A Change of Perspective
Lena is in her office at Anchor Beach Community Charter, preparing the budget report to discuss with the Parent Board at their next meeting that would be mid-February, when her phone begins ringing. Seeing Stef's name and picture flash across the screen, Lena's face breaks into a smile. There was nothing better than hearing her wife's voice to help her get through a never-ending Monday.
"Hey, babe." Lena answers the phone and brings it to her ear. "What's up?"
"I just got a call from Jenna." Stef begins.
"Does that mean what I think it means?" Lena asks excitedly.
"Kelly had the baby an hour ago." Stef replies, chuckling at her wife's excitability. "Garrett Jonathan Paul. He's six pounds and seven ounces and 21 inches long. Everyone is healthy." The cop gives her wife all the information she was given by their mutual friend.
"Oh, I cannot wait to go and meet him!" Lena exclaims.
"Well, Jenna said we can stop by this evening after work if you want to." Stef offers.
"I would love to! If that's okay with you?" Lena replies.
"I will go straight home after work, change, and then come pick you up. Does that sound okay?" Stef suggests.
"That sounds perfect!" Lena says excitedly.
Later that evening, Stef and Lena walk through the sliding automatic doors of the University of California-San Diego hospital - a bundle of blue balloons and a small, blue teddy bear in tow. The two women stroll through the maze that is the hospital, taking the elevator to the third floor before finally finding room three-twenty-four. Knocking softly on the closed hospital room door, the two women wait - Lena practically vibrating with excitement.
"Hey, guys." Jenna says with a smile as she opens the hospital room door. "Come on in." Stef and Lena follow Jenna into the room. Kelly is sitting up in the hospital bed, cradling the newborn baby in her arms. Stef notices how natural Kelly looks, holding the tiny baby.
"Hi." Kelly greets them, looking up from the sleeping newborn.
"Congratulations! How are you feeling?" Lena asks, walking over to stand by Kelly's side, keeping her voice low as to not disturb the slumbering infant.
"Good." Kelly says with a smile. "A little sore but still good."
"That was quite the experience, I'll tell you that." Jenna adds with a quiet chuckle, sitting on the bed beside her wife and resting her hand on her knee.
"And you were so supportive." Kelly says, leaning up to brush a soft kiss to Jenna's lips. Stef, standing at the foot of the hospital bed, watches the two new mothers carefully. They were embarking on a lifelong journey. From this day forward, their lives would be completely different. All of their focus and energy would go into their new son.
"He's so beautiful." Lena says, carefully peering at the bundle in her friend's arms.
"Would you like to hold him?" Kelly offers with a smile.
"Can I?" Lena replies in disbelief.
"Of course." Kelly confirms. Carefully, the new mother places the sleeping baby into Lena's arms. Gingerly, Lena sits down in the chair behind her, cradling the still asleep baby close to her chest. Stef watches as joy fills her wife's features.
Once again, Stef notices how happy Lena looks with a baby in her arms. As the tiny baby begins to whimper, Lena gently strokes his little cheek - effectively calming him down for the moment. Of course her wife knew exactly what to do to keep a helpless baby content. As Stef watches her wife with this tiny infant, something stirs in her chest - a feeling that she's never felt before.
"Do you want to hold him, Stef?" Kelly asks.
"Oh, um, I don't have to." Stef says, shaking her head.
"Oh, come on." Lena pushes. "He's so cute and warm." Stef sighs in defeat and sits down, preparing herself. Lena smiles brightly as she places the tiny baby into Stef's arms. Being careful not to move, Stef holds the baby in her stiff arms. As far newborns go, Stef supposes that the baby is cute. And he certainly was producing a lot of body heat for such a tiny human being. Still terrified to drop him, Stef tentatively looks up at Lena. Her curly haired wife is staring back at her, the same joy on her face as before.
Suddenly, the baby begins to wail - a strange, resounding noise that startles Stef. Stef looks to Lena and then Jenna and finally Kelly, her eyes as wide as a deer caught in the headlights of a semi truck. Jenna rushes over and takes the baby, delivering him back to Kelly.
"The only time he's really cried so far has been because he's hungry." Jenna tells Stef and Lena.
"I think I'm going to wait outside." Stef says, jumping up and crossing to the door as Kelly begins to open the front of her hospital gown in order to breastfeed her son.
"I think we'll just leave you two for the evening." Lena adds, noticing her wife's very clear embarrassment. "Congratulations again."
Back at their house, Lena goes to the kitchen and begins prepping dinner. Stef sits at their new table in the center of the kitchen, watching Lena as her thoughts tumble around in her mind. She still has that unfamiliar feeling in her chest - the feeling that had been stirred up as she watched Lena with Garrett, their friends' newborn baby. Placing a pot on the stovetop to come to a boil, Lena joins Stef at the table, noticing Stef's odd behavior.
"What are you thinking about?" Lena asks her wife with a gentle smile.
"What if I changed my mind?" Stef replies to Lena's question with a question of her own.
"Changed your mind? About what?" Lena inquires for clarification.
"About having kids." Stef says, bringing her lower lip between her teeth and gnawing on anxiously.
"I don't. . . understand." Lena replies with a shake of her head.
"What would you say if I changed my mind about having kids?" Stef asks more directly this time.
"I would. . . I would ask you if you were sure." Lena answers tentatively. "And what changed your mind."
"I saw you with Garrett - really saw you with him. You were so happy. And when he started to get upset - you knew exactly what to do to calm him down. I never realized. . . I never realized how natural of a mother you would be." Stef says. "And who am I to take the chance of motherhood away from you."
"I thought you didn't want kids." Lena replies simply.
"I'm still not sure I'll be any good at it. . ." Stef sighs.
"That's ridiculous, Stef." Lena argues before letting Stef continue.
"But I think, with you by my side, that I could probably figure it out." Stef says, looking into Lena's chocolate brown eyes.
"Are you sure?" Lena asks, her eyes shining with unshed tears of happiness.
"Yes." Stef tells her affirmatively.
"Then I think we should go upstairs and practice." Lena whispers, turning the burner off on the stove.
"Practice for what?" Stef chuckles at the incredulous thought her wife is suggesting.
"Our baby making. With that toy you bought for our honeymoon." Lena breathes suggestively into Stef's ear.
"Oh, you can definitely count me in." Stef smirks.
"Last one to bed has to be the top!" Lena calls as she rushes up the stairs towards their bedroom.
A/N: In this chapter, Stef is based off of how I personally feel when someone hands me their baby. Thanks for reading! Leave me a review and let me know what you think of Stef and Lena talking about starting their family! 3
