It wasn't until Jamie was driving his wife and newborn baby girl home from the hospital that it finally hit him. He was a father. A father to a beautiful blue-eyed little girl who stole his heart from the moment he laid eyes on her. A little girl who he now had to raise, guide, and protect for the rest of his days. And oh man, that realization scared the hell out of him.
"You okay up there?" Eddie asked, giving him a tired, gentle smile from her place in the backseat beside Grace.
"All good," he reassured quickly, looking back at her in the rear view mirror. "Is she still sleeping?"
She gave a thumbs up as she looked over at Grace, "Hasn't moved a muscle. Let's hope it stays that way until after we get home."
Jamie gave a nod of agreement as he continued their drive.
They arrived home soon after, with Jamie encouraging his wife to get some rest while Grace was still sleeping, especially since she was still a bit sore from the delivery. He quietly made his way around the apartment while his girls slept, unpacking the hospital bags and heating up a casserole that his grandfather had sent over in the oven.
While the casserole finished heating up, he decided to go peek in on his little girl, who was settled into a crib in the corner of their bedroom. He slowly walked up and found her awake, looking at the colorful mobile above.
Jamie observed her for a minute as she took in her surroundings. To see the world from her perspective, he thought to himself.
"Hi sweetheart," he whispered softly, running a finger over her cheek. "Did you have a good nap?"
Grace turned toward him and gave some sort of semblance of a smile. Now, he understands why people say that having a baby changes everything because it does change everything. From the moment she came into the world, it became all about her. Her needs, her wants, and her happiness. His new goal in life was to make sure that their little girl turned out to be the best person she could be, even better than how he and Eddie turned out. The task was daunting to say the least but with them and a whole army of Reagans behind them, Grace was going to be just fine.
He scooped the little girl up out of her crib and carried her next door to her nursery, wanting to give Eddie a few more minutes of rest before Grace really demanded her attention. He sat down in the glider and laid Grace in crook of his arm.
"You want to know something, honey?" he said, rocking her gently. "When your mama told me that she was pregnant with you, I was very excited but a little part of me was scared. I want to be the best person I can be for you but I know that sometimes I'm going to mess up. And when I do that, have a little patience with me."
Grace burrowed into Jamie as he continued to talk to her. In the two days since she'd been born, this is what he cherished the most… moments with just him and his little girl.
"But," he continued. "I can tell you that I'm always going to do my best to make sure you have everything you need. And make sure that you are happy, healthy, and safe."
Suddenly, he looked up and saw Eddie standing in the doorway.
"Hey," he said.
"Hey," she said back as she walked in. She kissed his cheek and Grace's forehead. "I was thinking that she'd be awake by now. Has she fussed at all?"
He shook his head, "She's been good."
She ran a hand through Jamie's hair, "You're really good with her, Papa Reagan. Two days old and she has you wrapped around her little finger."
"She definitely does," he admitted happily. "But I can't help it. She's as cute as her mom."
Eddie chuckled, "Cuter, that's for sure."
"You should go back to bed, babe," he said. "I know you're tired."
"Yeah but I can deal," she replied. "I wanted to hang out with you two. Plus, she needs to get fed. Switch with me?"
He nodded. Jamie stood up and let her settle into the glider, then handed over Grace. She pulled open her top, brought the baby close and smiled when she immediately latched. Jamie kneeled down beside them and just watched.
Eddie looked over at him after awhile and gave an affectionate smile, "I don't think I've ever been this happy."
"Me too," he replied, leaning in and pecking her lips. "I love you."
"I love you too."
