Four Decades

December Baby

Snow, white and fluffy, fell on the hospital's window at a slow pace, with a careless manner that only the snow could display in the rush life of London in wintertime. The window of St. Mary's Hospital, now covered in a thin layer of ice, was the only way of seeing the street from Marine's room. She glanced outside almost as if she didn't believe that snow dared to fall on this particular day. Yes, it was December and yes, it happened every year, an unchangeable fact, but still, it dared to snow on the birth of her first daughter.

Everything about this day felt surreal. The baby was 2 days early, Doctor Andrews joked that the baby "must love Christmas". Marine had everything planned, she was in one of the biggest rooms of the maternity ward, all her family would wait here. Hell, Marine's father was supposed to be here, he was the one that she needed in the delivery room, but when she felt the contractions, he was travelling in a business call.

The early birth was alright, the most important thing was that her baby was healthy and safe. Marine couldn't believe that she could hold her tiny little girl in her arms. She couldn't believe that a tiny human being was nested in her until this day and that now it was fully formed and ready for this world. Her baby was barely a day old, all wrinkle-soft skin, eyes yet wide shut and dressed in a pink blanket, so tiny and new that Marine held her like she was made of fine china, a hundred times more delicate than the dolls she used to have.

Her child was perfect, she smelled perfect, and Marine was going to be the best mother in the world, at least she could try to be better than her mother, but for that, the bar wasn't raised very high anyway. She would protect her baby from everything and everyone. She glanced over the room, where her sister-in-law, Albie, was holding the newborn baby in her arms and cooing at her. When she felt in need to go to the hospital in the middle of the night, Marine was overcome by the knowledge that she was almost completely alone, almost, because she had Albie, and she had been her rock during the whole process. She picked Marine up in the middle of the night, held her hand during the delivery, and helped her afterwards, being more of a sister than ever at that time.

Albie was a young girl, extremely beautiful, almost like a runway model, with dark skin and her deep brown eyes, her full lips, and her high cheekbones that could cut diamonds. When Marine's brother presented her to their family, she couldn't help but be a little intimidated by the figure of such a stunning woman. Still, she never looked more motherly and tender like she looked last night, while she held Marine's hand and sang Spanish lullaby to her.

- What are you going to name her? -She asked while letting the baby down very carefully in her arms.

- I was thinking about Elizabeth? - Albie made a sarcastic distaste face at that- C'mon, it's not that bad!

- No, it's just too common for Wordsworth. - said Albie, laughing. Marine chuckled slyly. Her family was known for many things, but never common names for their younglings.

- Thanks for being here Albie. - Marine's eyes were watery, just from thinking about how alone she had felt during her whole pregnancy.

Albie smiled tight and approached her, sitting down at the foot of her bed and checking her phone for the first time in a while. The room was slowly filling out with the pale sunlight from the window. The place was big, a white and comfortable room, complete with a medical bed, for the mother, a set of comfortable sofas in clear white colour, and a grey-ish rug filling out the floor. The room had cabinets and a wardrobe, where the things of the mother and the child could be set and a table where presents that were yet not there.

- Where's Arthur? - Marine asked Albie. She appreciated Albie dearly, and she tried to make herself stronger, but she wanted the rest of her family with her badly. She needed her father so badly.