Word Count: 312
"What if I drop him?"
Alice chuckles softly and kisses her husband's cheek. "You won't drop him, Frank," she assures him.
Frank doesn't look at all convinced. He stares down at their son, and Alice is worried he might actually faint. They spent months going over everything, but, in the end, Frank still looks absolutely terrified. Alice bites back a laugh. The last thing she needs is for Frank to think she's giving him a hard time.
"Is he supposed to wriggle like that? He… He isn't broken is he?"
"No. Just move your hand up a bit. There you are."
Once she guides him along, he looks much more reassured. His panicked expression softens to one of sheer amazement as he looks down at Neville. His lips quirk, and his smile is so beautiful. "Hello, Neville," he says softly. "You're going to grow into such a strong boy. I hope you know that."
Neville just gurgles and squirms. Frank seems to relax into it. The way he holds Neville and soothes him in the softest tones, it's hard to believe he's never had any experience with babies before. From what Alice can tell, he's a natural.
"You're going to be brilliant, Frank," she says. "Such an amazing father."
…
Once Neville is asleep for the night (or at least a few hours), Frank joins Alice, sitting beside her bed. He takes her hand, and it makes her heart flutter.
"We're actually parents," he says.
She laughs softly, nodding. "Still hard to believe, isn't it?"
She had been so afraid when she found out. A war is no place for a baby. Truth be told, she is still terrified, but she thinks that maybe they're going to be okay. After all, if Frank is by her side, there's no way that she can lose.
"We're going to be just fine," she says