Chapter 24: Going Home
Cruz woke and shifted, her abdomen hurt and she placed her hand on it gently. Suddenly she jerked awake, I had my baby! She suddenly remembered.
She sat up quickly, big mistake, her head ached and the room spun and something really hurt in her pelvic area Oh yeah, stitches, got to remember that She winced silently and laid down before looking around.
Bosco was nowhere to be found. She looked beside her and her eyes landed on the small basinet with a pink bundle in it. She scooted to the side of the bed and peered into it.
Her baby was sleeping, her breathing calm and reassuring. She reached in and stroked her soft cheek with her index finger.
Paige lifted her lip; it almost looked like she was smiling, and then lowered it again, still asleep. A voice came from across the room and Cruz looked up
"You can take her out if you like"
Cruz smiled "Hi" The woman smiled back
"Hi, I'm Sandra, your post partum nurse, I take care of you and miss Boscorelli here until you go home. I just make sure everything's going ok, you're healing properly, stuff like that."
Cruz nodded "Hi, you can call me Maritza, did you see where my husband went?"
Sandra smiled as she checked the monitors "Yeah, he went to get you supper, he'll be back soon"
"What time is it?" Cruz asked
"about 8:00, they moved you into the postpartum ward about 45 minutes ago."
Cruz nodded again. "Can I feed her?" She motioned towards Paige.
Sandra smiled "Of course"
She helped Cruz get settled sitting up, put a roll under her arm then went to get Paige. Cruz reached out and took her, holding her for the first time. She just looked at her for a while and Sandra smiled again
"First time mom, huh? Pretty exciting"
Cruz just nodded; she was too involved with her baby to say anything. She reached up, undoing her top and letting it fall to her waist. With Sandra's help she positioned Paige onto herself.
She flinched slightly as the baby sucked, it felt good but it hurt a bit. Just then Bosco walked in, his face almost glowing.
He set the food down on the counter and sat beside Cruz, just watching. As Cruz fed the baby Sandra checked that everything was ok, offering advice and helping with positioning.
When she had finished Cruz took the baby away from her breast and just looked at her. She looked a lot like Cruz but she had Bosco's eyes. Her lips were full and luscious like her mothers and she had her hair and nose, but her eyes were the clear ocean blue of her father's.
After Sandra left Cruz just held Paige. Bosco stood up and looker at her
"Ritza, you look so beautiful"
Cruz snorted "Yeah, sure Bosco, I just shoved a watermelon out of a hole the size of a pea, I'm sure I look great" she rolled her eyes.
He shook his head "No not like that, you look different. Motherly even."
Cruz blushed a bit "Well I am a mother. And you're a father, here hold her"
He came over and took Paige gently, supporting her head and neck. As he looked down on her he felt the tears welling up in his eyes again, she was so beautiful, just like her mother. She moved her head, as if to cuddle up against him.
He finally let the tears fall "Ritza, she's so small, so delicate." Cruz nodded, her eyes sparkling "She's perfect" Bosco nodded as he cradled her close, she was so, so perfect.
2 days later
Cruz walked slowly around the car while Bosco strapped Paige's new car seat into the back. She slid into the back seat beside Paige and Bosco drove them home.
Paige was a good baby; she only cried when she really had to, most of the time she would just make noise to attract her parents attention.
When they got home Cruz collapsed on the bed, all she wanted to do was sleep. Having a baby had been really hard on her; her body was a lot smaller than most women and she had needed quite a few stitches.
Her chest hurt too and she groaned as Paige squealed, wanting to be fed. She dragged herself up and over to the bassinet, smiling at Paige's eager face. She gently lifted her to herself and fed her as Bosco walked in.
"That is a sight I will never get tired of seeing." He said as he sat down next to Cruz.
He still couldn't believe how full this baby had made his life. He gently slipped his arm around Cruz, so this was what it felt like to truly love someone.
(A/N) hmmmm no comment
