Isn't She Lovely?

[acontrollist]

Labor was hard. Probably the longest, hardest process of Rachel's life. She'd opted to do it without medicine for various reasons and honestly considered going back on her word several times over the 20 hours it took Abbi to pass through her small body. But the hospital was nice, doing everything in it's power to keep her company, and Sam. Of course Sam hadn't ever left her side (even when she'd broken the skin on his arm with her nails during a contraction and called him all sorts of names). He'd walked laps with her, swam laps with her (yay Schronized Swim Team of WMHS), rubbed her back, sat in the shower with her, all these really intimate, close things that having an epidural would have prevented her from doing. Even through the pain, she'd been close to Sam, aware of what was happening and the minute they laid Abbi (bright red and pissed) on her belly, Rachel would have done it a million times over. Just for her.

Right on time and perfectly healthy, Abbi doesn't need to stay in the hospital very long. In fact, even though swabs were sent to the lab almost immediately after she was born, they still had yet to receive their DNA test results as they stepped into their new apartment (not that Rachel and Sam really care anymore. Abbi's an Evans, now. Officially). It's spacious, completely unpacked and baby proof, so Rachel's excited to be home. As soon as they enter the living room, she carries the half asleep newborn to the balcony door to show her the view of Central Park. "Look, Abbi! Isn't it pretty? As soon as you're old enough, I'm gonna take you over there for a little picnic..."

Comments

[dontcrysammy.livejournal.com]

Sam doesn't mind so much that the covers don't completely cover his chest since Rachel gives him enough body heat to keep him warm. She's like his own personal hot water bottle.

Abbi's whimper is quiet enough that she doesn't wake Rachel yet, who's probably fast asleep from exhaustion. Sam does stir awake though, looking at the clock to see how much time has passed. He wants Rachel to sleep some more since she deserves it, so he noiselessly gets out of bed to feed Abbi himself.

After warming up a bottle of milk, making sure to test it so it's at the right temperature, he goes into the nursery and scoops Abbi up from her cot and into his arms. "It's okay, daddy's here..." He rocks her a little. "You're a hungry little girl, aren't you? Here you go..." He puts the bottle to Abbi's mouth.

[acontrollist.livejournal.com]

Rachel's nursing, so it's a wonder they have bottles at all. But that's what happens when you have children with a neurotic, 5'2" female boyscout. There's a plan for every eventuality, namely, Sam being alone with Abbi.

She stretches in his arms, letting out an indignant little wail as the bottle gets closer, flailing a little until her hand catches Sam's thumb against the bottle. As soon as the bottle is in her mouth, she falls silent, eyes closed.

[dontcrysammy.livejournal.com]

Always be prepared, that seems to be Rachel's motto. Since it's his first time feeding Abbi, he's admittedly nervous and tries to stay calm when she starts to fuss, rather than freak out and call for Rachel. As Abbi settles, he breathes easy again and takes a seat in the chair in the room, watching her suck onto the bottle.

"Good girl..."

[acontrollist.livejournal.com]

"She looks like you..." Rachel says from the doorway after a minute. The bottle warmer and Abbi's frustration had woken her up, but she'd left Sam to his own devices for a moment to see if he could handle it. He's having an easy time of it so far, it seems.

[dontcrysammy.livejournal.com]

He almost wants to cry when she says that, but with happiness. It means she has the same inkling that all their worrying was for nothing, that the baby isn't Bradley's after all. "She looks like you too," he looks up at Rachel with a smile. "Come here," he beckons her over to him.

[acontrollist.livejournal.com]

Rachel's not sure what she feels. Really, she's afraid that maybe Abbi's resemblance to Sam is just wishful thinking on her part. But she doesn't say that, instead crossing the nursery to where Sam and Abbi are sitting.

[dontcrysammy.livejournal.com]

He pats the arm of the chair for her to sit on. "Sorry I didn't wake you straight away. I thought you deserved to sleep a little longer." A drop of milk dribbles down Abbi's chin and Sam wipes at her face gently with a cloth.

[acontrollist.livejournal.com]

"Well I woke when you got out of bed. Took my personal heater, and all that." She reaches over, brushing her knuckle against the soft skin of Abbi's cheek.

[dontcrysammy.livejournal.com]

"Clearly I suck at being stealthy." When it seems like Abbi has been fed enough, he puts down the bottle and brings her closer to his chest. "Daddy's gonna sketch so many drawings of you because you're so pretty... and you won't move as much as mommy does," he adds with a teasing look at Rachel.

[acontrollist.livejournal.com]

"Don't be so sure, Daddy. I'm gonna teach her the fine art of moving while you're not looking." Rachel teases. Abbi's just kinda staring at the both of them, trying to make out the blurry shapes that seem to be supplying the muffled sounds she's hearing. "And he's gonna have to catch you in between Mommy showing you off to everyone in New York City."

[dontcrysammy.livejournal.com]

"I'm wondering how long it'll take until you dress her up in a headband..." Sam muses, nuzzling Rachel's cheek.

[acontrollist.livejournal.com]

Rachel crosses the room to Abbi's armoire, opening it up. On a series of mini coat racks attached to the inside of the door hang at least 15 elastic headbands. With lace and bows and lady bugs and a bunch of other things. "They come with most of her outfits. 'Cause she's bald, so it's like...sticking a big sign that says Girl on her."

[dontcrysammy.livejournal.com]

"Wow, Rach..." He was actually joking about the headband thing, so when she reveals the collection she's bought for Abbi he looks at Rachel like she's kind of crazy but he loves her anyway. "I like the one with the gold star on it."

[acontrollist.livejournal.com]

"I do too." To be fair, like she said, she didn't buy most of them. The majority of outfits sold for infant girls came with headbands. "I can't wait until I can start putting barrettes in her hair, though."

[dontcrysammy.livejournal.com]

"Stacy used to put those in my hair all the time." He remembers letting his sister play with his hair because he was such a good brother who couldn't say no to her.

[acontrollist.livejournal.com]

"And I'm sure Abbi will too." She returns to where he's sitting with Abbi, moving to park herself on one of his thighs. She and Abbi are both tiny enough that they both fit. "And she'll want to paint your nails and make you wear a feather boa while you play tea party..."

[dontcrysammy.livejournal.com]

With her sitting on his thigh, he bounces his leg a little. "All of which I've been subjected to before..." Who'd have thought those tea parties with Stacy would serve as practice for the tea parties he'd be having with his own child one day with Rachel Berry.

[acontrollist.livejournal.com]

She grasps the seat and his thigh and shakes her head. She just gave birth, remember? "Good. Then I won't have to teach her how to stomp out when you hold the teacups wrong."

[dontcrysammy.livejournal.com]

It totally slipped Sam's mind about her being sensitive in that area and he stops his leg as soon as he remembers, pressing an apologetic kiss to her shoulder. "But I assume you're going to teach her the correct way to dramatically stomp out of a room?"

[acontrollist.livejournal.com]

"I should probably still do that, huh? For when you won't let her date or wear short skirts." She turns, pressing a soft kiss to the tip of his nose. "Or in case she has to fight for a solo." Considering who her parents are, Rachel's going to be absolutely shocked if her daughter isn't musically inclined.

[dontcrysammy.livejournal.com]

"She's not dating until she's at least thirty. And I'll have complete control over her wardrobe." Oh god, he's one of those dads. Overprotective already and she's not even a day old.

[acontrollist.livejournal.com]

"Don't worry, sweetheart. Mommy'll talk to him." She smiles, running her knuckle along the edge of Abbi's cheek.

~~~

DNA test results actually take a really long time, though. Of course, Rachel didn't know that. She was starting to settle into her routine of just not thinking about it by the time Abbi was almost 2 weeks old.

[dontcrysammy.livejournal.com]

By the time two weeks past Sam's almost forgotten what he's waiting for, although the DNA results are always somewhere at the back of his mind. Luckily he's so preoccupied taking care of a newborn baby that he isn't driven insane by waiting.

When the envelope with the results comes through the door one morning he's too afraid to open it. Whilst Rachel is busy changing Abbi's diaper, Sam goes out onto the balcony and just stares at the unopened envelope in his shaking hands.

OMG BB I MIIIISSED YOU.

[acontrollist.livejournal.com]

"And so I think maybe if I teach you french and Daddy teaches you Na'vi-..." Rachel's talking to Abbi, grinning as she heads out onto the balcony to join Sam. Now that it's warm out, the balcony has definitely become the meeting place for the Evans family.

But Rach notices his shaking hands before she can continue talking and her breath catches in her throat. "What are those?" she manages to choke out.

<3<3<3

[dontcrysammy.livejournal.com]

"I-it's here," Sam stammers out. He almost feels like throwing up his breakfast over the side of the balcony, which wouldn't be at all nice for the people down below. "The DNA results... Rach, I don't think I can... Will you open it?" He offers the envelope to her. "Please."