleep. Placed Olivia to her nipple and thought that would do it. When the stubbornness kicked in, and Olivia refused to latch on to her mother, she changed her diaper, cradled her, sang to her and even put her in the stroller and went for a walk. In the middle of the night. Again, stubborn. As. Hell.

"What do you want Olivia?" a now, pretty frustrated Andy asked her daughter, although she knew she wouldn`t answer back.

"What do you need?" She held her close, rocking back and forth stroking her back up and down. She sat down in the rocking chair, pulled out her milk-filled breast and tried once again to latch her on. Olivia screamed and cried and nothing her mother did seemed to make it alright. So, Andy cried too. Feeling like the worst mother in the world, that couldn`t even make her baby stop crying.

Sam came in, shirtless and jeans still unzipped. "Andy, take a shower and eat something, I`ll take her. I don`t have to leave for another 45 minutes. Go on". He took the screaming baby from her mother's arms , placed her in his own, rocked back and forth, and tried with soothing words. At some point, she did seem to ease her cries, but when he had to leave for work, and reluctantly placed her in Andy`s arms, she started off again. Full on screaming.

He could see the frustration in his wife`s eyes. "Andy, I`ll call in a personal day, I`m not leaving you guys like this".

She paced slowly back and forth in the kitchen, breakfast barely touched. "No, you need to go to work. I understand that. Please don`t worry about us. I`ll... just, figure something out. Maybe she`s sick? I`m going to try rubbing her stomach. I know you have to go Sam. It`s okay, really.", she promised, smiling at him.

(Fake it till you make it right?).

She could also see the hesitation in him. He kissed his girls goodbye. "Promise to call, if you`re about to break down huh?", not sure if it was a joke or not, still, he gave her a smile of sympathy before he left them.

She could forget about studying at all. If she was lucky, she might be able to finish her much needed eggs and fruits, maybe put on a light flowing sun dress. That is, if she was lucky.

The hours went by slower than ever at the station, and it`s fare to say, that Sam would rather be at home right now, than in the office with a big, fat pile of paperwork, that had to be done before his shift ended. He felt bad for Andy too. And not once did she complain. Said they would be okay. Said that she would figure something out. Eventually. Whatever that might be. He wanted to call her, but changed his mind, realizing that he might wake Olivia up if she against all odds had fallen asleep. Instead he let his eyes fall on a photo frame in front of him.

Sam was never one for having photos around. Even as he entered adulthood, and started living things that was worth living for, he still didn`t keep special moments on display.

Now? Married with a kid, a pretty awesome one too, and he`s finally got it just right, he thinks as he looks at the various collection of special moments worth remembering, that is now on display for everyone to see, on his desk. He looks at the most recent one.

It`s a damn cute picture too, he thought. Andy and Olivia, nose to nose, laying in the grass in their backyard. The littlest Swarek's smile is priceless and insanely adorable. Made him miss her, despite the crying state she was in when he left this morning.

He is pulled out from his own thoughts when his phone beeps. It was a message from Sarah. "Can't wait to see my niece tomorrow! And you guys too of course ;) Dinner at 6?" He types "I bet! We`re exited too. Sounds good", and hits send.

He never gets any job done when he keeps looking at his photos. Oliver mocks him from time to time. Claiming that he`s got it bad. Which, he kind of does though.

So, he tried to focus on the pile of files again, only to look up again less than 4 seconds later. He really does got it bad, he thought, as he think about the day this picture was taken. New, clean and so fresh out of the womb, he looks at his daughter laying on top of Andy`s chest, only an hour old, with her mother`s hands placed protectively around. Of course this was a close up, so it didn`t display anything other people shouldn`t see.

He decided to send a message to his wife. Just to check up on the girls. "How you holding up hon? She still crying her lungs out? Home in two hours max. Love you :)"

It did take almost half an hour before she replied. "Went for a stroll. Screamed the whole time. Talked to her doc. Says it`s normal. We don't do normal! Out of ideas. Gonna try a bath... Love you too 3"

He smiled vaguely, and then felt bad for her. She must be extremely tired, he thought trying to focus on the pile in front that still, oddly enough, had the same size.

It was a little after four in the afternoon, when Andy was crying along with Olivia. Out of options and ideas of how to stop the kid from crying. With a headache from hell, hungry as a bear and tired like she had been awake for days. Her head wanted to leave the baby in a room, door closed, and escape. Her heart, her very reasonable and wise heart, said of course no.

She went upstairs, filled the bathtub with hot water, which didn`t really appeal on a hot day like this day, but she did anyway. With one hand, she first undressed herself, and then Olivia. After feeling the temperature with her hand, she gently lowered them down in the soothing water.

And, that is exactly what it was. After only a couple of minutes, Olivia's cries came to an end, and on her own she found her mother`s nipple and latched on. She ate greedy and hungry, making only calm, relaxing sounds, that for the first time today, made Andy think that she had finally done something right for the girl. Every now and then, Andy carefully reached for the faucet, to add some more hot water. Because she was terrified to get up, not knowing if the crying and screaming would continue, they sat in the tub for almost two hours. Olivia, who shifted between sleep and her mother`s milk, and Andy who was more relaxed than she had been for a long time. Despite her desperate urge to sleep, she didn`t, only because she kept looking at her own girl, cradled against her naked body, her tiny hand on her breast and her little mouth going nonstop as she sucked like there was no tomorrow.

That is exactly how Sam found them, when he, just after six, came home.

Even before he opened the front door, he could sense the calm, and quietness their house was surrounded by. After concluding that they had to be upstairs, that's is where he went.

Half way up the stairs, he could barely hear Andy`s soothing voice from their bathroom. No cries. No screaming baby, and not even a tiny little whimper.

He gently opened the door, and his heart swelled with love, happiness and relief, when he walked in on his baby girl nestled so close to her mother`s chest, eating and almost sleeping at the same time. Andy with her head leaning against the top of the tub and both hands protectively resting around Olivia`s small body.

Andy slowly raised her head to meet his eyes, gave him a smile he surely had missed today, and gave him a thumb up.

His smile grew big, and he sat down on his knees besides the tub, leaned in to kiss his wife`s lips and one to his daughters head.

Andy looked at him and whispered "15 hours of constant crying. I would definitely say that this one... She`s got my stubbornness".

"No doubt. No doubt at all. But that is why I love her more than I ever thought was possible".

That was true. It was a love neither of them ever thought would exist. Thing is, it did.

And it really was the best feeling in the world.

Thank you again for all the lovely rewievs! :)