Let the cuteness begin

September 1784,

Eliza ran a hand over her baby bump. She stretched her arms as she walked to the nursery. She couldn't wait to decorate it and make clothes for the baby. It was considered unlucky to decorate before knowing if the baby was born safely. The baby would be in their room for the first couple of weeks but after that her little baby would be in this nursery. Eliza got a scrubbing brush, she got on her hands and knees. She scrubbed the floor before she would polish it.

"Betsey what on Earth are you doing?" Alexander asked her in an exasperated tone. She glanced up at him.

"The floors need to be polished before the baby comes", she stated, wasn't it obvious? He sighed.

"You're 9 months pregnant. Why can't Adalyia polish the floor?" He argued. Eliza sat back. She suddenly realised she couldn't get up.

"What? Am I useless now?" She was not about to admit it to him.

"Of course not but there are other things you could do. That is easier, less strenuous on you and the baby", he reasoned with her.

"I'm sick of you treating me like I'm about to break", she felt fake contractions in her stomach. She sat up, resting against the bed.

"I'm sorry. I just want to protect you. I wasn't here when Philip was born. I don't want miss anything this time. I'm a little scared", he sat down beside her.

She leant into him.

"I'm scared too. I hate knowing that it's coming but not knowing when", her hand rested on her stomach.

"I'll get Adalyia to polish the floor", Eliza agreed with him.

"Thank you. Do you want to sit on the bed instead of the floor?" He asked her. Eliza smiled at him, laughing when he frowned at her.

"I can't get up", she admitted. He helped her onto the bed. It felt like a cloud compared to the hard wooden floor. The nursery also acted as a guest room. Eliza interlocked her fingers in his. She sighed as she thought of giving birth.

"I'm scared. I shouldn't be thinking of it but I can't help it. So many women die in childbirth", she shared her thoughts. He squeezed her hand as he laid beside her.

"Now I'm more than a little scared", he let out a nervous laugh. Eliza turned onto her side.

"Seriously though, we should have a plan for if one of us dies", she could die giving birth to this child.

"I agree, put your mind at rest knowing that your family would help either one of us. If you died then one of your sisters would help raise the children and if I died then one of your brothers would help provide for you", he reassured her. Family is everything.

"I don't want Philip to end up an orphan, like you. I don't want anyone to go through what you had to", she told him. He nodded in agreement.

"It's not something I would wish on my worst enemy", he said as he played with her hair.

"Ah", she held her stomach, suddenly uncertain that the contractions were fake.

"Fake contractions?" He asked her. She sat up feeling wetness on her petticoats. She blushed. It felt sticky.

"I think the baby is coming", she looked into his eyes. They were filled with fear. Their last conversation didn't help his nerves. Eliza kissed him.

"I am going to give birth to a healthy baby. I will be fine and so will the baby", she told him. He nodded.

"Can you call Adalyia and call for the midwife?" She asked him. He raced out of the room. She got up and grabbed towels and clean sheets.

" , you should be resting", Adalyia helped her back to bed.

Eliza stood at the edge of the bed, taking in deep breaths.

"Moving helps the pain", she mumbled. Her stomach was queasy.

Adalyia helped her into a nightdress.

Alexander held her hand as she walked around the house.

"He really shouldn't be upstairs", the midwife commented when she arrived. Eliza glared at her.

"He'll go when I'm giving birth", she retorted back. Alexander nodded in agreement. They sat in his office.

"We're going to have another baby soon", Alexander laughed, the reality hitting him. Eliza breathed through another contraction.

"I need to lie down, these are getting more frequent", she told him.

" , you need to leave now", the midwife told him. He kissed her hand before going downstairs.

Eliza laid on the bed as the midwife checked how dilated she was. She remembered how embarrassed she was the first time. She screamed as she pushed with the contractions.

"I can't push anymore", she shook her head. Adalyia held her hand.

"Keep going. You're doing so good", the servant encouraged her. Eliza suddenly felt very alone. The last time she gave birth she had her mother and her two sisters with her. They had called for her mother to come but that would take a day at least. She wiped the sweat from her forehead.

She pushed again with the contractions. Eliza laughed with joy when she heard her baby crying. The midwife handed her the baby. Eliza smiled as the baby wrapped its hand around her thumb. She forgot how small they were at first.

"It's a girl", Eliza felt tears running down her cheeks. She wanted Alexander to be here with her. Words could not describe the love she felt instantly for this baby in her arms.

"I'm never letting you go. You're safe in mommy's arms", she kissed her baby. Adalyia went down to tell Alexander that the baby was born.

"Eliza", Alexander sat beside her. He wiped her tears away. He smiled at his daughter, holding her little hand.

"You did amazing", he kissed her. How did she get so lucky to have such an amazing husband? Eliza ran her hand over the little fluff of hair on their baby's head. It felt so soft.

"Do you want to hold her?" She didn't want to let her baby go, she couldn't protect her anymore. Alexander nodded, the joy on his face gave her confidence to let the baby go. She is safe in her daddy's arms. He took her from her.

"My beautiful daughter, our daughter. I can hardly believe it", he kissed her little hand.

"She's so tiny. I'll always protect you, cherish you. I promise I'll love you as long as stars are above you and longer if I can", he promised her. Eliza wiped away tears.

"I hope you don't mind. I put down in words how wonderful life is now that you're in the world. My little girl, you have your mother's eyes. She looks just like you", he smiled as he held his newborn daughter close to his bare chest. The midwife insisted on skin to skin. Eliza nodded in agreement.

"Philip is a big brother", she wanted to hug both her babies.

Eliza took her back to nurse her when she started getting fuzzy.

"Do you have a name?" The midwife asked them. Eliza glanced at Alexander. He shrugged. They couldn't seem to agree on a name.

"Angelica?" She asked him. He smiled. They both missed their dear sister greatly.

"Angelica Hamilton", he caressed the baby's cheek. Eliza nursed their daughter.

"Can you get Philip?" She asked him.

Alexander came back, carrying Philip. The 2 year old pointed to the baby in his mother's arms.

"Baby", he climbed onto the bed.

"Careful", Eliza protected Angelica from Philip. He was too young to understand how fragile the baby was.

He gently kissed her forehead.

"Angelica", Alexander told him. He smiled.

"Angie", he repeated. Eliza felt her heart explode with love.

"Yes my sweet boy, her name is Angie", she smiled at him.

"Could you get me something to drink?" She asked Alexander. She would need it to breastfeed the two of them. Philip kissed her arm.

"Baby", he cuddled into her.

"Yeah, the baby. She is your little sister", Eliza yawned. Philip nodded.

"She's sucking now", Eliza told the midwife.

"That's good. I'll be back in a week to check on her", the midwife left them. Eliza took the juice from Alexander. She waved the midwife goodbye.

"Thank you", she smiled at him.

"Aww she's yawning", he laid down beside her , holding Philip in his arms. Philip stood up, holding onto Alexander. He kissed his daddy.

"Mine", he giggled.

"I'm Angie's daddy too", he reminded Philip.

"No. Mine", Philip cuddled into Alexander. Eliza smiled at the cuteness of him having a tantrum over her husband.

"Give the baby a kiss", he ran his hand through Philip's long hair. Philip gently kissed Angie as she started to fall asleep. Eliza stood up, putting Angie in her Moses basket.

"I need a bath", she yawned as she laid back down. She didn't remember feeling this exhausted with Philip.

"Get some sleep first", he ran his fingers through her hair, causing her to moan. Eliza took his hand and kissed it.

"I love you", she smiled before drifting off to sleep.

"My angel, wake up", Alexander caressed her cheek. She blinked her eyes before frowning at him. Why couldn't he just let her sleep?

"I brought you dinner", he picked the tray back up. Eliza sat up, smiling.

"Thank you. I'm starving", he placed it on her lap. Alexander sat on the edge of the bed.

"How long was I asleep?" She asked him as she ate. Angie was still asleep but she would need to be fed soon.

"About 3 hours", he told her as he robbed a carrot from her plate. She rolled her eyes at him.

"So when are we going to try for another?" He joked. Her centre never felt so tender.

"I will stab you, if you try to go near me for at least a month", she was setting boundaries now. He laughed.

"Seems a bit extreme but take as long as you need", he kissed her cheek. Eliza smiled at him.

"I say me taking my boobs out every 2 hours doesn't help", Eliza laughed as she set the tray aside and picked up Angie to nurse her. Alexander laughed.

"I have some restraint", he had to defend his honour, to an extent.

"You're lucky you're pretty", she laughed at him. He flicked his hair, smiling.

"You think I'm pretty?" He asked her, holding in his laughter. Eliza laughed.

"Ow, my stomach. Stop making me laugh" she complained as she held her stomach with one hand, the other securing Angie. Alexander sat back against the headrest of the bed, Eliza leant into him.

"Can I hold her?" He asked. Eliza kissed her baby before giving her to Alexander.

She laid back down.

"I need more rest", she told him as she fell back asleep. Eliza frowned when she woke up. She glanced over at the moses basket. Angie wasn't there. She got up, checking Alexander's office. He was working while wearing Angie. How did he manage to get her in there?

"Adaylia offered to mind her but I didn't want to let her go", he explained. He looked very handsome wearing their baby. She checked Angie before kissing him.

"What are you working on?" She sat on the couch, picking up his work to read it.

"Sorting out a client's accounts", he told her. She glanced up at him before looking back at the paper she was reading.

"Alexander, it literally says Henry Knox right here. You can't hide anything from me", she laughed as she handed it to him. He nodded.

"I really can't. You do a quarter of my work as it is", he admitted. He often left her papers to copy out. And she gets no credit.

"Is there anything you need done now while she's sleeping?" She asked him. He shook his head.

"No it's not that much. I'll get it done. You just gave birth yesterday. Who needs to learn to take a break now?" He smirked at her. Eliza laughed.

"Yeah, you're right. I wouldn't mind a walk though if you would accompany me", she suggested. He nodded, setting down his quill.

"I meant after Angie's next feed", she helped him unwrap her. She brought her into their room to nurse her. She read while doing so.

Alexander knocked at their door.

"Is it okay if we come in?" He asked. He was respecting her privacy. She covered up. Angie had fallen asleep.

"Yes, come in", Eliza called to him. Alexander led Philip into their room. Philip kissed Angie.

"We're ready to go to the park", Alexander told her. She smiled at him. They were not ready. She packed a bag for Angie with diapers and a change of clothes, a picnic and spare clothes for Philip and handed it to Alexander.

"Will you carry this?" It wasn't really a question. She wasn't to be carrying anything heavier than Angie for the next month. He took it as Eliza wore Angie in a sling.

It felt good to have her attached to her again. It helped with the feeling of emptiness that she felt. She spent 9 months with this baby inside her where she was safe, now she felt like she couldn't protect her anymore. Her baby girl is exposed. Alexander held Philip's hand as they walked to the park.

Thanks for reading x