The thought of being a mother had always been daunting to Ruby, but not for the typical reasons most people expected.
It wasn't because she didn't like kids, nor was it because she didn't think she could support them.
No. The reason she was so nervous to bring a child into the world was because it was the same world that had taken her mother away from her.
Summer Rose had been compassionate, steadfast, strong, and brave. She had been a hero, and she was all the things Ruby wanted to be... but that hadn't been enough to save her.
Ruby had grown up without her mother. Photos, stories, and a few short memories from her childhood were the only things she had to hold on to.
She didn't want her own children to experience that same pain, nor did she want to put her husband in the same situation her father and sister had been in: trying to raise a child alone while grieving.
So whenever Jaune tried to bring up starting a family, Ruby would find a way to deflect the conversation, being too scared to admit her hesitance in case it hurt him, or at the risk she was just being paranoid. After all, Salem had been defeated years ago.
So, Ruby decided to keep this to herself for now and wait for her worries to eventually subside.
At least, she hoped they would.
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"Ren and Nora's daughter just turned two today."
Ruby looked up from the book she was reading to glance beside her at Jaune, who was on his Scroll.
"They just posted a whole bunch of cute photos." He continued, holding it up to show her.
A small, but genuine smile appeared on Ruby's lips while looking at the multiple photos of the bright, magenta-eyed toddler posing alongside her parents. "Aww, she's growing up so fast."
"She is." Jaune put the Scroll back into his pocket. "You know… I hope we can also do cute baby photoshoots one day."
Ruby felt her chest tighten at yet another one of her husband's not-so-subtle attempts at starting the baby conversation. "Mhm, one day." She offered as a response before sheepishly turning back to her book.
A silence fell over the two of them, and Ruby thought she had managed to successfully drop the conversation.
Until Jaune spoke.
"Honey... I know I can be dense sometimes, but… I've noticed you shy away from this conversation every time I bring it up..."
Ruby's head snapped up, quickly jerking to look at him, as a pang of guilt filled her chest at the worry and hurt lacing his voice. It was the reaction that she had wanted to avoid causing.
"Jaune, I—" She tried to interject, but was cut off.
"If you don't want kids you can just tell me. I won't be mad. I just want you to be honest with me." Jaune's tone was calm and sincere, but the hurt in it was still audible.
"It's... It's not that." Ruby set her book down on the coffee table as she looked away, feeling both ashamed and embarrassed.
"Then what is it?"
"I... It's stupid."
"If something is bothering you, it's not stupid." Ruby felt him take her hands in his, making her look up at him. She met his eyes, deep and blue like the ocean, shining with the love they always had when he looked at her, but also filled with concern, "Please tell me what's wrong."
She really hadn't wanted to have this conversation, but there was no way to avoid it now. She took a deep, shaky breath, trying to gather her thoughts. "You… know what happened to my mother...? How she... How she died?"
Jaune frowned, but nodded. "I remember you telling me." He gave her hands a gentle squeeze, encouraging her to continue.
"It's not that I don't want kids. It's that I don't want our kids to go without a mom." Ruby's heart started to race, pounding out a marathon as thoughts of the fate her mother had endured swirled around in her mind.
"And I know, I know Salem is gone, but there's still danger out there. The Grimm, criminals, thugs... there could even still be others out there who might want to... want to hunt people like me."
Ruby hesitated again before continuing. "Anything could happen out on a mission... I don't want to leave one day and not come home like she did."
Tears were pooling in her eyes now, and she tried to blink them away, but it was a futile effort.
"Ruby…" Jaune started helplessly.
"And what if our kids have my eyes?" She interrupted, all her worries bubbling to the surface, like a pot of boiling water. "They could become targeted too! Magic and what silver eyes can do has become almost common knowledge now… Agh, I'm probably just overreacting and being paranoid, right? I—"
Her hands were squeezed again, still as gentle as before, but with enough force to get her to stop and focus back on Jaune.
"Ruby... you're not overreacting. You have every right to have these fears after everything you've gone through." His voice was kind, but firm. "I do wish you would have told me sooner though." He teasingly chided her this time, obviously in an attempt to lighten the mood.
However instead of feeling better, the shame Ruby already felt grew. He was right; she should have told him instead of trying to keep it from him. What kind of wife was she? "I'm sorry…"
Through blurred, teary eyes, she saw Jaune frown as he gave her hands yet another squeeze. "I know, my love. I'm not mad at you."
Ruby sniffled in response before lunging forward to bury her face into his chest, something she always did when she was upset. Jaune immediately moved his arms to return the embrace, now rubbing his hands along her back in soothing circles. "Hey... it's okay, it's okay..." He whispered, gentle assurances flowing from him like water.
She choked out quiet sobs as tears started to slide down her cheeks, with some of them soaking into Jaune's t-shirt, though if he noticed he didn't seem to mind.
After what felt like an eternity of quietly crying in her husband's warm, comforting arms, Ruby was able to speak again. "Y-You're really not mad?"
"I'm not mad." Jaune softly confirmed, his hands still rubbing her back with the same comforting patterns.
"I just really didn't want to disappoint you…" She muttered softly.
"Hey," Jaune pulled her in further, wrapping her in a tight yet gentle embrace. "You could never disappoint me, Ruby. You're the love of my life and you always will be. Nothing will change that."
Ruby sniffled softly once more, his kind and understanding words washing over her and filling her with warmth and much needed reassurance.
She adjusted her position in his arms to get more comfortable while Jaune continued to speak. "It's completely understandable to have worries about parenthood, especially in your situation. We don't need to rush anything."
"I'm perfectly content and happy just living in the moment with you and enjoying our time together. You can take as long as you need to sort out all your thoughts and feelings about this, and know I'll be here to support you through it all."
Ruby lifted her head to look up at him, her heart swelling with so much affection and gratitude for this wonderful and understanding man that was her husband.
Jaune tilted his head down to meet her gaze, "And know that no matter what you decide on, I will always, ALWAYS, love you, Ruby."
With that said, he leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, making her heart skip a beat.
Every day that they were together, Jaune managed to make her fall in love with him all over again.
Ruby leaned up to press her lips to his, giving him a sweet and loving kiss to express all her love and appreciation. Her eyes closed just as she felt Jaune melt into the kiss.
After a few minutes (that felt much longer to the both of them), she slowly pulled away. Her eyes fluttered open to see Jaune giving her one of his signature warm smiles which she quickly reciprocated.
"I love you so much. Thank you, Jaune."
Ruby didn't know if or when she'd be able to get over her worries and reservations, but what she did know was that Jaune would be with her though it all. And, she thought fondly, she wouldn't have it any other way.
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The fears that had plagued Ruby's mind never fully went away, and she had eventually accepted that they probably never would.
She was still worried about something pulling her away from her child, or worse, something happening to her child instead, but she thought it was justified.
It was only natural for a mother after all.
As Ruby looked down at the sweet, tiny little bundle of joy swaddled up in her arms, staring up at her with eyes that mirrored her own, Ruby knew she would do anything and everything to make sure those fears never came to fruition.
And she knew she wasn't alone in that either.
"She's so beautiful." Jaune's voice came from beside her, full of emotion.
Ruby's face split into a bright smile, "She's perfect." She agreed before leaning down to press a soft kiss to her daughter's forehead.
"Welcome to the world, Cerise."