At First Glance- A Marina Love Story

Chapter 56

"Is everything okay back there, love?" Maya asked for the fifth time as they approached the final turn before their apartment complex. She looked through the rearview mirror and studied her two girls seated behind her. The fire captain had never been so happy or in love.

"Yes, Maya, the bambina and I are still fine," Carina smiled out. The Italian's dark brown eyes were glued her to daughter's soft features. Josie's small hand gripped onto her mama's index finger as she slept the entire ride home.

Maya pulled into the parking lot of their apartment complex and shut off the Porsche. She paused before she exited the car and turned around to admire her fiance and daughter. A small tear dripped down her cheek.

"Bella, is everything okay?" Carina asked, concerned.

"Yeah, I just want to remember this moment forever," she added, softly.

Carina reached her free hand up and pressed it to the blonde's pale cheek. She held it there momentarily and rubbed her thumb across the bottom of her chin. Their eyes connected in a way that only the two of them understood.

"Let's get our girl inside, yeah?" Carina asked after a few moments of quiet.

"Yeah," Maya said, her eyes still glued to her lover's.

Carina eased Josie's infant carrier out of the backseat. Maya stood behind her fiance, like she was spotting someone squatting weights, in case Carina stumbled getting her out of the car.

"Bambina, I got her," Carina said as she shook her head in laughter. Maya couldn't help but be over-cautious.

"I know," she said, bashfully. "I'll grab some of the presents."

They made their way to their apartment and entered the foyer. Carina set the infant carrier down and kneeled down beside it. "Welcome home, little bambina," she said, sweetly.

Maya placed the presents on the table and then joined Carina on the ground. She wrapped one arm around her partner's back and placed her head against her shoulder. The couple stared at their sleeping daughter and then at each other.

"Well, what do we do now?" Maya asked, seriously.

Carina bent her bottom lip down and clenched her teeth, "I was going to ask you the same thing."

As the new mama finished her sentence, the little girl started to stir in her seat. Within two seconds, a blood-curdling scream released from her little lungs.

Maya's big blue eyes widened in horror. She couldn't believe that such a screech could come from the lungs of someone so tiny. The fire captain turned to look at her future wife, who had immediately started to unbuckle Josie from her seat.

Carina swayed their screaming daughter in her arms and whispered soft coos into her ear. Maya paced around the room with her hands in her blonde hair. She had no idea how to help.

"Is there anything I can do?" Maya yelled over the screams.

The doctor walked quickly throughout the apartment and bounced Josie up and down. "Maybe she's hungry? You could fix her a bottle."

Maya was glad that Carina had given her a task. She could definitely help with this. "Yeah, yeah, I'll do that."

She grabbed a bottle from their kitchen cabinet and the formula from their pantry. Maya read the directions on the can of formula and froze. It was like the directions were in a different language. The captain didn't want to feel like a failure during her first hour as a new mom, but she felt as if she wasn't off to the best start.

Maya had remembered that newborns should have smaller amounts of formula, but couldn't remember how much exactly. Josie's cries and screams made it extra hard for her to focus.