It was a relief beyond words when Leah was finally discharged from the hospital. I wheeled her out to the car, carefully cradling Dylan in my arms. The world seemed brighter, our little family finally together and heading home.
The next few weeks were a whirlwind. As soon as we got home, the doorbell rang with the first of many visitors. Friends, family, and teammates all wanted to see Dylan and congratulate us. Our home was filled with laughter and love, the kind that makes the exhaustion worth it. But it was hard, too—harder than I'd imagined.
Leah and I barely slept. The nights were long and filled with the sounds of Dylan's cries. We took turns, sometimes together, soothing him, feeding him, and changing nappies. It was an endless cycle of exhaustion, but every time I looked at Leah, I knew we could get through it.
One particularly sleepless night, I sat on the edge of our bed, rocking Dylan in my arms. Leah stirred beside me, her eyes heavy with fatigue but filled with concern.
"Eva, you should get some sleep," she whispered, her voice hoarse from lack of rest.
I shook my head, a small smile playing on my lips. "No, it's okay. You need your rest too."
Leah pushed herself up, reaching out to touch Dylan's tiny hand. "We both need to rest, but we'll manage. We always do."
She was right. We always found a way. There were moments of doubt, moments when the exhaustion felt like too much, but then I'd see Leah holding Dylan, or hear his tiny giggle, and it was all worth it.
One afternoon, as the sunlight streamed through the curtains, Leah and I sat on the couch, Dylan asleep on my chest. Leah leaned her head on my shoulder, her eyes closed.
"Remember when we talked about starting a family?" she murmured.
I smiled, my heart swelling with love for her. "Yeah, I remember. Feels like a lifetime ago."
Leah lifted her head, looking at me with those piercing blue eyes that had always seen right through me. "We did it, Eva. We're here."
I nodded, tears of joy and exhaustion welling up in my eyes. "Yeah, we did. And it's everything I ever dreamed of."
Leah kissed my cheek, then rested her head back on my shoulder. We sat there, the three of us, wrapped in the warmth of our love and the promise of the future.
The days blurred together, a mix of sleepless nights and busy days. We found a rhythm, a way to manage the chaos. I took on more of the nighttime duties, letting Leah rest as much as possible. She was still healing, and I wanted to make sure she had the time she needed to recover.
One evening, as I was changing Dylan's nappy for what felt like the hundredth time that day, Leah came up behind me, wrapping her arms around my waist.
"You're amazing, you know that?" she whispered, her breath warm against my neck.
I turned to face her, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "We're amazing. We're doing this together."
Leah smiled, her eyes shining with pride and love. "Yeah, we are."
We shared a tender kiss, a promise that we would face every challenge together. Dylan cooed softly, and we both looked down at him, our hearts swelling with love for our little boy.
Visitors came and went, each bringing their own piece of advice and well-wishes. Our teammates were especially supportive, always ready to lend a hand or offer a word of encouragement. Katie, Viv, and the others would drop by, bringing food or just keeping us company during those long nights.
One afternoon, as Leah and I sat in the living room with Dylan, there was a knock on the door. It was Viv, carrying a tray of food and a big smile on her face.
