Rose Theodora

Felicity huffed softly in her sleep with each deep breath she took. Oliver smiled over at her from his vantage point in the chair next to her hospital bed. Then he felt the same huff against his chest. His ears twitched and he held his breath. In, out with a huff, in, out with a huff. Oliver felt tears prick his eyes. He looked down at the little white bundle in his arms.

"You're beautiful," he whispered. He took his fingertip, just the pad, and ran it down his baby girl's nose. "Just like your momma." Oliver wiped away the tears when his little girl leaned into his touch and stopped huffing. He found with every kid, he teared up as he got to know them better and better.

On William's sixteenth birthday, last year, Oliver was blinking rapidly to avoid any tears as he handed his son the car keys. During Tommy's fifth birthday party, just a few months ago, right before they started to sing happy birthday, Oliver felt tears brimming. He hid his face in Felicity's hair, he knew she smiled at their friends and family, he knew they all saw it, but he wouldn't admit it. The day Kit started to walk, two years ago, he broke into tears and let them fall in favor of catching his little girl before she fell. And now. Now he was tearing up at the sight of his baby, his last baby, their last baby. They'd made the unanimous decision, between the two of them, to stop at this one. Their third together, their fourth including William.

The little one's eyes opened, and he saw baby blues. He smiled down at her. "Hey, baby girl." She opened her mouth wide at the sound of his familiar voice. "Your momma has to wake up before you get a name," Oliver whispered looking up at his wife one more time. She was peaceful. He would let her rest a while. He didn't mind holding their baby for a while with just the sounds of Felicity's breathing.

"I really want you to be named after your Aunt Thea. We named your big sister after your momma's grandma, and my mom. Katherine Moira, but we call her Kit. We named your second big brother after my best friend and my dad. Thomas Robert, but we call him Tommy. We didn't get to name your biggest brother, but we do have nicknames for him. His name is William Clayton. He's a Queen, don't worry. He's just your half-brother. Your momma is his stepmom, but she's not evil at all. She's the best mom ever. All your siblings agree on that," Oliver whispered. The baby opened her mouth a few times so Oliver placed a pacifier in for her and she quickly went back to snoozing.

"You'll get to meet them all soon, baby girl. All your family will come to visit you. It might take a few weeks though, so you just rest. You have a very big family. Aunt Thea is my sister. Uncle Roy is her boyfriend. Mr. Diggle and his wife Lyla and their son JJ are family too. Digg's like the brother I never had. Then you have your Aunt Laurel and Aunt Sara. Sara's usually gone but she'll come back just to meet you. She has lots of stories she likes to tell at bedtime. Your siblings love her stories. Then there's Iris and Barry with their little Nora. She's just a year older than you, sweet bug. You'll probably become the best of friends. You have your Grandma Donna who is watching your siblings with your biggest brother, William. I bet your Grandpa Noah will come visit at some point. Those are your momma's parents.

"You won't meet mine. They're gone. But I'll tell you all about them one day. So will your Aunt Thea. We have lots of stories about them. Your brother Tommy loves your Grandma Moira's strawberry and cream crepes. She taught me how to make them when Thea was a baby. Raisa still had the recipe after all those years, so I got to learn how to make them again. Kit likes to slather the crepes in maple syrup. William likes that too, but he eats them the way Thea and I did when we were little. We rolled them up and dipped them into the syrup. Will says he really likes playing with his food." Oliver chuckled. His little girl's eyes popped open at the sound of his voice and the vibration his chest was making. She blinked up at him.

"Your momma wants to call you an old lady's name. Like Violet or Hazel or Rose. I don't mind. I like them all. I just really want your middle name to be after Thea. I got to name Tommy and I chose Kit's nickname. I'm the reason why we don't call her Katie or Katherine. So, this time your momma gets to choose your name. She's gonna do great, sweet bug." Oliver looked up and gasped softly. Felicity had tears running down her cheeks.

"Felicity," he breathed standing up and walking over to her. "Honey," he laughed slightly but she shook her head and started to sob. "Let me but the baby down."

"No," she sobbed covering her face with her hands. Oliver looked at her helplessly.

"Sweetie, please." Felicity took a few calming breaths and wiped her cheeks with the sheets on the bed.

"No," Felicity moaned. She squinted over at the baby. "Where are my glasses?" Oliver moved the baby into one arm and handed Felicity the pair of glasses on the side table. Felicity popped them on and reached for the baby. Oliver slowly placed the newborn in her arms. Felicity cooed at the baby. This was the first time she really saw her, without the fog from the epidural. "Pacifier," Felicity grumbled taking the item and tugging it out of their daughter's mouth. She immediately started searching for a nipple to hold onto. "Oliver," Felicity scolded.

"You were sleeping, honey. You had a long day." Felicity glared at her husband and tried undoing her hospital gown but failed.

"I do not approve. But I need your help." She looked up at him expectantly. He chuckled and helped her. Felicity took a moment to watch their daughter's little mouth open and close before she guided the baby to her nipple. The second the baby latched on, Felicity focused on running her fingers over the baby's brown hair just the small amounts on the sides of her head. "This'll turn blonde," she murmured. Oliver hummed in agreement.

"Then it'll turn brown," he said with a goofy smile.

"Bleaching out in the summertime," she added. Oliver sat on the edge of the bed and wrapped an arm around her. Felicity then ran the pads of her fingers over their baby's forehead and jaw as she ate. "I wonder if she'll be athletic and agile like Tommy or graceful and witty like Kit." Oliver wondered too.

Oliver said, "Maybe she'll be fearless and intelligent." Felicity grinned down at the baby.

"I hope so," she cooed rubbing the baby's cheek softly. "She's so soft, Oliver."

"She's beautiful." Oliver kissed the top of Felicity's head.

"Did you see her rosy lips?" Felicity wondered looking up at him for a moment. Oliver nodded and smiled.

"And blue eyes."

"But rose lips." Felicity bit her bottom lip and looked at Oliver through her lashes. Oliver chuckled.

"Rose?" he questioned.

"Rose, hmmm, what do you think, Rose?" Felicity whispered. The baby pulled away from feeding. She didn't cry though, she simply blinked and looked up at them as if to say what am I supposed to do now. Felicity grinned and blinked away tears before guiding the baby back to the nipple.

"Rose," Oliver tested. Felicity nodded grinning up at him. "Rose what?" Felicity's eyes softened at his train of thought.

"Theodora?" she said. Oliver's brow picked up. "Rose Thea doesn't have enough umff to it. Rose Theodora. Still after your sister." Oliver felt tears prick his eyes again. He blinked them away and pressed a firm kiss to Felicity's lips.

"I love you," he breathed. Felicity hummed happily and kissed him again. "You are remarkable," he said as he rested his forehead against hers. Felicity's eyes twinkled.

"Thank you for remarking on it," she repeated in turn. Oliver chuckled and kissed her again. He would say that till the end of his days because it'd be true.