Disclaimer: I do not own Charlie, who is the only character from the series specifically mentioned in the story. Don and Alan, who I also do not own, are metioned, but indirectly.
A/N:
Written while patiently awaiting the arrival of April 15's Numb3rs episode.
As promised in my previous story (The Angel) this is the continuation of a series. This is the second installment, and, as is also mentioned in "The Angel", the series is out of order. I should have the third installment in by the end of this week (April 22). It's already written, I just have to get around to typing it.
Enjoy!
First Word
Charlie sat down over a pile of papers he needed to grade. He had been sick this week and had gotten nothing done. He had depended on his father and brother to care for the baby, as he was afraid to get her as sick as he was. But now that he was doing well enough to take care of himself and Mia, he was swamped. He was looking forward to getting to bed that night.
Mia, who was rarely very fussy, started to whine. Charlie went over to pick her up.
"What is it, ki..." Charlie didn't have to finish his question. He could smell the problem already. He scrunched his nose in a way that made Mia giggle.
"You think that's funny?"
Mia just looked at him.
"Let's go take care of this."
Charlie had started the process and was talking to her. Then, the biggest surprise Charlie had had in a long time came.
"Mama."
Charlie wasn't sure what he was hearing at first. Could he have imagined that?
"Mama." came the small voice again.
Charlie then realized what was happening. Mia was talking. She had just said her first word.
But how? Mia's mother had died the night she was born. They had never met.
Then Charlie realized something else. Mia wasn't looking at him. She was looking behind him at the picture on the wall. It was Charlie and Cammie's wedding day. Many nights Charlie had sat at that picture and thought about his wife. Many of those nights Mia had been with him. He would tell her stories of her mother. He would get lost in some memory, realize that she was gone, and the hurt, pain, and sadness would all come back again.
But Charlie forgot all about that sadness for now. He was so happy; Mia had made another milestone. At nine months, she had already started walking, and now, in the same month, she was also talking.
Charlie happily finished his diaper-changing routine, but with more excitement in his voice than usual. He got the baby book, recorded the moment, then took Mia in his arms and hugged her tightly.
"Oh, sweethart, you have no idea how happy you've made daddy right now."
A few minutes later, Charlie's father and brother walked in the door. They were told of the afternoon's special event, and celebrated.
Later that night, about to go to sleep, Charlie looked over at the picture of his wife on his nightstand. He smiled. In the last nine and a half, almost ten months, the one thing Charlie needed was some kind of joy. And Mia had given him that today. She was growing so quickly, Charlie thought with both happiness and sadness in his voice. He knew that he would probably feel that way the rest of his life. But he had a sneaking feeling Cammie had had something to do with what happened today.
"Thanks, baby." he said. "I love you."
Charlie fell into a peaceful sleep that night and for what seemed like the millionth time in almost a year, dreamed of the love of his life.
