Dream and Hope
The second of the series I've written in half an hour or less, I wrote it in a sentimental mood. Hope you enjoy it.
Ezri woke slowly, at first unsure of where she was. She tried to stretch, but an ache in her abdomen reminded her of her locatiion. She opened her eyes, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She had been exhausted, but for a good reason. She realized why she had woken up, beside her a small being was stirring, also opening it's eyes.
She shifted, to look over the small bassinet attached to her biobed. Beside her, Julian snored softly. He only snored when he was well and truly exhausted, so she let him slumber. She watched in adoration as her daughter surveyed the room around her, her little eyes taking in everything. Seeing Ezri, she stopped, staring her mother in the face.
Ezri reached out and lifted the little baby from the bassinet. The nurses had clad her in a snow white jumper, and to Ezri she looked like an angel. Safely ensconed in Ezri's arms, the little girl closed her eyes, content to sleep again. But before she did, Ezri slipped her finger into one small fist, to have it clasped by her baby.
Ezri studied her, the euphoria she had felt after the birth still with her. She could see so much of Julian in her. Her nose seemed so like his, and Ezri imagined a little gril's nose wrinkling in distaste when presented vegetables at dinner. The soft down of black hair, perhaps one day pulled into pigtails. Ezri had studied emotions her entire career, and she knew the word for the one she felt right then. Love.
But what to call her? She and Julian had created a list, possible names for a girl or a boy. Ezri chuckled when she thought of how hard Julian had worked to not find out his child's sex. The list had been slowly cut down, as they found reasons to reject names. They were going to look at the list yesterday, but the night before Ezri had woken up, water between her legs and prodded Julian from sleep. When she hissed at him in the dark he had leaped from bed, pulling on his clothes as quickly as possible and all but carrying Ezri to sickbay. Ezri couldn't help but giggle when thinking about the absurdity of it. She had been calm about the impending delivery… until the contractions started. After that, if Julian hadn't been the only doctor there she would have throttled him with both hands.
What would her future be like? Hopefully Ezri would be a better mother than her own, and be a loving and welcome prescence in her daughter's life. Deep Sapce Nine was mucher safer than at the end of the war, and Ezri imgained a little girl running down the dim corridors, perhaps with a playmate. Ezri could see her going to school, finding a passion in life. Perhaps her daughter would be an artist, or a Captain. Ezri peeked a glimpse at her husband, and decided that no matter what she wished for her daughter to find love, like Ezri had with Julian. Through the delivery when she had screamed and yelled, Julian had still stood there, waiting to collect their child as it entered the world.
Dax had loved many times, and Ezri had learned to recognize it. The love that supported you when you felt lost, the love which sympathized with your sorrows, and then brought you joy, was the greatest kind and Ezri knew she was lucky to have found it. Looking down on the sleeping baby, she imagined her own daughter's loves. But of course, her daughter would first need a name.
Mentally, Ezri ran through the list of names she and Julian had thought of. None of them seemed quite right… except for one. Looking at her daughter, Ezri rolled it around in her head, sounding it out. It fit. With a smile, Ezri looked down upon her daughter.
"Welcome to the world, Zoe."
Gently she placed her baby back in the bassinet, and closed her eyes, ready to dream and hope.