Complete
"How are we telling people? I mean… she's here now." Theo laughed a little, sitting in the hospital room the next morning where they had come back first thing to visit Lena and get ready to take her home.
"I have no idea." Cassie laughed too, holding Lena in her arms, standing swaying back and forth gently, "She is… so beautiful." She shook her head, completely besotted with her daughter.
"She is." Theo agreed, walking over to her and taking another look, "Why is everyone so cute on a baby? Why do I find her eyebrows cute?" He asked as Cassie smiled.
"Cause she has cute everything." Cassie nodded, taking a hold of Lena's hand softly between her thumb and forefinger, "Isn't that right, baby?" She smiled.
"I was thinking." Theo said, wandering over to the sofa in the private room they'd been given to see Lena in, taking a seat and watching Cassie still staring and smiling at Lena.
"About?" Cassie asked quietly.
"What about a middle name?" Theo nodded as Cassie looked over at him.
"What you thinking?" She asked, "I think she rocks her first name so well, I don't know if she needs one." She admitted.
"Monique." Theo said as Cassie looked at him, "She doesn't want to see us or speak to us and that's fine. Maybe that's for the best for all of us. And we're gonna be Lena's mom and dad for the rest of her life." He nodded, "But… we wouldn't be standing here falling in love with our daughter if it wasn't for that young girl." He said as Cassie looked down at Lena, stroking her soft cheek.
"She'll ask where the name came from." Cassie said nervously.
"She'll ask one day eventually. And we said we wouldn't lie to her." Theo nodded.
"And when she wants to go find her real mom?" Cassie looked over at him, "Then what? Who the hell am I?"
"You're her mom, Cassie." Theo stood up, "Those questions aren't gonna come up for years. Years of us raising her. Being her parents. She'll know who her mom and dad are." He assured her as she looked at him nervously, "Us."
Cassie looked down at Lena and nodded. She loved this baby girl with everything she had. She knew whatever questions came in her future they would tackle it.
"Ok." Cassie nodded, "Lena Monique Sanchez." She smiled as Theo nodded proudly.
"You realise everyone is gonna lose their shit when we just show up with her? No one is going to believe it." Theo laughed a little as Cassie nodded.
"I know." Cassie chuckled, "My mom might pass out."
"Yeah, mine too." Theo nodded, "So how are we doing this?"
"Good job, you guys." Thea smiled, crouching down in the yard with Sam and Sofia, helping them plant strawberries to grow. She was trying her best to think of activities for Sofia to join in on without feeling like she was missing out. She knew she was possibly overthinking everything and trying too hard, but she simply couldn't help it.
"Can I eat them now?" Sam asked, crouched down and looking at the pots of soil.
"No." Thea chuckled, "No, you have to wait on them growing, silly." She smiled, tapping under Sam's chin as the three-year-old shook her head.
"I thought I was eating some for lunch. With chocolate sauce." Sam put her hands up with confusion.
"Can dad bring some home from the store?" Sofia asked, sitting on the grass beside the pots.
"You guys are that desperate, huh?" Thea laughed a little, "Sure. I'll drop him a text. You guys stay here." She nodded, walking off into the kitchen to get her phone and ask Dominic to pick up some strawberries. He'd gone to the grocery store with James.
She put her phone back down, looking out the window into the yard where she watched Sam helping Sofia up, as little as she was. She then watched her walk around the yard with her, holding her hand.
She made her way back into the yard, smiling as she watched them.
"I'm pretending to be Sofia's guide dog!" Sam yelled over to Thea who chuckled, shaking her head.
"Sit." Sofia teased as Sam sat down on the grass, "You're an idiot." She laughed at her little sister, feeling that she had sat down.
"You guys been talking about a guide dog?" Thea asked, walking over to them and taking a seat on the grass. Sofia felt her way to Thea and sat down next to her.
"Sofia wants a black one. Like on the commercials, mommy." Sam nodded, "And we can all play with him."
"Or her." Sofia added quickly.
"Ok, but a guide dog is a working dog, remember. You might not be able to play with him like you want to. He or she will be there to help Sofia." Thea reminded Sam.
"But I can still have a cuddle." Sam made clear.
"I thought you weren't sure yet." Thea said, taking Sofia's hand.
"I don't like not knowing what's in front of me." Sofia said, "I don't want a stick." She mumbled.
"A stick is for little old men." Sam nodded, giggling.
"No." Thea told her seriously, "No it's not. A stick can be for anyone. Young and old. Men and women." She said as Sam looked at her, unconvinced, "Baby, you can try everything until you find something that helps." Thea nodded.
"I want to try the dog." Sofia said as Thea nodded. It had been a few weeks of letting Sofia rest at home, helping her build her strength, removing any hazards from their home and allowing her siblings to adjust to her new needs. It was time to help her towards living her life as normally as she could. As close to the way it was before.
"Ok." Thea said, "Ok, baby. You call the shots." She kept Sofia's hand in hers.
"We're getting a doggy!" Sam squealed excitedly, standing up and running around the yard.
"I'm getting a dog." Sofia made clear, "It'll be my dog."
"Can we name him Chance? Like Homeward Bound?" Sam asked, "I like that movie." She nodded, running back over to them.
"Normally they already have names, babe." Thea nodded, "And Sofia is right. This will be her dog. It'll be here to help her."
"Call him Chance, Sofia. Please." Sam jumped up and down, hugging into Sofia who laughed.
"You're crazy." Sofia concluded as Thea smiled.
"Hey! We're home." Theo called, getting home with Chase who he'd picked up from his mother's house whilst Cassie was at home with baby Lena. They wanted to introduce Chase to his baby sister first before inviting their family around.
"In here." Cassie said quietly.
"Go on." Theo nodded to Chase who ran off into the living room, looking over at Cassie who was holding Lena.
"Hi, baby." Cassie smiled.
"Hi." Chase said, watching as Cassie knelt on the floor so he could come take a closer look, "Is that a baby?" Chase asked, walking over to Cassie, looking on at Lena.
"Yeah, it is." Cassie smiled, "This is your baby sister, Chase." She told him as Chase looked back at Theo who nodded in agreement.
"My sister?" Chase asked, a smile creeping on his face. He knew some of his friends at school had brothers and sisters.
"Yeah, this is Lena." Theo nodded, crouching down behind Chase, "This is your little sister, buddy."
"Lena?" Chase said, "Is that her name?"
"Yeah, that's her name." Cassie nodded, "You're her big brother. You're a big brother now." She smiled excitedly as she watched Chase's face light up.
"You and her are gonna be best friends." Theo nodded, "You wanna help mama and daddy take good care of her?" He asked as Chase nodded immediately.
"Do you want to hold her?" Cassie asked as Chase nodded immediately again.
"Ok, come sit up." Theo nodded, helping Chase onto the sofa and showing him how to put his arms out whilst Cassie walked over with Lena.
She carefully placed the baby girl into Chase's arms whilst Theo kept his hands out under just to be safe.
"Look at you." Cassie smiled happily, crouching down by the couch as she looked on at Chase holding Lena very proudly and happily. It was everything and more she could have asked for.
"Good job, buddy." Theo smiled as Chase looked on at Lena, watching the baby girl yawning.
"She yawned." Chase told them.
"Oh, she looks so happy with you, baby." Cassie smiled.
"She's really small." Chase said.
"She is." Cassie nodded, "So we gotta be really careful with her."
"Me and mama think you should change her first diaper, what do you think?" Theo tapped Chase's arm as the six-year-old smiled and shook his head, "No?" Theo gasped.
"I'll just hold her." Chase bargained as Cassie smiled, looking over at Theo who was watching their children both closely. She'd never seen him smiling the way he was right now. Everything just felt perfect. Complete.
"Ok, she's been down for a couple hours now so she's gonna wake up soon." Cassie told Theo in the hallway of their house later that night.
They had invited their family around by telling them they were celebrating completing their first case working together. Although some of their family were a little surprised by their sudden interest in socialising, which wasn't like them, they still all gathered.
"Ok, why don't you go get her and I'll get everyone in the kitchen." Theo nodded.
"Ok." Cassie nodded nervously, about to walk off upstairs as Theo pulled her back by the hand, kissing her long and hard before pulling back and smiling down at her.
"Ok, go." He nodded as she smiled, nudging him playfully before running off upstairs.
She got to the nursery, walking on in and smiling down at their baby girl sleeping peacefully. The whole day had been like a dream. To be able to finally share this with their family was so special.
She picked Lena up gently, making her way out of the nursery, slowly walking down the stairs, watching the baby girl's little hands and feet curling. Her insides had been complete mush all day.
She made her way down the hall, walking into the kitchen where all their family were, smiling as she noticed them all notice her, one by one.
"Hey." Cassie smiled quietly, standing beside her father who turned to her.
"Hey." Punk said, briefly turning to Cassie before double taking, spinning his head back around to look at her as he noticed the baby in her arms.
"Where did that come from?" Thea pointed in disbelief.
"Cassie." AJ placed her hand on her chest.
"Oh my God." Jude smiled, placing her hands over her mouth in complete awe as Cassie smiled, enjoying the range of shock.
"Theodore." Jillian turned to her son who chuckled.
"You know she's got a baby?" Matthew asked Theo discretely, which made him chuckle even louder.
"Hey." Cassie said, "Everybody this is Lena." She told them, "Our daughter." She nodded.
"That's my sister!" Chase exclaimed.
"Yeah!" Theo cheered, picking Chase up into his arms.
"Aunt Cassie's got a baby girl in her arms." Dominic leaned down and told Sofia discretely.
"And papa looks like he's going to faint." James added in Sofia's ear, making her smile.
