𝙻𝙾𝚅𝙴𝚁, 𝐋𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐰𝐬

iv. parenthood is tough, it's a good thing lottie's here.

(original plotline by @deerlottie on character.ai)

tags: no crash!au, wife Lottie, reader is genuinely sleep deprived, swearing(?), no beta we rawdog it (like reader and Lottie— jk jk), fluff fluff fluff, baby psychology, reader's heart is always being warmed by wifey.

Reider aka 'reader' speaks..
This is my short celebration (and thank you to my readers) for 100 reads!! It's only been 4 parts and you've already got the book to triple digits, dayum. I appreciate ya'll so much I can't even put it into words. Every one of you who has added the book to their reading list, voted on a chapter, commented or even just tune in for a new update; you guys are awesome(sauce). I've genuinely never felt so motivated to write this much. Hopefully I don't end up abandoning this project at 7 parts like last time. Special shout out to cornonthecob_ , the next chapter I publish (not sure when) is dedicated to you.

+ I thought of that one song from the movie 'up' when I was writing this. It's called Married Life?

—

It's currently 8 am.

Sunlight filters through the blinds, casting a light glow in the room as you shift under the covers. It's been four hours since you shushed your 8 month-old son, Mateo (you were so close to naming him Matthew, but just one stern look from Lottie and you'd let it drop and settled for another 'M' name instead), to sleep, placing him in the crib before deciding to crash on the couch. You'd been awake the whole day by then, constantly worrying after Mateo; changing his diaper (it was a miracle he hadn't pissed or shat on you this time), feeding him and calming him down 'till he zonked out.

You wake up from your nap, rubbing the sleep from your eyes. This might've been the most rest you've had in the past few months.

Looking over to the crib, your heart sinks when you realize that the baby isn't in there and go to call for Lottie but she enters the room instantly, like she felt your worry. "It's okay. I have him." She sits down next to you, smiling while gently bouncing the bundle of joy in her arms. "How did you sleep?"

You blink, brain slowly trying to process the rush of emotions you'd just felt. Don't get it wrong— you love Mateo, you really do, but taking care of a baby could be really draining at times. The lack of sleep made it even worse. Your body had basically been on autopilot for most of it. This was probably the worst part of parenthood. The first few nights out of the hospital made you quickly realize why children were a much more bigger commitment than marriage. "The best I've had in a while, actually." You murmur, running a hand through your tousled bed hair.

Mateo coos as Lottie continues to gently bounce him, the soothing motion seeming to relax the little one. She looks down at him with a smile, gently shushing him. Then she glances at you, a loving look in her eyes. You could remember the day of your wedding like it was yesterday. Waking up next to her every morning was a blessing, and so was having Mateo.

"I went out for a bit. When I came back, he woke up and kept crying, I think he missed you." Lottie murmurs, gently handing you Mateo, watching you hold him close. A sense of comfort washes over you. He immediately calms down in your arms, his tiny face nuzzling against your chest. He was so small compared to you both, so fragile. Lottie watches the two of you with a warm smile, clearly happy to see him settling down now that the both of you are reunited. She scoots closer to you on the couch, resting her head against your shoulder as she watches the two of you together.

Your wife reaches out and gently brushes her fingers over the baby's cheek. Mateo's eyes flutter open and he looks up at you with a small yawn, his tiny hand reaching out to grip your shirt. Lottie chuckles softly, gently stroking his hair.

"Looks like he really missed you," she says, her voice filled with affection for both you and Mateo. "It's amazing how quickly they form their attachments, isn't it?"

"Did you know that us speaking to him while he was still in your womb helped with forming a bond?" You murmur, brushing a thumb gently over his tiny head, smoothening wisps of thin hair. "He recognizes our voices."

Lottie looks surprised, her eyes widening at your words. She leans a little closer to you, looking down at the baby in your arms with a mixture of wonder and amusement. "Really? I didn't know that," she says, her voice filled with amazement. "That's incredible."

She gazes down at the baby, her expression softening as she takes in the sight of the tiny human that she helped create.

"So he knows our voices already...?"

"Mhm." You nod. "He heard everything around you when he was still in your womb."

Lottie nods slowly, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. She continues to gaze at the baby, her expression fond and maternal. "That's so fascinating, I guess it makes sense, though. They're already developing their senses, even before they're born."

She reaches out and gently rubs his foot, her touch soft and tender. "I wonder what else he's already learned from us, just from hearing our voices and feeling our movements while he was growing inside of me." Lottie pauses for a moment, seeming lost in thought. "You know, this whole parenting thing is kind of scary, but..." She looks up at you, a small smile on her face.

"It's also really amazing, isn't it? I mean, we made this little human together, and we get to watch him grow and learn and discover the world with him. It's incredible."

"I'm glad I get to do this with you." You murmur, leaning over to kiss her cheek.

Lottie blushes slightly, a small smile forming on her lips. She turns to you, her expression gentle and affectionate. "Me too. I'm so grateful that we get to go through this journey together. You're already such a great parent."

She glances down at the baby in your arms, watching as he nuzzles against you, his grubby fingers gripping your shirt. "And he loves you so much already," she says softly, her voice filled with warmth. "He might have even missed you more than he missed me."

"I guess he just couldn't wait to get back into your arms," There's a hint of amusement in Lottie's voice. "You're his favorite, after all."

You snort. "Really? He's practically attached to you 24/7."

She laughs softly, nodding in agreement. "Yeah, I guess he does follow me around a lot, but can you blame him? I am pretty awesome." A grin plays at her lips, her eyes sparkling with playful mischief.

The mood shifts. You feel your heart explode at the sight; your wife leaned against you and your son cuddled up to you in your arms. The moment of realization that— this was the simple life you'd always imagined with her; late nights on the couch with takeout from your favorite restaurant, the two of you dancing in the kitchen, cheesing over 90s romcoms with your bodies tangled in bed, lazy mornings wrapped up in each other. Lottie looks back at you, her eyes sparkling with joy and pure love.

"I wouldn't want to do this with anyone else," she murmurs, her voice filled with conviction. "I'm so glad it's you and me, in this together." You press your foreheads together, savoring the moment.

Lottie reaches up and gently strokes your cheek, then leans in to give you a light peck on the corner of your mouth. "We're a pretty great team, aren't we?"

You lean in again, capturing her lips in a soft kiss, only pulling away when Mateo shifts in your arms. You give him a gentle kiss on the head as well, before glancing back up at your wife. "I'd say we make a pretty great team, yeah."

Parenting duties might've been a pain the ass, but the married life with Lottie was one you'd never trade anything in the world for.