Sofia sits with little Andre swaddled in her lap, his eyes peering up at her sleepily. "Oh," she clucks at him, lightly tapping her fingers against his stomach, stroking his cheek. "Who's a good little boy? Yes, you are." She crinkles her nose at him as he wiggles and fusses softly and she hums, smoothly easing him up to rest against her shoulder. "It's ok, your mama's asleep and daddy's off traveling but he'll be home as soon as he can. Don't worry, sweetheart."
She hums and rocks and whispers to him, sometimes in Spanish, sometimes in English, and he remains sleepy and compliant, which is a relief because he's still adjusting and more nights are bad than good still, but tonight, tonight is a good night where she can hold him while he sleeps and the house clicks on quietly around them, nothing disrupting the peace in the air.
"You are so loved," she finally decides to whisper to him. "And soon it'll be Christmas, and everything will be decorated, and smell nice, and you'll have all of these lights and decorations to look at, and it may be a little confusing and over-stimulating at first, but don't worry. We'll take care of you." She eases him back and kisses his cheek gently before cuddling him in close again, rocking back and forth slowly.
She's just about to get up and put him back in his bassinet when she hears soft steps shuffling their way. Plans changing, she sits and waits with a small smile on her face when Alicia pads in, sleepy and barely with it. She finds the couch and slumps down into it before turning to squint at Sofia and her son. "Is he ok?" she murmurs.
"He's perfect," Sofia whispers. "Just felt like having a little one on one time with aunty Sofia. Isn't that right?"
Alicia offers her a smile and Sofia grins back. "You can keep him a little longer, I'm too sleepy," she says, and Sofia nods, watching her closely. "I..." She hesitates and rubs at her eyes. "The house feels weird without Ricardo in it right now." She'd fought so hard to give them those first few moments as a family, even sacrificing the vague reassurance of being in the hospital while in labor to see the look in Ricardo's eyes when he finally got to meet his son. His having to leave so soon afterwards eats at her, but she gets it. For the most part.
"It does," Sofia allows, still moving back and forth with the baby in her arms. "But he will quarantine at Mike's again, and be back before we know it."
Alicia smiles faintly. "I have to say, Mike having such an obnoxious house during all of this really has been something of a godsend."
"It has," Sofia giggles. They sit in quiet companionship for awhile longer, listening to the baby breathe, before Alicia stretches and shifts towards them. Sofia gently eases him over to her arms, and sits and watches Alicia sooth and whisper to her son, smiling at the two of them. "You're good with him."
"He makes it easy," Alicia whispers. "I was always kind of iffy with babies, you know. I liked them ok, but I was always so scared I'd do something, drop them, or... something. But I don't feel like that with Andre. I know I'd do anything for him, sacrifice anything to keep him healthy and happy."
Sofia smiles at her, overwhelmed by pride for this woman who, not even a year and a half ago, had been struggling through so much- mental health issues, wrestling injuries, addiction. And now she's here, happy and whole, with a son and husband. If there's anything to be thankful for this year, that tops the list, she thinks, leaning back to commit this moment to memory.