The Key To Living Is Love

Get up mister!

The clock on the wall glared at me with cruel precision—2:00 AM. The soft, rhythmic patter of rain outside was a stark contrast to the cacophony echoing in our dimly lit bedroom. Bianca's wails pierced through the walls, each cry a desperate plea for comfort from her tiny lungs. I tried to tell myself that it would be over soon, that she would settle back down if I just gave her a few moments. But the longer I listened, the more the panic surged in my chest.

Nico was sprawled across the bed, perfectly oblivious, his tousled dark hair obscuring his handsome face. He was nestled so deeply into the covers that it looked as if he were immersed in a dreamland specifically designed to keep out the oppressive noise of our firstborn's cries. I shifted in bed, debating my options. I could either lie there, brooding silently, or I could do the sensible thing and wake my husband up. After all, we were in this together, right?

Against my better judgment and driven by a mixture of exhaustion and maternal instinct, I reached for a pillow, swinging it with gentle force at Nico's side.

"Nico," I whispered urgently. "Wake up. Our baby needs you."

Silence.

I tried again, this time drumming the pillow against his back with a little more determination. "Come on, Nico! She's crying!"

He groaned, stirring slightly but not even cracking an eye open. "Just... five more minutes," he mumbled, turning away from me and burying himself deeper in the blankets.

Five more minutes? I could feel the steam rising in my chest, the frustration swelling like a balloon ready to burst. Thunder rumbled outside, but it was nothing compared to the storm brewing within me. Tossing the pillow aside briefly, I opted for a more aggressive approach.

I launched myself at him, and with the full force of my sleep-deprived rage, I began to whack him with the pillow in rapid succession. "Nico! Get up! Now!"

"Y/n!" he groaned again, but this time the annoyance in his voice was tinged with sleep. He rolled over, his eyes still closed, as if he could will himself back to dreamland.

A surge of fury coursed through me—why was he so comfortable? Did he not hear his daughter's desperate cries? I hit him harder, laughing almost maniacally at the absurdity of it all. "Nico! You're a father! Wake up! Bianca is screaming!"

Finally, he jolted awake, eyes wide, panic flickering across his face as he blinked into the dark of the room. "What? What's happening?" It took him a moment to process, but when he saw me hovering over him with the pillow, he actually looked more than a little sheepish.

"Bianca is crying," I said, panting slightly, a mix of relief and exasperation washing over me. "And you could sleep through a hurricane."

Nico rubbed his eyes, letting the remnants of sleep fall away, and finally, he pushed the blankets aside. "Okay, okay, I'm up. I'm here," he muttered, scrambling out of bed as if suddenly realizing the significance of the moment.

With the light now on, I could see the faint shadows beneath his eyes, reminders of our sleepless nights. But there was something softer in his gaze, a reminder of why we were both here—together in the throes of parenthood.

"Can you get her?" I asked. "I'll grab the bottle."

Nico nodded, his expression shifting from sleep-fogged confusion to heartwarming focus. "I've got this," he said, and just like that, he was all in. He padded out of the bedroom, shuffling towards Bianca's room, no longer influenced by the comfort of our bed.

I took a moment to compose myself, catching my breath from the absurdity of the pillow fight. Nico might have needed a reminder that sleep wasn't an option anymore, but he was the kind of father who would step up—like he always did, even if it took a little pillow persuasion to get there.

As I filled the bottle and listened to Nico's gentle whispers of comfort to our little girl, I smiled to myself. Late nights and pillow fights were part of our new normal—a chaotic but beautiful adventure in parenthood. And as crazy as it was, I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.