Once he had been allowed into the room by Mrs Hughes and Lady Mary, John couldn't take his eyes off his beautiful wife and the tiny bundle nestled in her arms. He barely noticed, from the corner of his eye, that the two women had left the room, giving the new parents some privacy. He walked hesitantly to the bed, convinced the spell would be broken if he moved too quickly. He caught the eyes - the deep blue eyes - of his wife. Her hair was disheveled, but this time it was in the bestest of ways. Her gaze dragged him out of his state and he stood next to the bed.
"Hi, my darling. How are you feeling ?" Even in this instant his first concern lay with his wife's welfare.
"I'm fine. We're fine" she smiled, and the baby gurgled. Anna moved one of her hands from the little one to gesture to her husband to come sit beside her on the bed. He did so, gingerly.
"Come and meet your son" she whispered, tenderly. He looked up from the babe, stunned.
"My…Our son ?" She nodded and moved the covers a little so that he could see his son's face. Fair hair drizzled on his tiny head and as if feeling his daddy's presence, their son opened his big blue eyes to gaze at him. He was the spitting image of his mummy. This made John's heart swell as he had always wished for their children to take after their mother's looks. "Oh Anna, my beautiful and amazing wife, he's perfect. Thank you so much my darling."
"If I recall correctly, it was a joint effort at first" she winked, chuckling. In this instant, he thought she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. He thought he couldn't love her more than he had the day they wed but seeing her, with their son in her arms, renewed his love for her. He chuckled too, and leaned in to press a tender kiss against her lips. Their first kiss as parents.
"What a great team we are" he stated before kissing her again. Their son fussed a little and they pulled away, smiling.
"Would you like to hold him ?" She prompted. He hesitated a bit, fearing he would be too clumsy, but he was desperate to hold his son. His wife passed the baby to his arms really carefully, and her face split in two at the sight of her giant of a husband holding their tiny baby as if he was delicate china.
"Hello, son. I'm your Daddy. I hope I'm not frightening you" Anna chuckled lightly, chiding him with her smirk. "You're a miracle, lad, let me tell you that. Everything your mummy and daddy ever wanted" he exchanged a watery smile with Anna, knowing how true his words were. "We love you so much and will always be there for you."
His eyes were filled with tears as were those of his wife. She watched them a little more, enamored by the sight.
"Little John" she breathed and John looked up to her with a raised eyebrow.
"I want to name him John. John William, for the two most amazing men I've ever known." She enlightened him and could see his self-deprecating look already.
"Anna…" John sighed.
"Don't you dare deny me anything, John. Not after I spent 10 hours delivering your son" she said in a matter-of-fact tone. He chuckled, reckoning he had never been able to argue with Anna.
"Can't we just call him William after your dad, and give John as his second name ?" He tried to negotiate.
"No. He's a John Bates. He has the Smith coloration, but I can feel he's his father's double" she stated firmly.
"Won't it be confusing ?" he clung onto the tiniest detail to make her change her mind but she wasn't his wife for nothing, she wouldn't relent.
"We'll call him Johnny. Like your mother called you" she said as if the debate was over. And it was, he knew it.
They spent more minutes gazing at their newborn before tiny whimpers were heard.
"He's hungry" Anna said, not looking up from Johnny. "Aren't you, my little angel ?"
She started untying Lady Mary's lent nightgown. John nodded to the door, silently telling his wife that he would give them some privacy.
"Don't be daft, John. I'm going to do this every night at home, you better be used to it" Anna chuckled and nodded for him to sit by her side as she let Johnny latch onto her breast.
John was mesmerized by the sight of his wife feeding their son. She was a natural but then he always thought she would be. He could see the pure mother's love in her eyes as she looked at their baby tenderly. Once he was done eating, their son fell asleep at his mother's breast. John looked up from his son's tiny and sleepy face to see a yawn escape his wife's lips.
"Anna, my darling. Get some rest before Lady Mary or Mrs Hughes come back. You've earned it, my love" He said, kissing a sleepy Anna's forehead, who gave him a small sleepy smile. He took his son in his arms without waking him up and skillfully managed to close his wife's nightgown.
John moved to the chair placed near the bed. It was still weird to be in Lady Mary's room with Anna sleeping in her bed and their own baby in his arms. He smiled as he thought of the last -and only other- time he had spent in an upstairs room at the Abbey. Their wedding night. The most amazing night of his life, though he knew this one would be a fierce contestant. He looked at his baby son, cradled in his immensely too large arms. He put him a bit closer to his chest, allowing Johnny to feel his father's warm embrace. The newborn barely fussed and a proud smile settled on John's lips.
"You're safe with me, son. I'm probably not as comfortable as your Mummy, but I'll do my best. I will do my best for you, little John, forever. Your Mummy wanted you to have my name, I still don't understand why - you will quickly learn that your mummy always has the last word - but I will try to make you proud of me, always." He whispered, kissing his baby's tiny head. "Oh my lad, you make your old daddy so very happy. You must know that. Your mummy and daddy have waited for you for so long, and you make us both really happy." His eyes were teary now as he stroked his son's cheek with his finger. The newborn was making the most adorable noises and John let out a wet chuckle. He was looking with admiration at his son's features, his head was drizzled with fair hair and although they were now closed, he had the most perfect sapphire blue eyes.
"You look exactly like your mummy. She is the bravest, kindest, smartest, funniest person I have ever met. You're a lucky one, my lad, she is the perfect mother." Johnny fussed a bit, but John calmed him right away by rocking him back and forth. "You're perfect.
We are going to be the happiest family. I promise you, mo mhac." His son slowly awakened and grabbed his father's finger with his tiny hand. John's eyes were blurred by his tears.
"Oh John Bates, you're a big softie" he turned around as the voice of his wife bursted his little bubble. She rubbed her eyes before opening her arms toward John so he would bring her their son. Once the baby was settled in her arms again, she turned to her husband "I'm sorry. I just don't like not having him in my arms at the moment. He's been with me for nine months and the rupture in our connection is a bit hard."
"I don't mind. We had our little chat" John assured, kissing her temple.
"I heard that. You're going to be a great father, John," she captured his lips with hers for a moment.
"Have you thought of what you want to do…now that he is here ?" He smiled at them.
"I think I will go on working" her husband raised an eyebrow, having not expected this answer. "I just don't want us to be apart from you all day. If he can be settled into the nursery with the other children, we could see him during the day and we would see each other as well."
John chuckled at his wife's answer. Even after 6 years of marriage and a son, she still was as besotted with him as she was when they first started their courtship. He knew how she felt though, because he was feeling the same thing. And he had to admit, he didn't want to be working all day without his wife and son by his sides. He didn't want for them to feel alone or for him to miss key moments of his son's first years. He also knew that his wife thrived at work and that she would feel miserable without it.
"Alright. We'll ask Lady Mary. I'm not sure she's able to refuse you anything" John laughed and Anna joined in, then kissed him again. Their son was babbling happily between them and nothing at this moment could burst their bubble, not even Lady Mary and her husband entering the room.