1.
"Come on Hope, sweetheart. I know you're tired," Emma sighed as she paced the nursery with the baby in her arms. "I don't know why you try to fight sleep. Believe me, when you get older, you're going to love sleep!" she told her three week old daughter who was staring up at her with her father's blue eyes.
Emma was trying to get Hope to settle for the night, or the next few hours at least, but the baby was having none of it. She'd been bathed, fed, winded and changed. Emma had read her stories and sang lullabies to her. Hope was snug in her favourite blanket, sucking contently away on her pacifier. The lights in the nursery were dimmed and all was quiet in the house. She had everything a baby could possibly need for a good nights sleep.
But it appeared that Hope wasn't interested in sleep in the slightest and would rather gaze up at her Mom, gurgling and sighing softly as she grasped hold of her hair and patted her face.
Emma couldn't help but smile at her daughter as they settled back in the rocking chair together, hoping the rhythm might settle her this time. Usually she loved these quiet moments with her newborn baby and it was just the two of them. She could take the time to get to know her daughter and study her perfect little face as they cuddled together. But, tonight she was utterly exhausted and desperately needed some sleep, even if the baby didn't.
"I know you probably think you're going to miss something if you go to sleep," Emma spoke softly to her. "But I promise you, the only thing you'll be missing is your daddy snoring and mommy passed out in bed because you, my sweet girl, are wearing us out." She paused to grasp her hand that was trying to grab hold of her hair again and kissed her tiny fingers.
Shifting the baby to her shoulder, Emma rubbed her back and nuzzled her sweet smelling head. "Now, I can understand not wanting to miss out on anything where your daddy is concerned. I know you're his biggest fan, he is pretty awesome, right?" she asked the baby, kissing her head where she snuffled against her mother's shoulder. "The one thing in my life I really got right is finding you an amazing daddy and myself a damn fine husband." She smiled to herself, knowing that to be true. Killian had more than proved himself worthy of the role over the last few years. He'd taken on fatherhood with ease as well.
Hope still had no intention of settling. It seemed she was quite enjoying this chat with her Mom, content to grunt and squeak in reply as Emma rubbed her hand up and down the baby's back, hoping that might soothe her. When she began to squirm and grizzle again, Emma lifted her from her chest and held Hope out in front of her as she smiled at her baby, sometimes unable to believe she was really hers, that she and Killian had created this little life together. Hope spat out her pacifier to return her mother's smile with a gummy smile of her own, or it might have been wind, and then stuck her entire fist in her mouth, drooling everywhere. Emma chuckled, deciding that if she wasn't going to sleep, she might as well enjoy this time with her daughter.
"Oh, my sweet little Hopey," she sighed and kissed the top of her head, bringing her in close and hugging her, breathing in that delicious fresh baby smell. She couldn't love this little girl any more if she tried, being her mother was everything she never knew she wanted. But that didn't mean any of this was easy, it had certainly been a learning curve for the new parents.
"Your daddy makes this look easy, huh?" she asked the baby who was now snuffling against her chest. "He's really taken to this new role and he's so damn good at it. He knows exactly what you want, what you need. Me? I still feel like I'm floundering half the time and I don't know if I'm doing anything right. I know I'm not the perfect Mom that you deserve, but at least you have an awesome dad who adores you." Emma smiled, thinking of her husband and how her daughter had him wrapped right around her little finger from the second she was born.
"But," Emma lay Hope back in her arms so that they had eye contact, "even if I'm not perfect at this, I promise that I love you as much as it's humanely possible to love someone. I will protect you with my life and I will always support you and want the best for you." She caught hold of her hand and kissed her tiny little fingers as Hope gurgled happily, kicking her legs and gazing up at her mother.
Hearing a noise from across the room, Emma looked up as she adjusted the baby in her arms and found her husband hovering at the door. "What are you doing?" she asked. She then realised that he had his phone out and from the way he was holding it, he was taking photos or a video of her. "Killian," she groaned, trying to cover her face and hide from the camera, "stop it," she complained.
Killian merely grinned and shook his head as he continued to film them and joined them in the nursery.
"Seriously? Give me that!" She blindly held her hand out for his phone, still hiding from the camera and burying her face in the crook of her elbow.
"I can't film my two very favourite people being cute together?" he asked, laughing as he moved around to try and get another angle. Hope turned her head upon hearing the sound of his voice – already she knew her parent's voices.
"No!" she muttered and dared a glance up at him. "I don't even know why you'd want to. I'm a mess. I can't remember when I last showered or brushed my hair. I feel as though I haven't slept in days and I have baby spit up all down my pajamas. Now, give me the damn phone!" She tried to snatch it from his hand.
Killian finally took pity on her and turned the camera off as he squatted down before his wife and baby daughter. "You're beautiful," he murmured as he raised her hand and kissed the back of it whilst Emma scoffed, unconvinced. "You can never be anything but beautiful to me," he insisted firmly. He then gently kissed Hope's forehead and ran his finger down her soft cheek before settling on his knees and resting his elbows on Emma's lap. "But, you're wrong, you know."
"About what?" she wondered.
"Hope couldn't ask for a better mother. You, love, are the world's greatest mother." He smiled up at her as Hope grasped his finger.
"How much did you hear?" she asked, a little embarrassed.
"All of it," he shrugged one shoulder.
"Hmm...well, I don't know about the world's greatest. I don't…"
"I do. I know," he told her fervently, stating what was fact as far as he was concerned. "And if I have become an amazing father, that's because I learnt everything I know from you, Swan. You're doing a fantastic job, believe me." He knelt up and kissed her again.
Emma returned his kiss and ran her hand through his hair. "Thanks. I love you," she told him, giving him a tender smile.
"Love you, too," he replied. "Now, give me our little lass," he said, sliding his hand under the baby, "and you get to bed."
"What?" she asked surprised as she relinquished hold on their daughter.
"Go get some sleep. I got this," he told her, whilst expertly situating his daughter in his arms so that she was comfortable and safe.
"You're sure?" she asked, standing from the rocking chair.
He nodded. "It's my turn now. Go on." He waved her towards the door as he took her place in the chair. He held Hope against his chest, his wrist supporting her beneath her diaper clad butt and his hand running soothingly up and down her back as she lay her head against him. "Oh," he looked up as he remembered something, "and I don't snore!"
"Ha!" she laughed. "Listen to your daddy and his lies, Hope!" she teased him.
Emma stood and just watched them both for a moment with a loving smile on her face. There really was no sight more beautiful than seeing the man you love with your child. Suddenly she understood his need to capture videos of all these little, precious moments – she didn't want to miss a second of them. After leaning down to give them both a gentle kiss, she began to leave the room, pausing at the door to get another look at them.
"Now, little lass," Killian murmured softly to Hope. "Have I ever told you the story of how I met your mother? See, she was stuck in a land that was strange to her, desperate to get home to your big brother, Henry. And I, well I was supposed to stop her. Only, that wasn't so easy when your mother dazzled me with her incredible strength, wit and beauty," he told the snuffling baby as he looked up at his wife still paused in the doorway and gave her a wink.
Emma smiled softly and left him to tell their daughter tales of beanstalks, giants and portals, knowing she was in perfectly capable hands, or hand in her father's case, as she gratefully climbed into their bed, hoping to get at least a couple hours of sleep before Hope woke her again.