Nathan gazed down at his sleeping wife, curled up on the hospital bed. It had been three weeks since Audrey had made her 'miraculous recovery' and the doctors were still baffled by it. But, after staying overnight for observation and a few tests, she was allowed out go home the next day, where everyone proceeded to shower her with gifts, 'get well soon' cards and sweet foods of all sorts – which was rather pointless, as just the smell made Audrey nauseous and they had to throw the treats away.
A small gurgling beside Nathan pulled his gaze from his exhausted wife. A tiny baby was wriggling in a plastic hospital cot, knotted up in a soft, fluffy blanket. By the looks of it, it was on the brink of crying for its mother.
"Shhhhh," Nathan whispered, picking the pink-clad baby up "don't worry, I'm here." At Nathan's touch, the little girl immediately quietened, looking at him with big blue eyes. Nathan hoped they wouldn't change like so many baby's did, that they would stay looking just like Audrey's. Her hair was just as blonde as Audrey's, and was starting to curl already, creating cloud-like wisps from under the little pink cap that Duke had, shockingly, bought as a 'happy birth-day' present, along with a white teddy bear with a pink ribbon round it's neck.
"Hey, handsome," Audrey said sleepily, and Nathan heard the rustle of sheets as she sat up. Nathan turned to her and smiled.
"She looks just like you," Nathan commented, sitting on the side of the bed and leaning back next to Audrey, the baby in between them.
"Nah," she brushed off, stroking her daughter's fluffy hair "she'll be cursed with curls and skin that doesn't take tanning well, but in her face, she's her Daddy." Nathan smiled tenderly down at his family; his beautiful, intelligent wife, the mysterious daughter he already felt like knew back-to-front.
"Thought of any names yet?" Audrey asked quietly, playing with her daughter's fingers happily.
"Yeah, I thought of some." Nathan said, reluctant to continue – he and Audrey had made a pact that if they had a boy, Audrey would name him, but if they had a girl, Nathan would name her.
"Hit me." She challenged.
"Ok – Lily," he suggested.
"No – no flower names." She immediately shot down.
"Violet?" he continued hopefully.
"No – no colour names."
"So I take it 'Rose' is totally out of the question?"
"Double no. I mean come on – does she look like a Rose?" Audrey held the baby up a bit to give Nathan a better look at her once again sleeping face.
"No," he smiled "I suppose not."
"Exactly," she said smugly "what else you got?" a knock at the door made the new parents look up.
"Hey," Jason's soft voice preceded him as he poked his head round the door shyly "thought I'd check in on the family."