Radiant Star

Adjusting to parenthood

A few weeks later
Logan POV
I quietly enter our house since it was past midnight. I gently enter my office and try to figure out where to hide the box I had acquired earlier today. While I was silently putting it away in one of my desk drawers, I am startled by my wife's voice
"Where have you been all day?" I gather the courage to turn around and face her, only to be met by eyes that tried to keep themselves from glaring at me
"I'd like to apologize for coming home so late. I had something to take care of" her eyes were scrutinizing me and I knew she wouldn't stop there
"I believe you've misunderstood my question. I asked for a place, not for an activity" I sigh and answer truthfully
"I was in London" her eyes go wide at my answer and out of nowhere she starts laughing. Soon enough her laughter subsides and she turns around and leaves. Why is she acting so bizarre? I follow her down the dark hallway and grab her hand to make her face me
"Star, what's going on with you? Why did you leave all of a sudden?" I could notice that her eyes couldn't focus on me. They would look towards me, but it felt like she was looking through me. As soon as her lips part to answer me, we hear the heartbreaking cry of our daughter coming from the bedroom. In a split second, Star yanks her hand out of my grasp and dashes in the room. I follow her figure once more and hear her mumbling while taking Celeste in her arms
"Not again... I had just put you to sleep, so what's the matter now?" Her voice was so gentle but at the same time so tired. I make my way over to them and ask
"May I try to soothe her?" Star looks at me with worry in her eyes and says
"You're just a figment of my imagination. My husband is yet to come home" her words surprise me
"I am home, Star. You're not imagining me right now" I kiss her forehead and she watches me bemused. When she slowly starts to trust me, she hesitantly lets me hold the baby. Now that our protostar is in my arms, I begin humming a lullaby I heard Star whisper to her before and she falls asleep soon enough. Once I'm sure she won't wake up for a while, I place her back in the crib and make my way over to my wife who has been watching silently from afar. She looked exhausted and guilt began filling my chest. It was because I was away today. I quietly guide her out of the room and into my office and make her sit down on the little sofa next to the window. I crouch in front of her and take her hands in mine
"Please forgive me for leaving you alone today" I kiss her hands and don't dare look her in the eye
"You're forgiven, Logan" her soft voice fills the room and she places her cheek on the top of my head "Why were you in London? I don't remember you telling me about a trip. I could be wrong though. I might've forgotten about it" she sighs
"I didn't tell you about it. It was an impromptu trip. I've been planning a gift for you and only today was I able to get my hands on the present. I had to fly to London and pick it up myself instead of waiting for it to be delivered" she pulls back and takes my head in her hands and kisses me on the lips
"Just having you as a husband is the best gift you could give to me" I smile at her words
"You flatter me too much. What if I get too cocky?" She chuckles and responds
"So what? I have one man in my life that I will love no matter what. Even if he becomes an arrogant idiot" she kisses my cheek and adds "Now show me the present" I laugh out loud at her childish behavior and leave her side to take the box I had hidden earlier
"I had hoped that it would've been done before you gave birth, however it took longer than I expected. That is why I rushed to London to get it" I bring the box over to her and place it on her lap
"So this is a gift for having given birth? But you had already brought me flowers at the hospital"
"Flowers aren't merely enough to show my appreciation. This is a gift to show my gratitude for being in my life and for making every single day better with just your presence. I know that since Celeste was born you've had a difficult time. I've noticed how you try your best to hide the exhaustion and how you push yourself to keep going without complaining about anything. Seeing how tired you were today that you couldn't make the difference between reality and your imagination made me feel extremely guilty for being unable to take some burdens off your shoulders. Thus, I promise you to do better as both a father and a husband" I wipe a tear off of her face and I kiss her
"You've been a wonderful partner, Logan. You've already taken so many tasks over, from cooking all of my meals and cleaning the house to taking care of Celeste as often as possible. Honestly, I
can't thank you enough. There's no need to feel guilty about earlier" her hands brush my face lovingly
"How do you manage to make me fall in love with you even more?" I utter, being in a daze while watching this beautiful woman in front of me
"Maybe in the same way that you are able to make my heart flutter every time I see you" she kisses me and adds "I'll open my present now since I know how eager you can be when it comes to surprises" She knows me so well. With that she looks closely at the box in her lap and notices the writing on the ribbon. I can see her eyebrows rise and she quickly looks at me. She smirks and says
"My, my! You spoil me too much, Logan"
"Can't a husband pamper his wife with luxury gifts?" I say referring to the Graff jewelry I have bought for her
"How could any woman refuse such a grandiose gift from such a remarkable man?"
"Tell me if you like what I've prepared for you, Star" I smile at her and she opens the box