Solitude || Evan Buckley [1]

chapter nineteen

a flashforward

Maddie stood outside of the apartment with a bag of takeout in one hand for dinner. Her fist raised to send a ripple of soft knocks on the door to signal her arrival. Within a couple of seconds, the door burst open by her little brother sporting a tiresome half-grin while bouncing his two-week newborn daughter swaddled in his arms. He stepped back and widened the door to usher his older sister inside the apartment.

"Where's Sasha?"

Buck trailed after his older sister to the kitchen, his mouth parted due to a small yawn emerging. "Taking a nap after I let her take a shower." He knew the second his girlfriend escaped the shower and sat on the bed; she'll knock out the next second. He glanced down at his daughter who started to fuss until he bounced her more by bending his knees slightly. "Thanks for buying us dinner."

"It's no problem." She opened the bag then began pulling out containers of pasta from their favorite Italian place in the city. "A great excuse to see my niece." She was elated to spend time with the baby who she instantly fell in love with like everyone.

The new parents have received plenty of visitors since arriving back home with their daughter. However, it's been a great deal for them to gain some help especially catered with homemade food. Their refrigerator was definitely stocked for the next week or so.

"You could hold her after washing your hands first," he said in a stern tone before casting his gaze to the newborn whose eyes were wide open. The first-time father couldn't resist staring ever since welcoming her into the world.

Everyone could tell the twinkle in the young man's eyes when it came to his daughter. Maddie couldn't deny being in complete awe whenever she caught those moments. It's completely normal for every parent to find themselves infatuated and swept away by the smallest being they procreated.

She hummed in response, moving to the sink to pump the liquid soap into her hands. "Of course." The younger Buckley sibling has been keeping family and friends in check to sanitize their hands before holding the baby.

As his love deepened for his daughter, his protective side has grown firmly in spite two weeks surpassing since the birth.

Maddie made strides to her brother with arms extended for the baby. Her lips curved into a wide smile once he placed her into her arms. "Hello, baby Monet. Auntie Maddie loves you." She cooed. "And you got that new baby smell." She brought the baby closer to inhale the delightful smell.

"She's so precious."

Buck picked up three plates from the stack in the cabinet, returning to the counter had grin at the remark. "She is." He began opening one of the containers to start his sister's plate first.

"It's been two weeks but how does it feel to be a dad?"

"Uh...I'm still trying to wrap my head around it because I never thought I would be at this point in my life. But it feels great along with overwhelming and terrifying." He chuckled out in an uncertain tone. "When I mean by overwhelming is the good kind. The love for my daughter feels overwhelming like I'm going to explode. S-She means everything me and Sasha. Then it's terrifying because we're navigating to raise her and figuring it all out like everyone else. I couldn't sleep the first week because I kept watching her to see if she was breathing throughout the night." He confessed to his sister, being a rambling mess considering he's been deprived of sleep.