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THE ROOM WAS FILLED with the soft hum of hospital machinery, a steady rhythm of beeps and distant sounds of life moving beyond the door. but inside this room, time felt frozen - each moment hanging in the air, thick with anticipation and raw emotion. you gripped mattheo's hand, knuckles white as you pushed through another contraction. the pain was almost unbearable, but the thought of meeting your daughter kept you strong.
mattheo was beside you, his hand firm in yours, but you could feel the tremble in his fingers. his usually stoic expression was gone, replaced by something softer, more vulnerable. you had never seen him like this before. not mattheo riddle, the slytherin bad boy, the cold, unrelenting figure most people feared. but here he was, entirely undone by this moment - by you and the little life about to enter the world.
"you're doing amazing, love." he whispered, voice low and tender, his lips brushing your damp forehead. his breath hitched as he glanced down at you, his eyes filled with something that was almost reverence. "i'm right here, okay? just a little more. she's almost here."
his voice anchored you, his touch grounding you as you prepared for the final push. you squeezed his hand, clinging to the sound of his voice, the feeling of his presence. the pain was sharp, slicing through you, but you pushed past it, knowing that soon... soon, you would hold her.
"almost there," the doctor's voice cut through the haze. "just one more push."
you let out a strangled cry as you gave it everything you had, your body trembling with the effort. and then, through the haze of pain and exhaustion, you heard it - a tiny, sharp cry. a baby's cry.
your breath caught in your throat as the doctor lifted your newborn daughter, wrapping her in a soft, white blanket. mattheo's grip tightened on your hand as his eyes widened, dark and intense as they locked on the little bundle in the doctor's arms.
"congratulations," the doctor smiled, lowering the baby onto your chest. "meet your daughter."
your heart stopped. everything in the world, every fear, every doubt, every bit of exhaustion - everything melted away the moment you looked down at her. your little girl. her skin was soft and flushed, her tiny fingers curling instinctively around the blanket, and her eyes - closed tightly, but you could already see the light she carried within her. she was perfect.
"oh..." you breathed, tears slipping down your cheeks as you stared at her in disbelief. "mattheo... she's perfect."
mattheo couldn't speak. his breath hitched, and for a second, you thought he was going to break down. he reached out, his fingers trembling slightly as he brushed them against her tiny hand. the moment his skin touched hers, something shifted in him - something deep, profound.
"she's... she's beautiful." he whispered, his voice raw, choked with emotion. he leaned closer, pressing a soft kiss to your forehead before gazing down at his daughter with an expression you'd never seen before. "nicole daphne riddle," he said her name for the first time, as though trying to commit it to memory. "our little girl."
