It felt like being on the ocean floor, weighed down with bags of cement. Just opening her eyes felt like too much work.
Lu tried to ignore the pain in her belly as her eyes scanned the room; needing to blink a few times before the image became clear, a smile spreading on her face when it did.
In the white room, with the white walls, white floor, and white furniture, in the corner – walking back and forth nearly in place – Andy holding a baby in her arms. She was rocking it slightly, cooing at it, more content than Lu had seen her in a long time.
''Hi,'' Lu said softly, despite not wanting to disturb the peaceful scene she desperately wanted to meet her baby.
Andy smiled at her, looking up from the bundle in her arms. It took everything in her to not simply stare at the beautiful baby in her arms. ''Hi mommy, you ready to meet your daughter?''
''It's a girl?'' Lu could feel the tears rolling down her cheeks – and blamed it on the hormones. As she sat up a bit more Andy put the baby in her arms. The tiniest little girl, with thick dark eyelashes like her father, and the same dark wavy hairs peeking out that Lu had had as a baby. After an eternity she looked back up at Andy, ''what happened?''
''There were some complications,'' Andy said, sitting down on the edge of the bed, stroking the baby's hair, ''we had to do a c-section. But she's healthy. A perfect 10.''
Lu nodded slowly, some vague memories from being in labor coming back to her.
''What do you want to name her?'' Andy asked. Somehow, in the countless conversations they had had in the past months, it had never come up.
''I haven't decided it yet,'' Lu said. The only thing she had decided on was the last name: Delgado. It felt only right that the baby would have her last name.
Andy hesitated, not wanting to be too forward. ''What about Rosa?''
Lu looked up at her, ''after my mom?'' She considered it for a second and looked down at her daughter, knowing immediately that it fit. She nodded slightly, ''Rosa.''