His Rebel

• New Beginnings •

Layla's POV

I was not feeling myself.

Maybe it was because I wasn't doing much like I usually did before I gave birth, but I was feeling this cloud loom over me, and I hated to feel that way.

I had this anxious feeling that I might not neglect my girl being caught up in my thoughts, which shouldn't even matter.

I had never been one to be conscious of my body, but lately when I change or my eyes land on my stomach when I look in the mirror, I couldn't help but feel consious of the stretch mark which had formed on my belly after birth.

I couldn't stop having thoughts that I should start more exercises. I started working out 6 weeks postpartum after I was given a green light from Sienna, and Sinn didn't protest against it.

Sinn seemed to notice me looking at my belly in the mirror, as I was wearing a bralette which made it easier for me to feed Vivienne, and I quickly turned away and made my way towards our bed. It is no surprise that I've started sharing his portion, and it is basically now our shared space.

I glanced over at Vivienne sleeping soundly in her cot by the bed and went towards the bed to lay down cause I had been working out intensely for the past hour and so and now my legs were about to give up on me when I felt arms wrap around my waist and pull me towards them.

I didn't have to guess twice to know who it was, even if I didn't sense him come in, I could tell it's him by the way he touched me so affectionately.

I took in the warmth of his embrace as he held me from behind. His face rested in the crook of my neck, staring at me from there.

I paused, confused by his stare, and looked back at him, turning my neck slightly to the left to meet his gaze.

"What?" I asked in a soft chuckle, and he kept on staring at me, and the more he did that, the more the smile on my face widened.

It was just the way he looked at me from behind me. Hugging me and resting his head on my shoulder and staring at me, which made it all so comical for me, but in an endearing way.

"Aren't you going to say something or just keep staring at me like this?" I asked him, the smile not leaving my face as I stared back at him.

Suddenly, his hand grazed my exposed belly and rubbed it like he used to when I was pregnant with Vivienne. He wrapped his arms around my belly, and I heard his voice speak softly in my ear, "You're beautiful."

I looked at him, and he didn't stop staring at me with his intense gaze as his head rested on my shoulder from behind me.

I didn't know how much his words would lift the weight off me. I couldn't help the soft chuckle as I kept my hand on top of his from where he held me. "Thank you for reminding me that."

Sinn's lips formed a smile hearing my response, "Always a pleasure."

*

Sinn held Vivienne on top of him as she had finally slept after crying all night because she was teething, and it was really heartbreaking to see her cry and not be able to do anything.

After I gave her my finger to chew on, it seemed to lessen her discomfort, calming her down and, in turn, making her stop crying.

Sinn asked to let him take her as I've been with her the whole day while he went to run some errands and wanted me to rest.

"She just calmed down after I gave her my finger to chew on." I told him as he peeked at Vivienne, who was almost dozing off chewing on my finger.

"Let me take on from here, and you rest. You must be exhausted." He wasn't wrong, I was exhausted both physically and mentally after seeing my baby girl crying in so much pain from teething.