Drabble 29: Simple.
Life is simple when it's just you. It's simple when it's you and a lover.
The wailing bundle in her hands… yeah.
Not so much.
"It's a healthy baby girl!" Someone says; the doctors all wear masks that cover their mouths so she has no idea. She smiles lazily at the baby in her arms, too drugged to feel anything but the love she has for this tiny little… thing. This beautiful, beautiful baby that she and Henry made together.
"Hey," She coos, not feeling the happy tears falling down her cheeks, "I'm your mom. I love you." Natalie can't stop staring at the little girl with Henry's nose and her lips and eyes yet to be determined. She gives a little laugh when she notices a few dark baby curls on her head, "I love you so much, Melody."
Henry holds her hand while the doctors clean their Melody off and wrap her in fresh blankets.
"Nat." He chokes, "We're parents. We're a Mommy and Daddy."
Natalie nods, eyes slipping closed. She's tired, so tired. Delivery had been hell; she'd kicked one of the nurses in the face by accident. Henry's hand is probably going to bruise where she had her death grip. The amount of explicits that tumbled from her mouth had been an unholy amount, even for her.
But that little girl is completely worth it.
"She looks like you," Helena comments to her daughter-in-law while Henry's off to the bathroom, "Same eyes."
"Yeah… she's so beautiful, though." Natalie grins as the baby wraps her tiny fingers around her pointer, "Are all babies so… soft?"
"Well, I never had a baby. Henry was already three when the papers went through. Sarah was seven." She doesn't take her eyes off the child, stroking a finger across her rosy, chubby cheek, "But I'd bet so."
"She's so tiny. I don't think babies are supposed to be this small." She rocks Melody in her arms, in awe of the way the girl jerks and flails her tiny little limbs every now and again. Suddenly her face creases with worry, "What if she's too tiny? What if she's actually sick and the doctors are overlooking it, like my brother?"
"Calm down, babydoll. Look at her; she's healthy." Helena smiles at the gurgling little child, "Well… she's probably hungry, though."
"Yeah." She sighs, looking at the child with a slight puzzlement. "Let's… okay… um." She undoes a button on her gown near her breast, "Okay. Hoping those instructions online actually work. Also that she doesn't bite me."
"She has no teeth, baby."
"Oh, yeah. …this feels weird." She blushes as Melody latches on, "This- OW! Okay it's really weird. Somewhat painful. She's definitely hungry."
Helena laughs, "Okay, sugar, I'm going to the cafeteria."
"Mmm, okay." She smiles briefly, going back to staring at the child sucking her breast. She sighs; why did she ever decide on this? Now she can't even wake Henry in the middle of the night to feed the baby; it's all her.
"Hey, you two."
"Hey," She doesn't bother looking up, smelling the fast food he'd brought for her, and she curses the fact she'd already started nursing. "Fry." Nat opens her mouth without further comment and he sticks one in, "Thank you."
"So," He sits beside her on the bed, rubbing Melody's back gently, "Looks like Mels will be getting more action than me for while."
"Mels?" She questions, "She's only a few hours old and she already has a nickname?"
"Well, yeah. Mels is cute. Like Nat." He teases and Natalie rolls her eyes.
"Whatever. Fry." She opens her mouth for him to feed her once again and they continue this technique for some odd minutes. She eventually begins to laugh, beaming at her family, "I l-love you two."
"As we love you." He grins back, kissing each of his girls on the forehead.
Love is simple when it's just you. It's simple when it's you and a lover.
Natalie has never been a simple person.