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“Sa va bien, mon petite coco…”John crooned tenderly, causing Emily to laugh knowingly – as he grinned at her, chuckling.
He had said that same phrase to her stomach over the last few weeks as the baby moved around. He had explained it was slang and something his grandmother and mother used to say to him when he was a tiny boy.
John was asking if their daughter was ‘doing good’– and calling her ‘his little egg’. It was a term of affection and made her think of the ‘baby yolk’comment again.
Her husband made her smile and laugh so much with just his tender ways about him. If he wasn’t calling their child a little tadpole, he called her his little egg or some other French term. She loved that about him, and the way he never held back…
“Let’s get our Baby Girl Masden to the nursery - and Mama Masden to a room, so she can rest and breathe for a moment. Papa Masden, why don’t you come with me? We’ll get some photos of your daughter, some footprints on a scrub top for you, and you can see if you have anyone in the waiting area that needs to be updated,” the nurse offered.
John nodded, hesitated, and looked at Emily.
“Are you going to be okay?”
“I’m fine,” she smiled tenderly, holding his hand. “Go, Papa Masden… let our family know that our little Lisette is here and…”
John swooped down and kissed her immediately with a ferocity that was staggering. She felt a tear land on her cheek and knew her soft, sweet man was moved by the gesture that was so unexpected and appreciated.
They had talked about names several times, still undecided, but the moment she saw their daughter, it was like a rubber band snapping into place.
They’d thought about Stephanie, Amelie, Nicole… as well as several other names – but the moment Emily gazed on that fierce little face and saw their daughter working the pacifier in her mouth, she realized that she wanted to honor the woman who’d given her John… and had missed so much of his life, as well as the birth of their first child.
His mother.
“Are you sure?” he said thickly, smoothing back her hair and kissing Emily’s forehead.
“Lisette is beautiful… just like our ‘petite coco’, she smiled tenderly. “Now go, they are waiting on you.”
“I love you so much,” he murmured huskily, kissing her again quickly, before disappearing as Emily was moved into a private hospital room – and fell asleep blissfully happy, yet exhausted for a little while.
* * *
A little while later,Emily heard a soft snore and a voice whisper loudly ‘Shhhh!’ in the distance. Opening her eyes, she saw John was passed out cold, fast asleep in the chair beside the bassinet in her room… and Lisette was sleeping, the little pacifier moving every once in a while.
Her sister and Jace entered the hospital room – along with her brother, Chase, Johnny, and her parents.
“Hey, how are you feeling?”
“Drowsy, sore, and sooo stupidly happy,” she admitted, seeing John wake up and get to his feet as Jace hugged him.
“How are you holding up, buddy?” Jace said, grinning.
“Wiped out… and I didn’t even give birth,” John admitted, chuckling, and smiling at Emily. “She did all the hard work and was incredible to watch in action.”
“Ohhh, my goodness,” Karen and her mother whispered in unison, looking at the baby – then to Emily and John.
“She’s so beautiful,” Karen said tearfully.
“Look at all that dark hair…”
“She looks like her sweet mama,” John said tenderly, looking at Emily, who immediately held out her hand to him as he clasped it tight. “Turns out that ‘unconditional love’likes her little pacifier… and has a set of lungs not to be believed.”
“Attitudeandlooks like her mama? God help us all,” Chase teased, but the gleam in his eyes was enough to make them both smile. “She’s beautiful, Em and John.”
Johnny let out a small laugh and looked at his father, Chase.
“I think she poo’d, daddy… she’s smelly and keeps turning purple in the face,” Johnny hissed in sheer delight, like a typical boy would do.
Emily chuckled and sat up, glancing at the clock.
