Yeah, he said, "I'm I'm okay." And for the first time in months, he meant it. The hospital room smelled like antiseptic and something sweet Ethan couldn't place. Elena had been asleep in the bassinet for almost an hour. Her tiny chest rising and falling in a rhythm that felt both miraculous and terrifying.
Lena was dozing, too. Her hair tangled across the pillow. One hand still resting protectively on her stomach, even though the baby was no longer inside. Ethan sat in the chair by the window, watching both of them.
Mia had gone down to the cafeteria 20 minutes ago to get coffee, leaving him alone with his thoughts and the quiet beeping of monitors. He thought he'd feel different when the baby arrived. More prepared, maybe. More certain.
Instead, he just felt tired and overwhelmed and like he was standing at the edge of something he couldn't see the bottom of. His phone buzzed. A text from Marcus. "Congrats, man.
Heard the news. Baby healthy?" Ethan typed back a quick reply. "Yeah. Everyone's good.
You coming back to work Monday?" Ethan stared at the message. Monday was 4 days away. He hadn't thought that far ahead. "Not sure yet." He set the phone down and rubbed his eyes.
The door opened and Mia walked in carrying two coffees, her backpack slung over one shoulder. "She still asleep?" Mia whispered. "Yeah." Mia handed him a cup and sat down in the other chair, curling her legs under her. She looked at the baby for a long moment, her expression unreadable.
"She's really small." "You were smaller." "Was I this red?" Ethan smiled. "Redder." Mia sipped her coffee. "Mom called." Ethan's smile vanished. "When?" "Like an hour ago, while you were with Lena." "What'd she say?" Mia shrugged.
"The usual. Asked how I was. Asked if you were taking care of me. Didn't mention the baby." "Did you tell her?" "No." Mia's voice was flat.
"Why would I?" Ethan didn't have an answer for that. Simone had been gone for 12 years. She sent birthday cards sometimes, called on holidays when she remembered, but she wasn't part of their lives. Not really.
"You okay?" he asked. Mia looked at him. "Are you?" "Honestly, I have no idea." She almost smiled. "Yeah.
Me, neither." They sat in silence for a while, drinking their coffee and watching Elena sleep. Then Mia spoke again, quieter this time. "Do you love her?" Ethan looked up. "Who?" "Lena?" "Yeah." He thought about it.
"I don't know. It's complicated." "That's not an answer." "It's the only one I have." Mia frowned. "But you're going to stay, right? Like you and her.
You're going to try to make it work." Ethan set his coffee down. "We're not together, Mia. Not like that. We're just figuring it out." "So, what are you?" "I don't know.
Co-parents, I guess." Mia looked skeptical. "That's going to be weird." "Yeah, probably. But you're not leaving." "No, I'm not leaving." Mia nodded slowly, like she was trying to decide if she believed him. Then she stood up and walked over to the bassinet, peering down at Elena.
"She looks like you," she said. "You think?" "Yeah, same nose." Ethan got up and stood beside her, looking down at his daughter. Elena's face was scrunched up, her tiny fists curled near her chin. She did look like him.
A little. "Weird, right?" Mia said softly. "Having a sister." "Yeah." "I always wanted one. Just not like this." Ethan put his arm around Mia's shoulders.
"I know." She leaned into him. "Dad?" "Yeah?" "Don't screw this up." He laughed, even though it wasn't funny. "I'll try." Lena stirred on the bed, blinking awake. She looked over at them standing by the bassinet and smiled faintly.
"You two bonding?" "Something like that," Ethan said. Lena pushed herself up, wincing. "How long was I out?" "About an hour." "Is she okay?" "She's perfect." Lena's eyes went to the baby and something softened in her face. "Can you bring her to me?" Ethan carefully lifted Elena out of the bassinet, cradling her head the way the nurse had shown him.
She squirmed a little, but didn't wake. He handed her to Lena, who took her with the kind of cautious reverence people usually reserved for ancient artifacts. "Hi, baby," Lena whispered. "Hi." Elena's eyes fluttered open, unfocused and dark.
She looked at Lena like she was trying to figure out who this person was. Mia watched from the doorway, her arms crossed. Ethan could see the hesitation in her posture, the way she kept herself separate from the moment. "You can come closer," Lena said without looking up.
"She won't bite." Mia hesitated, then walked over. She sat on the edge of the bed, careful not to jostle anything. "She's so tiny," Mia said. "I know." Lena looked up at her.
"You were tiny once, too." "That's what Dad said." Lena smiled. "Do you want to hold her?" Mia's eyes widened. "I don't know how." "I'll show you." Lena shifted Elena into Mia's arms, adjusting her grip and showing her how to support the baby's head. Mia looked terrified for about 3 seconds, then something shifted in her expression.
"Oh," she said softly. "Yeah," Lena said. "Oh." Ethan watched them, something tightening in his chest. This was his family now.
Broken and messy and nothing like he'd imagined. But his. Mia looked up at him, her eyes shining. "She's kind of amazing." "Yeah," Ethan said.
"She is." The moment stretched, fragile and perfect. Then Elena started crying, a thin wail that shattered the quiet. Mia immediately tried to hand her back. "What did I do?" "Nothing," Lena said, taking the baby.
"She's probably just hungry." Ethan stepped back, giving them space. Mia stood awkwardly by the bed, clearly unsure if she should stay or go. "You can stay," Lena said, glancing at her. "If you want." Mia looked at Ethan.
He nodded. She sat back down. And just like that, they were a family. Sort of.
The next 3 days in the hospital passed in a blur of feedings and diaper changes and nurses coming in to check vitals every 2 hours. Ethan barely slept. Lena didn't sleep at all. Elena cried at random intervals, and every time she did, both of them panicked like it was the first time.