Do I Wanna Know?

Chapter 37

After staying in the hospital for two days, Harry and I were cleared to head home. All of Nora's vitals were normal, as were mine, and the nurses taught me everything they could about breastfeeding and how to hold her in different scenarios. Now, that didn't mean Harry and I were any less afraid.

It was Zayn who picked us up in the Range Rover, which held the car seat and was the vehicle we were meant to drive to the hospital in the first place before the shit hit the fan. He still seemed in disbelief even though he had already met Nora, but his smile didn't fade the whole time he drove us home.

Maria was also waiting for us there, standing in the doorway with her hands over her mouth as Harry carried her in, car seat and all. She was sleeping, so Maria kept her tears silent as she came over to the coffee table where Harry placed the car seat.

She said something in Spanish that I didn't understand, but Harry laughed and replied in the same language. I asked what they said, and Harry explained that Maria said she was perfect and looked just like me.

It amazed me, that just after two days Nora was already starting to look different. She was still as small as a human could be, but her eyes weren't swollen anymore and her features were starting to develop just slightly. In my biased opinion, she was the cutest peanut alive.

As if she sensed all the eyes on her, she started to blink open her own as she wiggled in her swaddled blanket, wearing just one of the millions of onesies I was gifted at my baby shower.

Maria asked so sweetly if she could hold her, so I nodded of course, and let her take her out of the car seat. She was a natural, much more than me, but I remembered she had told me that she was a nanny for ten years before Harry hired her. That was what I liked to call fate.

"She is absolutely perfect," she said again. "What's her name?"

"Nora Anne Carter," I whispered, gently poking at her cheek as she opened and closed her eyes slowly.

That reminded me that I still needed to ask Harry what the significance was behind Nora's middle name, but that was the last thing on my mind when we were at the hospital.

"Hi, Nora," Maria spoke softly, smiling wide at her until Nora somewhat returned it just a little. She did the same thing with Zayn in the hospital.

"Well, the nursery is spotless and ready for her," Maria explained. "And I have lasagna cooking in the oven for you two to have for dinner tonight."

"God, you're a saint," I sighed. "Thank you so much."

"Of course," she smiled back at Nora again. "I was also going to tell you that if you need me to stay tonight or any night just so I can help you, I would be happy to."

"Oh," I looked up at Harry in questioning. "I mean, we weren't going to ask you to do that, but...if you're offering? Maybe we'll see how it goes tonight first, then we can let you know tomorrow.

"Okay, good," she shifted to face me more so she could hand Nora off to me.

It was just around 5:00 now, but she stayed a while longer until Harry assured her that we would be alright. Only then did she leave, and Harry and I were in the house alone with our new baby for the first time.

He was still in his change of clothes I had packed in my hospital bag when I was preparing for the birth, but even though we could both use a shower, we still just sat on the couch and watched her in my arms together.

"Can I ask you why you wanted her middle name to be Anne?"

"It was my mum's name," he vaguely replied, watching as Nora wrapped her fingers around his thumb.