Somniphobia

Chapter 94. Mine to love

Author note..
Sorry about the late update again! I got busy but I'm back don't worry. Please vote and comment I wanna know your guys thoughts. Love you all for the support hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Caleb POV
The sound of our baby boy crying from his bedroom pulled me out of my sleep.

Aria was laying on top of me, snuggled into my arms with her face tucked into my neck, snoring softly.

She was exhausted from giving birth to our son—completely drained. She had lost so much blood that she became severely anemic, and even now she was still recovering. All she needed was rest, and I was going to make sure she got it.

Lydia and Sammy had offered to watch Ace so I could focus on Aria. I was grateful for that—this was all new to me, and I didn't want to mess anything up by overwhelming myself.

On top of everything, Aria was dealing with postpartum depression.

It was a lot.

But I knew we'd be okay. We just needed time.

Carefully, I slid her off me and laid her gently on the bed, placing her stuffed animals in her arms. She whimpered softly in her sleep, but I quickly covered her with the blanket, making sure she stayed warm.

I slipped out of bed and quietly made my way down the hall to our son's room.

His cries filled the silence, but instead of panic, they brought a strange warmth to my chest—the same feeling I got whenever I heard Aria's voice.

Now, his did the same.

I walked over to the crib and carefully picked him up, cradling him in my arms.

"Shhh... daddy's here, buddy," I murmured softly.

He calmed almost instantly, his big green eyes looking up at me as if he already knew me.

"Let's get you a bottle."

I grabbed one from the mini fridge in his room, making sure it wasn't too cold, then brought it to his lips. He latched on immediately, drinking quietly as he stared at me.

I sat down in the rocking chair, holding him close as he fed.

"He's awake."

I looked up to see Lydia standing in the doorway.

"Yeah," I said softly, glancing back down at him. "He was hungry."

I couldn't stop looking at him.

He was so small... so perfect.

It was hard to believe that me and Aria created something so beautiful—something that carried pieces of both of us in the most perfect way.

"I can take him if you're sleepy, Caleb," she offered.

"No, I'm fine, Nonna," I declined softly.

"Did you even get any sleep? Or was she keeping you up all night?" she asked.

Her tone was laced with something I didn't like—annoyance... maybe even judgment.

She was talking about my wife—the mother of my son—like she was some lazy, needy woman.

"Why do you care if she kept me up or not?" I asked, my jaw tightening.

It was barely seven in the morning, and she was already starting something.

This is exactly why I didn't want her coming to New York in the first place. Why I never wanted to introduce her to Aria.

"I'm just asking. You know it's important for you to sleep too," she said.