Thrive - Side 2
On Our Own
We’re home now and pretty much on our own, so it’s truly hitting us that we’re parents and in charge of raising and loving such a adorable child who resided in Abby’s womb for about nine months.
“Is she asleep?” she asked while she was in the kitchen.
We’ve been on our own now for three days. It was her bedtime and my turn to get her to sleep.
“Finally.” I sighed, wrapping my arms around his waist.
She buried her head into my chest as she was exhausted.
“Are you ready for bed?” she mumbled.
“Yeah.” I said into her hair.
“I’m just gonna finish these dishes...”
“Tomorrow. Let’s go.”
“They need to be washed.”
I didn’t take no for an answer as I picked her up like a caveman and we headed up the stairs. She collapsed onto the bed with having no desire to go brush her teeth or even get under the covers… at least that’s what I thought.
“You’re not gonna br-“
“Ugh.”
She decided to just get up and do it, seeing I wasn’t too tired to do so. Once I came back, I saw her already crawled under the covers and on her side.
“Hey.” I said, joining her.
“Hey.” she said, yawning.
I pulled her close and kissed her and she kissed me back.
“I love you.” I said, pressing my forehead against hers.
“I love you, too.”
She smiled and shut her eyes as I wrapped my arms around her. I moved myself, so she was curled up into me at least until one of us heard Scarlett.
“Good morning, Scarlett.” I said from the nursery.
She walked in to see me picking her up out of her crib.
“Good morning.” she greeted.
“Morning.” I said with a smile.
“How’s the princess?”
She looked at the little girl who was trying to wake up.
“Good. How are you?”
“Tired, but okay. You?”
“The same.”
She nodded and rubbed her eyes.
“I can change her if you’d like.”
I look forward to picking out her outfits and I seem to be great at it already.
“Sounds good. I’ll start breakfast.”
Five minutes later, I walked down the stairs with Scarlett in my arms.
“Hey, sweetie. Don’t you look absolutely adorable, today?”
“Tell her that you’re always adorable.”
She gave me a look.
“Want me to take over?”
“Please. Just let me get situated with her, so you can cook.”
I nodded and helped her out, so she could feed Scarlett.
“Thank you.” she said, going in for a kiss.
“Don’t mention it.”
Within ten minutes, she was breastfed and burped while I cooked sausage and chocolate pancakes.
“Breakfast smells delicious.”
I walked in with her food. She placed Scarlett in her swing, so she could eat. She sat on the floor as I set my plate on the coffee table in front of her.
“How’s it?” I asked from beside her.
“Unhealthy.” she said with a smile.
I laughed.
“So good, then?"
“Yeah.”
I nodded and kissed the top of her head.
"Is there anything you want to do today?" I asked five minutes later.
Abby was done with breakfast and taking our plates out to the kitchen.
"I don't know." she said, shaking her head.
She went out to the kitchen to wash the dishes she wanted to take care of last night and place them in the dishwasher. Five minutes later, she came back and rested her head on my shoulder.
"Are you okay?" I asked, touching her hand.
She didn't answer me.
"Abby?"
"I'm just exhausted, Alex."
"You sure?"
"Yeah. Let it go."
I wasn't buying it, but I decided to let it go.
"I love you." I said.
"I love you, too."
She entwined our fingers and smiled.
"I'm perfectly fine with staying home."
"Me too." she said, further snuggling into me.
I noticed Abby holding Scarlett in what seemed like a lifetime; she had fallen asleep shortly after we got comfortable on the couch.
“Hey. You’re up.”
“Yeah. What time is it?”
“7:30.”
Almost time to feed her.
“I’m gonna go change her. She has a dirty diaper.”
“Get some rest?”
“Yes. Felt great.”
“That’s a relief. I’ve never seen you so tired until Scarlett was born.”
She stood on her toes and kissed me.
“I’ll be back.”
I was sitting on the couch, watching tv with my feet propped up on the coffee table when Abby came back.
“Hey.”
“Hey. How is she?”
“Good. She has a clean tushy. Me, on the other hand...”
I interrupted before she could finish her sentence and stood up from the couch and walked toward her.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m having some major neck pain.”
"I'd ask you to show me where, but you're holding our daughter."
"Yeah. We need to put her in her swing in order to do that."
Once she did, she sat down while I stood behind her.
"Where?"
She placed her hand at the spot and when I started rubbing it, she groaned.
"Crap. That hurts.”
“You know you can swear if you’d like.”
“I can’t swear in front of her.”
“Abby, she’s six days old. I’m sure she won’t pick up on it.”
She sighed.
“Well, in that case, it fucking hurts.”
“Now, doesn’t that roll off the tongue better?”
She laughed.
“Yeah.”
After maybe five minutes, I talked to her.
“How’s your neck feel?” I asked.
“A little better. It’s gonna take a while to feel completely better though.”
“I hate that you’re gonna have to deal with this.”
“I’ll get through this. We both know I’ve been through worse.”
“Still sucks though, babe.” I said, wrapping my arms around her.
“It does.” she said, touching my hands.
Around one-thirty, Abby’s phone vibrated which indicated that Miranda texted her and she wanted to call her. I was making myself something to eat when she walked in, still on the phone.
"Well, all four of us definitely need to hang out."
“Oh, absolutely. Saturday?”
“Saturday sounds good.”
I raised an eyebrow while looking at her.
“I’ll work out the details with you later. Ok? I’m feeling the need for a nap.”
“Ok. Love ya hun. Bye.”
“Love ya. Bye.”
She hung up and put her phone in her pocket.
“What’s got you so happy?”
“Miranda had some amazing news to tell me.”
“And what’s that?”
I already knew what it was.
“Jack proposed.”
Yep.
“It’s about time. We’ve been back for two weeks.”
“He proposed in the middle of them changing Luca’s diaper.”
“Who knew he could be so romantic.”
She smiled.
"I know, right? And it was so cute!"
"So, you mentioned Saturday. What's going on then?"
“We’re gonna hangout with Miranda and Jack. You good with that?”
“Absolutely.”
She stood on her toes and kissed me.
“I can’t wait.”
“Me either.”
