Guardian

act 2: xvi. - conversations before

"Is your mother in the infirmary?" Ally asks as Austin helps her put on her robe after she had exited a soothing bath.

Austin ties it for her as he nods. "I'm sure she is. She's always there. Why?"

"Well, since I'll be having the baby by tomorrow, it makes sense for me to let her know. My water could break at any moment."

Austin agrees as he helps her to their bed. "Yeah, you're right. We can go there once you get dressed," he speaks as she sits. Ally groans and closes her eyes, taking a big inhale. "Is that a contraction?"

Ally chuckles softly and shakes her head, taking another breath. "No, my back is just killing me. I'm as stiff as a wooden board."

Austin chuckles as she goes to grab her one of nightshirts. It wasn't nearly night, but Ally usually found her pajamas the most comfortable for her. "See, that's why I wanted to be done at Aria."

"Yeah, yeah. I don't care. We're having as many babies as I please." She giggles out, making Austin playfully roll his eyes.

There's a pause of silent between the two. Ally watches as he looks for her clothes and slightly frowns, thinking about his words. Without a second thought, she says, "Do you really want no more children with me?"

Austin irks his eyebrow as he pauses his quest to look for one of her nightshirts and shorts. He looks over at her to see her slightly saddened. "Hey, I didn't mean it like that."

He closes the closet as he makes his way over to their bed. After sitting, Austin grabs his wife's hands. "It's not that I don't want anymore kids with you. It's just... children are a lot. Babies especially. Our family is chaotic enough and we keep having babies to top it off."

Ally giggles at his last sentence. Still, she nods, looking into his eyes. "So... he's our last?"

Austin's eyes explore her own, looking for some sort of saddness or anger, but he finds nothing but love as he says, "Yes. I want him to be our last."

She nods, respecting his choice. A small smile is on her face. "Okay."

"Okay?"

"Okay. We're married. I begged you for one more child and we got it. Four is fine with me."

Austin grins and comes forward to softly kiss her lips, to which she blissfully responds to.

//

"Izabel? Are you in here?"

Izabel looks up from swaddling her baby niece to see Hope entering the nursery. She smiles at her sister in law. "What's up?"

"Oh, I was just wondering how Cai was doing," Hope speaks, coming next to Izabel to peer into the crib to watch her daughter peacefully sleep. Hope smiles small, but it fades away as soon as it comes. "She never lets me swaddle her without screaming."

Izabel sees Hope tearing up and comes closer to her, wrapping a comforting arm around her. "Hey, it's okay. Aria was the exact same way with Austin. I remember him being so upset when she was first born, but it happens."

"But I'm her mother, Izabel," Hope sniffs, wiping her eyes. "I created her. She doesn't even like being held by me."

"That's not true—"

"It is," Hope cries, moving away from Hope to grab a tissue from the dresser. "I don't deserve to be a mother again. Especially when there's people like you who deserve all of the babies you want. Zay does all the work and that's probably why the girls like him and not me. That's why they like everyone and not me, because I can't do anything right."