Aurelia [h.s.]

thirty-five

"Happy birthday sweetheart!" Aurelia kisses Darcy's cheek obnoxiously and the little girl giggles and waves her arms.

She's just stood back up properly when Darcy's bright little voice catches everyone's attention. "Mama!"

Aurelia's eyes widen and she drops back down to where Darcy sits in her high chair. She's not sure if she's imaging things or if Darcy really just said her first word. "What did you say, sweetie?"

Everyone is staring at the toddler with massive smiles and waiting anxiously to see if she'll say it again. Harry has his camera out now and he's recording to make sure he gets it on video, his teeth on full display as he watches his wife and daughter interact.

Darcy waves her little arms up and down happily as Aurelia smiles at her, "Mama!"

Aurelia doesn't bother to ask for Harry's help and she picks her little girl up with tears in her eyes and presses kisses all over her little face. "Yes, mama! Harry, she said mama!"

Harry stops recording and joins Aurelia in smothering their little one-year-old with kisses. Darcy loves the attention and continues to giggle and wave her arms around. She's such a sweet and happy little girl and everyone around her finds it hard not to adore her, especially Anne, who sometimes acts like she's her third child.

"Mama!"

Aurelia kisses Darcy's cheek again and Darcy takes it upon herself to grab a fistful of her mommy's hair and tug happily. "Oh, you're so cute!"

Aurelia doesn't mind the hair pulling at this point because Darcy's had the habit for a while and she's already grown accustomed to the feeling because the doctors constantly put sensors on her head. Plus, if she could see her, Aurelia would bet anything that it's quite adorable.

Harry and his mother share glances as they look between Aurelia and Darcy and his mother mouths, "Good job."

She's very proud of the choices that he's made, even if the first one will deem his heart irreparable. Aurelia's a wonderful woman and a very good mother, no matter what anyone else said about her before and Anne is proud to have her as part of the family.

Harry mouths back a 'thank you' before retrieving Darcy's very first birthday cake from the table and lighting the candle. He leans over to whisper in Aurelia's ear, "Time to sing Happy Birthday, mummy."

Aurelia makes sure to hold Darcy carefully as everybody sings Happy Birthday to her. Sure, it isn't necessary to do so much for a one-year-old's birthday, but it might have been the only birthday that Aurelia will be there for and first birthdays are a very big milestone for infants.

Aurelia and Harry help Darcy blow out her candle before Harry decides to be adorable and spread a little icing over her tiny nose. Darcy's a giggling mess and everyone loves it.

Regretfully, Aurelia sits Darcy back in her high chair and lets her messily eat her little cake. Darcy's shoving tiny fistfuls of cake into her mouth and all over her face while the adults carefully eat pieces from a different cake.

Aurelia eats a little slower than everyone else because she needs to be very careful. Harry takes some time to kiss the bottom of her jaw and whisper an 'I love you' in her ear. She's warmed up to showing affection in front of his family and she blushes before whispering it back.

He's seconds away from kissing her when Darcy happily interrupts, "Mama!"

They both laugh and Harry jokes with a smile, "First word never gets old."

* * *

Aurelia laughs as Darcy splashes around merrily in front of her. Harry, Anne, and Gemma watch them from a little way away because they prefer to tan and Aurelia likes the water and apparently so does Darcy.