Hi everyone! Happy Mother's Day! This is a Mother's Day story by two women. It was originally just going to be a story told by Karai, but I wasn't happy with the result, so I included April as well. One woman is struggling with her first days of parenthood. The other is about to find out some life-changing news. Enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything related to "TMNT." I only own Lilianna. Songs are listed below.

Songs: "Into You" by Jennifer Knapp & "Little Girl" by Christina Grimmie

Family: Karai, Leonardo, Donatello, April, and Lilianna

Timeline: May 29 - June 5, 2024

Setting: North Hampton, New York, USA

POV: Karai & April

KARAI'S POV

After a very long day that started with the birth of a new baby, Leo and I stayed at the farmhouse while the rest of the family returned home to do their evening patrol in New York City. Leo had put Raphael in charge of the Hamato Clan while we stayed here for a few months to help Donatello and April settle in as new parents.

I spent the entire day helping the family make some meals for the next month. There were times where I couldn't help myself and I took a peek at the baby. Lilianna was alert every time she woke up from a nap and she always looked at me with curiosity. She had the most beautiful blue eyes I had ever seen.

I had tried to go to sleep when I heard the baby waking up again. My eyes widened downstairs in the living room.

"Oh, what now, Lily?" I heard April moan.

I got up and watched her walk across the hall with her yellow bathrobe on. She walked into the baby's room.

"Karai, is everything okay?" I heard my blue-clad husband ask me.

"Lilianna woke up again," I answered quietly. "April's tending to her."

"Good. Let's go back to sleep. There's nothing more we can do here."

I nodded in agreement and returned to our makeshift bed, drifting to sleep.

APRIL'S POV

I walked into my baby's room for what felt like the umpteenth time. It had been a very long day for the three of us. Donnie and I had stayed up all night the previous night. I was in labor and Donnie had helped me labor and deliver our baby girl. We had both tried to sleep with Lily, but Lily kept waking up throughout the day. I only slept for an hour at a time the entire day.

Lily continued to cry and I picked her up out of her little bed.

"What is it now, Lily?" I asked with tears in my blue eyes. "Are you hungry?"

I put a finger on her cheek, but she didn't move towards it. She kept on crying.

"Are you dirty?" I asked.

I checked her diaper and it was clean.

"Oh, Lily, we've been taking care of you all day," I moaned. "What else can you possibly want?"

I tried to read her mind and I couldn't. I felt very stressed. I moved to the rocking chair and tried rocking Lily to sleep. Instead, I felt myself falling asleep as she continued to cry into the night.

KARAI'S POV

"Karai. Karai, wake up."

I moaned as I was wakened up by my husband.

"Oh, Leo! Did I oversleep again?"

"Yes, but at least this time, you had a good reason."

"Donatello and April are troopers for tending to their daughter all night," I replied.

We heard footsteps coming down the stairs. We looked up and found Donatello and April with fatigue in their eyes.

"Hey, D," Leo greeted them. "Hey, April."

They simply waved back.

"Is everything alright?" I asked.

"You try getting back to sleep after rocking a baby to sleep every waking hour," April sarcastically replied. "I've never had a night like that before, and I've never been so stressed in my life."

"Did you help her, Donnie?" Leo asked.

"I tried!" Donatello moaned. "But April was all, no, Donnie, it's my job to put the baby back to sleep at night."

"April, you need to let your husband help you," I told her.

"I don't need your help, Karai," April angrily replied.

"April, we're serious," Leo sternly explained. "You were in labor all day two days ago. You gave birth yesterday morning. You need to rest. Donnie is the baby's father and has just as much responsibility as you do. And Karai and I are staying here to help you both when things get overwhelming."

"Leo's right, April," Donatello said with fatigue. "Even though it's been a while since I stayed up all night, I am prepared to help you with Lily. All you gotta do is ask. Why don't I take care of Lily today? If she's hungry, then I'll let you know."

April slowly nodded with a smile on her face.

"Would it be alright if I went back to bed?"

"You don't have to ask."

Donatello and April shared a kiss before she went back upstairs to bed.

"How are you feeling, Donnie?" Leo asked.

"I'm tired, but it's a good tired. It's been a very busy couple days for us."

"It sounds like you're handling this better than April," I replied.

"Oh, I've been looking forward to Lily's birth since the very beginning. April's the worrier. Plus, she did have a small tear after she gave birth, so she's still in a little bit of pain."

"Would you like some breakfast?" I asked.

Donatello smiled.

"I'd love some breakfast."

I went into the kitchen while Leo and Donatello went outside to train. I put on a song I had been listening to lately, though I couldn't remember where I first heard it. Needless to say, I was hooked on it after I heard those guitar chords.

"She's a skin-art junkie, all cute and petite. All her fat-cat schemes don't look around, and don't you even blame me."

I grabbed some eggs from the refrigerator as well as some cheese, onions and green peppers. I was going to make omelets. I had been taught to cook back in Japan, but ever since I married Leo, Michelangelo had been teaching me how to cook, and he was an awesome teacher.

"It's a real bad shame to spill your shades for a blind man to find it. He can feel the whole earth move and don't even mind it."

I started putting the ingredients in the saucepans and cooked it just right. I mixed in the onions and peppers with the cheese and eventually finished the omelets.

"I want to know you better than I do. Relieve me from myself. Bring me into you. I want to know you better than I do. Oh, relieve me, relieve me. Bring me, bring me into you."

I suddenly felt uneasy in my stomach. After I finished the omelets, I ran into the nearest bathroom and puked. After composing myself, I walked outside and told the guys breakfast was ready. I had no appetite for the rest of the day.

APRIL'S POV

I emerged from the bathroom in my yellow nightgown. But I didn't feel ready for bed. My mind was racing, worrying about all the times Lily would cry herself awake, asking for me or her daddy to take care of her.

"April, what's wrong?" Donnie asked.

I turned to see my husband already in bed with his purple mask off. He looked worried.

"I do not want another night like last night," I answered, feeling frustrated. "I was looking forward to becoming a mom, sure, but not this."

I scoffed, rubbing what's left of my baby bump.

"Honestly, I wish I was still pregnant."

"April, be reasonable," Donnie replied with a raised brow. "You've been waking up in the middle of the night during your pregnancy, too. Your body's been preparing you for this."

I started to cry. I got into bed and lied in my husband's arms.

"I can't do this, Donnie. I just can't."

"April, honey," he soothed me. "Shh. You said that while you were giving birth and you still did it. You can do this! And hey, it's why I'm here. If you feel that you are not able to take care of our daughter, then tell me. I will take care of her. Leo and Karai are right. We need to work together as Lily's parents. Will you promise to tell me if things get too hard for you?"

I nodded, my tears falling onto his plastron.

"Actually, April, would you mind helping me with something?"

I sniffled, nodding eagerly.

"I thought about last night," Donnie explained. "And Lily is a very alert baby. You remember those music boxes I made for you?"

I laughed through my tears, remembering the time Donnie kept fighting for my heart by making me music boxes while we were away from New York City for a few months.

"Maybe we can make two for Lily."

"Two?" I asked in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"We're both good singers. What if we used our voices as a way to calm Lily down at night when we're not able to do it? We can try right now, if you'd like."

I nodded, wiping away my tears. I got up and Donnie got his T-Phone.

"Think of the first song that comes to mind if you were to sing Lily to sleep," Donnie told me. "Are you ready?"

I nodded.

"Okay, go ahead."

I took a deep breath and started singing the first song that came to heart.

"Little girl, don't you cry. Everything will be alright. Little girl, open your eyes. The sun will shine after tonight. Little girl, I got you in my arms. That's nothing new. Come out of your shell and listen to me tell you."

I smiled, suddenly feeling better about myself, before I continued.

"Little girl, I'm here to stay. Don't run away. Oh, little girl, I know you're scared of the things you bear, so let me tell you, you're okay,that you're in my arms to stay. Little girl, oh."

Suddenly, Lily started crying from her room.

"I got this one, April," Donnie told me, handing me his T-Phone. "You keep singing."

I smiled again as Donnie got out of bed and left the room to tend to our daughter. I took another breath and sang again.

KARAI'S POV

The last day of May was pretty much a repeat of yesterday. But this time, April allowed her husband to help her take care of Lilianna. And this time, I made pancakes for breakfast. I had no issues today and ate with the family.

But later in the day, I had noticed I was getting tired more when night came, and I often woke up late because I wanted to sleep in. I had decided to see Donatello when we both had a minute to spare.

I went outside to the barn and knocked on the door. Donatello looked to be busy with one of his experiments, but he smiled when he saw me.

"Hey, Karai."

"Hey, Donatello. Would you help me with something?"

"Sure! Let me put this away real quick."

"What are you making?" I asked with intrigue.

"I'm making a music box for Lily," Donatello explained with a smile. "With her waking up every night, I figured this might help her go back to sleep."

He put the box away.

"I'm actually making two of them," he continued. "I'm making one with my voice and the other will have April's voice. We're both decent singers, so I figured the sounds of our voices would help her calm down."

I smiled.

"That's a good idea."

"So what brings you by? Are you here to check up on me?"

"Actually, I'm here for me," I explained, biting my lip. "I've had some... symptoms the last few days."

"Oh!" Donatello exclaimed, his smile quickly fading. "Well, have a seat."

I sat down next to him.

"So, what kind of symptoms are you having?"

I shook my head.

"It varies from day-to-day. I've been sleeping in more often. Leo has to wake me up so that I can get to my dojo on time to teach. Some nights, like last night, I go to bed early because I'm tired."

"Well, last night, we all had a good reason to be awake."

We chuckled together.

"But anything else?"

"Yes. Yesterday, when I made your omelets, I suddenly felt nauseous. But I was fine today."

"Hmm... what set off the nausea?" Donatello asked.

"It was the smell of the eggs and onions."

"Hmm... how was your appetite yesterday compared to today?"

"I couldn't eat at all yesterday. But today, I ate and I was very happy."

"Hmm... well, considering the circumstances, it's understandable why you feel this way. You could be stressed because you did help Mikey make all those meals for us. And you're in a different environment. Your body could just be getting used to a new routine. And besides, if you're fine today, then I have no reason to believe you're sick."

I smiled.

"Thank you, Donatello."

"If you feel these symptoms again after a few days, come find me."

APRIL'S POV

"Shall we try the next verse?" Donnie asked as we climbed into bed.

"Did it not sound good?" I asked.

"No, it did! But it sounds better if I'm in the room with you."

I gave my husband a smirk as he winked at me.

"That was horrible, D!" I teased him, throwing a pillow at his face.

Donnie, still wearing his purple mask, returned the favor and smacked his pillow onto my face. We both got out of bed and had a pillow fight together. We laughed so hard we lost our breath! Then we collapsed on the bed, still laughing together.

"Thanks, D," I breathlessly told him. "I needed that."

"We both did. Now I understand why you're frustrated about Lily. Granted, I've stayed up all night quite a bit when I was a teenager, but it was to my pleasure. Putting a baby to sleep is hard work! But I did make progress on our music boxes."

I smiled.

"What song are you singing, D?"

"Lavender's Blue. If Tang Shen was alive when Splinter found us, I always imagined her singing that to me, both in English and in Japanese."

"That's beautiful. You should sing it sometime."

Donnie smiled at me.

"I'd love to. But for now, may I hear you sing the second verse of your song?"

"Okay."

Donnie got his T-Phone set up again and I started singing.

"Little girl, wipe your tears. Darkness, rain, don't have to fear. Little girl, clear your mind and think of my love this time. Did you say it's no longer day? The night has fallen, lost your way. Little girl, the moon is gone. The sky is late with dawn. Hey, little girl, I'm here to stay, don't run away. Oh, little girl, I know you're scared of the things you bear. So let me tell you, you're okay, that you're in my arms to stay."

KARAI'S POV

"She's a wannabe hero. Yeah, she try to be strong. At the end of the hour, you find that the tower ain't standing so tall. It's a real hard thing to show your weakness. If anyone can love you, I know my king does."

I spent the next few days cooking meals, training with Leonardo and Donatello, and helping April take care of Lilianna. But I continued to get tired very quickly. I felt nauseous once in those three days, but my appetite was bigger than usual.

The worst part was that I woke up every single time Lilianna cried. Thankfully, I would go right back to sleep when April or Donatello calmed them down. The purple-clad turtle had finished his music boxes and they seemed to be soothing to the baby.

Today was now June the fifth and I noticed my black shirt was tighter than normal. I decided to see Donatello again.

"I want to know you. Oh, better than I do. Relieve me from myself. Bring me into you. I want to know you. Oh, better than I do. Oh, relieve me, relieve me. Bring me, bring me into your holiness, your kingdom, your righteousness, my freedom!"

I knocked on the door again and Donatello looked up from his experiment with a smile on his face.

"Hey, Karai! How are you feeling?"

"I still have the same symptoms."

His smile disappeared.

"Oh dear. Well, please sit down."

We sat down together again.

"You're still feeling nauseous?" he asked.

"Yes, but not often."

"How's your fatigue?"

"The same. I'm still pretty sleepy. But now I noticed I tire easily from training. That's never happened before."

"How's your appetite?"

"On the days I feel nauseous, I don't have an appetite. Otherwise, I feel like I'm eating for two!"

Donatello's eyes suddenly widened.

"Karai, I'm sorry for asking you something personal, but when was your last menstrual period?"

My eyes widened also.

"I don't remember. Have I really been that stressed?"

"Stress does have an impact on missing periods," Donatello explained. "But sometimes there's more than meets the eye. May I examine you?"

I took off my armor. Donatello thoroughly examined me, and he had a look on his face as he examined my abdomen.

"Karai, your abdomen is swollen. Have you noticed any weight gain?"

"I noticed weight loss. But just this morning, I noticed how tight my shirt was. How can I lose weight and gain weight at the same time?"

"I'm going to give you one more exam, okay?"

I nodded.

"Okay. I'll need you to lie down on this cot."

"Oh, there you are!" Leo suddenly exclaimed.

Donatello and I both jumped.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I scare you both?"

"Yes," Donatello and I answered at the same time.

"I can come back at another time."

"No, Leo, I think you need to hear this," Donatello objected.

"Is everything okay?" Leo asked.

"If my suspicions are correct, everything is more than okay."

Donatello used some kind of doppler on my bare abdomen and turned on a machine. Suddenly, I heard something that sounded like a heartbeat.

"What is that?" Leo asked.

"That is my evidence," Donatello answered with a grin. "Karai... you're pregnant, and pretty well along, too. About ten weeks in."

We both gasped with surprise.

"Leo!" I exclaimed with a happiness I never felt before.

"We're having a baby?" Leo asked with a huge smile.

I quickly jumped off the cot and we embraced each other.

"Oh, I probably shouldn't squeeze you too tight," Leo sheepishly said.

"No, it's okay," Donatello corrected him. "And speaking of babies, I need to see how mine is doing. I'll leave you two alone."

Donatello left the barn. Leo and I enjoyed each other's presence, especially now that we knew we had a little one on the way.

"She's an easy scare. She's a simple bluff. She's a timid girl. She's in love."

"Our baby," Leo breathed with a proud smile on his face. "Splinter would be proud."

"But he'd also be worried. April's pregnancy wasn't easy. Mine probably won't be easy, either."

"Then I suggest you rest instead of train."

I chuckled dryly.

"Leo, I'm sure I'll be fine in a few weeks. I'll have my energy back by then."

"Karai, you need to save your energy for the baby."

My smile went away.

"Are you telling me that I can't train at all? Even if I've been practicing ninjutsu for all my life?"

"Yes."

"Then how come April trained? That's not fair, Leo."

"Donnie's not your husband. I am. And I'm the sensei of the clan. I need to think about what's best for everyone, and that includes our baby."

"I'm training, Leo, whether you like it or not," I shot back.

"Then you are risking losing our child!" Leo yelled in response. "Heck, with the way you've been training lately, that risk may have already been done!"

I felt tears coming to my brown eyes, something that rarely happens.

"I'm sorry, Leonardo. I need to be alone."

I ran out of the barn crying and I ran into the nearest bathroom. Of course, I want to do what is best for my child! But who would I listen to, myself or Leo?

"I want to know you. Oh, better than I do. Oh, relieve me from myself. Bring me into you. I want to know you better than I do. Oh, relieve me, relieve me. Bring me, bring me into you!"

I heard knocking on the door.

"Karai, it's April. Are you okay?"

"No, O'Neil, I'm not okay!" I snapped.

"May I come in?"

I sniffed and let out a sigh. I opened the door and found April waiting outside in a yellow dress, still sporting what is left of her baby bump.

"Whoa, Karai! You never cry. Something's wrong."

"Where's Lilianna?" I asked.

"Donnie's taking care of her. I heard you crying and knew I had to take care of you."

"Gosh, is it every mother's instinct to go towards the crying?"

"It comes with the package."

"Well, that would explain why I woke up every time Lilianna woke up crying."

April's eyes widened.

"Wait, you're having a baby?"

I sniffed and smiled through the tears.

"Karai, that is amazing!" April exclaimed with a huge smile. "So why are you so sad?"

"Leo's told me I would risk losing our baby if I trained at all. I told him I'd train no matter what."

"Karai, you need to exercise. It's good for both of you. But Donnie also told me not to get involved in training that involves combat. I trained alone until my body told me I needed to rest."

"I still have a school to teach. Leo may have to take my students in."

"You do what you need to do as long as you are putting yourself and your baby first, even if it's as simple as walking around the sewers."

I smiled. There was hope after all.

"Thanks, O'Neil. I owe you one."

"Karai, you're already taking care of me, Donnie, and Lily. You don't owe me anything."

We shared a hug.

"I'm gonna leave you alone so you can move forward on your own terms," April said. "We'll be looking for you when you're done."

I nodded and April left the bathroom. I wiped away my tears and then caressed my tiny baby bump. Wearing armor was no longer an option for me, but somehow, I knew how to adapt.

"Wait, April!"

"Yeah?"

April came back around the corner.

"Would you mind if I borrowed some of your maternity clothes?"

She smiled.

"I don't mind at all."

I followed her out of the bathroom. I felt scared about this new chapter, but I felt excited at the same time. With a sigh, I decided to follow Leo's wishes, and I immediately stopped training.

APRIL'S POV

"The walls I've built protect me for so long. Hope I'm upheld, you tell me I'm strong!"

Donnie and I smiled down at our little bundle of joy, happy that the music box worked and Lily had gone to sleep with a smile on her face.

"Oh, little girl, I'm here to stay. Don't run away. Oh, little girl, I know you're scared of the things you bear. So let me tell you, you will be okay, that you're in my arms to... stay. Oh, yes, you are."

I had vocalized to finish my recording. Donnie quietly walked back to the music box and played it again. Then we walked out of Lily's room and retreated to our room.

"How do you feel, April?" Donnie asked.

I smiled.

"Honestly? I feel wonderful. The music boxes were a great idea. We're always in the room, no matter what."

I turned towards my husband and we held each other. Then, we shared a kiss.

"Thank you, Donnie, for always being there and for being the best father Lily could ever ask for."

"Thank you for being so open to try new things. I think we'll all be just fine."

"Yeah. And now it's Karai and Leo's turn. I still can't believe Karai is having a baby. I'm happy for them."

"I'm more worried about Leo," Donnie confessed. "He's tried for so long to be the sensei Splinter was and now he's becoming a dad. He'll have even more pressure than ever."

"So tell him to loosen up! He won't be a perfect father. There are no perfect parents in the world. But we can certainly try to be our best if the pressure doesn't rule over us. I mean, look at you, Donnie. You're handling this better than I am."

"April, you're doing better than you think."

Donnie kissed me on the forehead.

"And I could not think of a better mother for my baby girl than you. I love you so much."

"I love you too, D."

We shared another kiss.

"Do you remember our talk after I broke the Aeon crystal?" I asked.

"Yeah."

I smiled.

"We finally got our blessing. Our baby girl. And I wouldn't trade her for anything in the whole world."

We got into bed and held each other until sleep took over for at least an hour.