"What am I doing, huh, Evie-Jo?" Kate murmured softly to the little girl sleeping in her bassinet. "Rick's a very nice man, helped me bring you into the world, little lady, but dinner? What's mommy thinking, huh?"

Kate shook her head at herself.

She was having a conversation with her four day old daughter, about a date with a guy she'd met only once, while she was in labour, while stood in only her underwear as she tried to find something to wear.

Her bump still hadn't completely gone down, and while she wasn't ashamed of the body that had nurtured her baby girl for nine months, she wasn't exactly ready for curve hugging and skin tight outfits.

Except now, a lot of stuff that she owned was either that, or maternity wear. Flattering maternity wear, but still.

Evie-Jo sighed in her sleep, making her mom chuckle.

"Okay, okay. You win little one, I'll just wear jeans and a top. He knows I've just had a baby, he's totally not expecting a cocktail dress or anything, right?" Kate sighed. "Like you have an opinion on the matter. All you wear are onesies." She murmured, grabbing a loose emerald green top that was fitted to her post-baby bust, before it flowed out over her stomach. The perfect cover all.

She paired it with comfy jeans, very comfy, childbirth hurt, and slid on ballet flats.

"What do you think, huh? You think we're ready?"

Evie-Jo was already dressed, an adorable pale purple and white polka dotted onesie, with attached feet and scratch mitts, and a tiny lavender hat with two tiny darker purple ears. Kate had no idea what kind of animal it was trying to represent, but it had been too adorable to pass up.

She was perfectly happy, milk-drunk and passed out in her bed, while her mommy faffed.

Kate quickly grabbed her phone and slid it into her jeans pocket, before triple checking the baby bag. She was literally only going next door but she still liked to be prepared- a clean baby outfit, diapers, wipes, diaper cream, diaper bags, burp cloths, nursing blanket, nipple pads, maternity pads- Kate shook her head at her mental check list. The first few weeks post-birth were so not sexy.

"Okay, baby, let's grab you." She murmured, slinging the bag over her shoulder before carefully gathering the slumbering baby up and into her chest. Kate placed a soft kiss against her daughter's forehead before giving the room once last look over.

Once she was happy she had everything she could need, Kate made her way into the living room, grabbed her keys and Evie-Jo's bouncer, and left the apartment.

"Hey." Rick smiled warmly, once he'd opened the door to his neighbours. "Oh hi Evelyn, don't you look adorable." He greeted the baby softly.

Kate chuckled, making her way past him and dropping her stuff at the edge of his couch. "Yeah, when she's not screaming her head off."

"Nah, you don't ever scream do you, hmm baby?" He smiled, shutting the door behind them. "Uncle Rick never hears you crying at three o'clock in the morning." Rick chuckled at Kate's wince.

"I'm sorry, I'm trying." She murmured.

"Hey, no." He shook his head, coming over to where she was perched on the arm of his couch, to gently grip her shoulder. "I told you, she's pretty enough to get away with it." He shook his head, rubbing the back of his neck self-consciously. "Besides, I have a nine year old daughter, I've done the crying baby bit before."

"You have a kid?" Kate asked quietly.

"Yeah, Alexis. She's at her mom's in California for two weeks, will be back next Thursday." Rick smiled, watching the baby as she suckled in her sleep.

"Oh wow." Kate murmured.

"What?" He asked quietly.

"I just, never though you'd have a kid." She smiled sheepishly. "That sounds terrible. I'm sorry."

Rick shook his head. "It's fine. Now, I figured something simple, but healthy and warming, so I went with like a beef-y stew kinda thing. Sound good?"

Kate smiled, watching him move around his kitchen. "Sounds great."

Half an hour later, Rick was happily entertaining the now awake baby while Kate moaned around her fork every few bites.

"Good?" Rick chuckled, bouncing Evie-Jo against his shoulder.

"So good. This is the first thing I've eaten, in like a week, that hasn't come out of a Styrofoam container." She gushed, making Rick laugh again.

"You can come round any time, you know? I don't mind. And Lex would love Evie." He smiled down at the baby when she moved to face him at her name. "Oh look at you, pretty girlie. Do you know your name? Do you Evie-Jo? Do you know that's you?"

Kate smiled fondly at him, rather liking watching him interacting with her daughter. "That might be nice." She smiled at him. "We'll arrange something?"

Rick smiled. "That would be great."

"So, you said her dad wasn't in the picture?" Rick probed gently, watching with fascination as Kate flung a nursing blanket over her shoulder and adjusted her nursing bra, before taking the whimpering baby off him and gently latching her on. Kate peeked under the blanket to make sure her baby was okay, before leaning back into the couch, content to let her feed.

"He couldn't get away fast enough." She shrugged.

"I'm sorry." He murmured sincerely. "I was only a single parent from when Alexis was about three, I had help for this first bit."

Kate smiled at him softly. "Well I have you." She chuckled. "And I'm okay. She's a good baby."

"And you're a good mom." He promised softly. "You're doing great."

Kate smiled at him. "Thanks. Means a lot."

Rick shrugged. "And you're really hot."

Kate laughed, flinging a pillow at his head, which he caught with a laugh. "And moment ruined, well done."

Rick shook his head. "Hey, I can't help it. You were gorgeous with a baby bump, but now..."

"With a saggy stomach and a baby at my breast?" Kate asked wryly, raising an eyebrow in his direction.

"Wow. So sexy." He chuckled, making her laugh. He loved her laugh.

He'd wear her down, he knew he would.