AN: So this just popped out of my brain, I was feeling better and was actually abut to write so this was nice!
Jo woke up that morning in a panic because Helena had slept through the night. Her five-month-old, that was currently teething and thus demanded to nurse and be cuddled at least twice a night, had slept through the night, giving Jo a whole eight house of sleep. She smiled as she sunk back into bed, enjoying her first lazy morning in weeks and reached out, turned her head to see Alex, only to find an empty space next to her. Jo reached for the baby monitor and clicked on the screen to check if Helena was in the crib, only to find her missing.
She sighed and smiled as she realized why she had gotten so much sleep, but Jo got up because her husband and her child never got up before her, unless they were up to something. She reached for her phone and checked her notifications and then she realized the date. It was Mother's Day which meant they were probably downstairs planning something for her. She didn't want to spoil the surprise, but her boobs feel like they're about to explode, so she had to either pump or breastfeed and decided to get up and go see what her husband and daughter were up to.
However, she did take advantage of the free time to use the bathroom alone and washed her face before putting her hair up into a messy bun as she headed downstairs. The new house that they have just moved into was still something that Jo was getting used to. Despite how much she loved the new house, she missed the open concept of the Loft and being able to wake up and see Alex and Helena right away. Yet as she came down the stairs, she can hear them talking.
"Stop laughing," Alex insisted, although there was no malice in his voice, and he laughed alongside their daughter as their excited giggles filled the room. "Do you want your Mom to have a Mother's Day present or not? We got one shot at this baby girl."
Jo couldn't help but smile as she peeked around the corner to look into the kitchen. Alex had their daughter sitting in the high chair with his back to her as he held her foot. Helena was screeching, and laughing, and wiggling around with a huge smile on her face.
"Can you uncurl your toes for Daddy? Can you do that, sweet girl?" Alex asked as they both continue to giggle until finally, Helena held still as their giggles ceased. "Okay, ready, 1, 2, 3, squishy, squishy, and done."
Alex pulled back the plate and looked at the little footprint before he set it on the counter next to a large bouquet of daisies sitting on the countertop before he grabbed a wipe to clean off Helena's foot. Jo moved to lean against the wall as she stared at them. They had started giggling again, and Alex was whispering to her and tickling her toes.
Jo just looked around the kitchen and smiled best gorgeous house with an amazing kitchen and her amazing husband and daughter all standing before her was a little breathtaking. As Jo looked over the kitchen, she could see the pancakes, eggs, and bacon that he was cooking, all of which were her favorite. When she imagined being a mom as a kid, she imagined something similar to what she saw on TV. The life that she had now was so much better, so she took a moment to appreciate it.
Helena finally caught sight of her over Alex's shoulder and squealed with glee as she wiggled her arms and legs and bounce up and down. She was so excited to see her as Jo smiled waved at her. Alex turned around, a little surprised at first when he saw her, but instantly smiled as she walked over to them.
"Happy Mother's Day," Alex said, picking up Helena and giving her to Jo before he put his arm around her waist and he greeted her with a kiss.
"Thank you," Jo whispered against his lips as she kissed him again before turning her attention to the squealing little girl on her arm. "And good morning to you too, baby girl."
Jo leaned in to kiss Helena's cheek as the baby grasped onto her sweatshirt and babbled to her excitedly. Jo nodded and talks back to Helena, she loved to hear her baby talk to her. Alex puts a hand on her back and led her over to the kitchen to sit at the island. He presented her with a card, the flowers, and the little clay circle with Helena's footprint, before setting a plate in front of her.
"So we have breakfast and then I thought we could just hang out or maybe go to the park later. I also got you this, so you can get your nails done later today. Then tonight, I'm ordering pizza for dinner and I thought we could all curl up with a movie, and I thought I'd put this little one down to bed a little early, so you and I could have some alone time together," Alex said as he leaned into pressed it kissed her lips and Jo smiled against his lips.
"That sounds perfect," Jo said, pulling back into smiling up at him.
Alex sat down next to her to eat breakfast and it wasn't long before Helena was pulling at her top and Jo pulled up her shirt as Helena eagerly latched on to her breast. Jo stared down at her little girl and cooed at her as she nursed, her eyes closing in content. With her hands full, Alex fed her breakfast, and after Helena finished nursing, he burped her so she would barf on his shirt instead, as she did spit up a little bit of milk and completely missing the burp cloth spitting up down Alex's back.
Jo laughed and Alex just shook his head as he tore his shirt off and wiped Helena's chin before Jo took her back for extra cuddles. Helena had decided that the morning had been exciting enough and fell asleep in her arms. Jo got up and gently danced around the room for a bit of bit with Helena as the music played. Alex came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her as they swayed together.
"Thank you for carrying our baby," Alex whispered to her from where his head rested on her shoulder as they both looked down at the little girl in her arms. "I know your pregnancy and your labor were hard on you, but I am so grateful for the sacrifices you've made so we could have our baby girl. You're the best mother in the world."
Alex pressed a kiss to her cheek as Jo turned her head to him, and he kissed her lips before they looked down at her daughter again. Since she had become a mother, Jo couldn't help but think about her own birth mother. Every time she stared down at her daughter, she couldn't even think about leaving her. Jo had had separation anxiety from the moment Helena was born, and she struggled even leaving Helena at daycare. Jo couldn't even entertain the idea of abandoning Helena for the rest of her life. She wanted to be there for every moment of her life, from her first steps to her graduation and all her accomplishments. She was so filled with love for her daughter. Jo couldn't wait to watch Helena grow up and see the person she was going to become. She did everything in her power to ensure that Helen would have a better childhood than she and Alex had and that she was a better mother than her birth mother ever was.
"I try to be," Jo said, lifting up Helena so she could kiss her head.
"You are," Alex said, kissing her cheek again as Jo smiled.