ALANA

119

We got home from the hospital an hour ago. Ace was out to the stables and has just returned.

"Hi honey." I grin at his little riding outfit with little boots. So cute.

"Hi momma." He frowns, looking at the bundle in my arms. "Is that baby?" He asks. I nod.

"Sí, bud that's your baby sister. Do you want to say hi?" Ares asks him. He nods. Ares helps him take off his boots and climb the bed. "Wash your hands?" he quietly asks our 3 year old.

"Sí." He simply replies, cautiously looking at his sister in my arms.

"She is small." He observes. I bite my lip to hold back a laugh at his expression. It's wise and stoic. Everyday he looks more like Ares.

"Yes, all babies are born small." I agree. "Isn't she cute?" I ask him. He looks at me.

"Sí, what's her name." He asks, still sitting a safe distance away from us.

"Her name is Aurora Alessandra Moretti." His father tells him.

"Her middle name is like my middle name daddy." Ace observes.

"Sí hon, you're siblings and siblings have special bonds. You're going to be friends forever." I smile at him.

"Aurora." Ace tests the name. "It's pretty mommy." He decides.

"Thankyou baby, do you want to come closer? Give your sister a little kiss on the cheek? It's her first day in her new house." I tell him. He warily scoots closer, bringing a gentle hand to her cheek.

"Mommy she's tiny, I don't want to hurt her." He frowns. I smile, looking at Ares with a pout. He smiles back.

"Okay, that's very sweet and thoughtful of you honey, you can kiss her small hand, you won't hurt her then." I bring up her hand out of her swaddle and place it in Ace's palm. He gently pecks her fingers.

My eyes brim with tears for so many reasons. My two children meeting, how gentle and loving Ace was being, how his hand isn't the tiniest one in our house anymore. How I have a daughter now. A beautiful babygirl.

I feel a hand on my chin making me look up at my husband.

"Don't cry." He whispers, leaning down to kiss me.

"They're happy tears." I sniffle. He smiles lazily.

"Mommy?" Ace asks, and I look back at him to see that he's still holding her hand.

"Yes baby?"

"Where is your bumpy." He points to my stomach. It's not completely flat yet, but it's much flatter compared to my full term pregnant belly.

"Well your sister was in there and now she's out, so it's smaller." I shrug.

"We can ask her how it was like to live there." He says. "I don't remember it." He says. I smile at his adorableness.

"Okay, but I do want to tell you that she doesn't talk much right now, she would have to learn that, over time." I inform.

I don't want him to try and talk to her and expect her to talk back.

"She can't t-talk?" he stutters briefly. I frown at his sudden concern.

"Not yet, but she will around your age." I speak softly.

"No, but how will she tell us if she's hungry mommy? How will she ask for toys? And if she's scared? How will we know?" He almost panics.

"Buddy, we're always going to be with her. If she's any of those things she'll cry. And then we'll know that she needs something." Ares explains.