Once Arabella was up from her nap, they let Jessica try to nurse her.
The baby was crying out loud, and Jessica and Danny had never been so happy to hear a cry before.
"Listen to that strong cry! Mommy is so proud of you, Arabella!" Jessica smiles at her.
"She's hungry!" The nurse says handing her to Jessica.
"Well momma's ready for you! I'm so happy I get to do this, baby girl!" She kisses her forehead.
"Come on, baby.. Open up." She brushes her nipple back and forth on her mouth.
"There we go, good girl! Now close it!" Jessica giggles.
"Come on, baby.. Eat!"
Ten minutes later...
"Ugh, this is so frustrating! Why won't she do it?!" Jessica whines.
"It takes some babies a while, Mrs. Huston. With her being a preemie, it might take even longer."
Jessica looks at the nurse with a disappointed face, and says, "Well she's hungry, what do I do?"
"Try for another few minutes, and if she still doesn't, then we'll try to bottle feed."
"Okay. You hear that, baby? You have to suck! Come on, let's show them you can do it!"
Danny sat beside Jessica and looked down at the baby.
"It's in your mouth already,just give it a little suck!" He smiles and rubs her arm.
Arabella puts her hand on Jessica's chest and her weak little eyes open just a little bit more.
Jessica smiles as her heart aches looking down at her sickly baby.
A tear falls and lands on Arabella's tiny hand.
"It's okay.. You'll get it one day. I'm still so so proud of you." She says in a whisper.
Suddenly out of nowhere, Arabella starts to eats like she's been nursing for weeks.
Jessica's jaw drops and her eyes widen, "Whoa!"
"Look at her!" Danny smiles.
"She's just drinking away like a pro!"
"I know!"
"Look how fast she's going, slow down!" She laughs.
Danny rubs his thumb on her back and Jessica turns to him with a small smile.
Danny looks into her eyes as he smiles back at her.
They both lean in and share a soft kiss.
***
That evening...
The kids had been staying with Jessica's parents for the last couple of days, and haven't seen Jessica since she was sick.
"Mom! Dad!" The kids run to them.
"Hey kids!" Danny smiles.
"Mommy, what was wrong with you?! I was so scared!" Sofia says.
"I was just a little sick, but I'm all better now." She smiles.
"Can daddy stay with us, just in case something happens? I don't want you to die, mommy." Sofia say with tears in her eyes as she throws herself onto her.
"Oh! Oh baby, don't worry about things like that. I'm okay, sweetie!"
"But what if you get sick again?"
"I won't, the doctor gave me medicine, and I'm gonna take really good care of myself!"
"Okay.." She hugs her tight and lays her head on her shoulder.
Jessica rubbed her back and smiled at Jackson.
"I missed you, mommy." He smiles.
"Oh I missed you too, sweet boy!"
"Is the baby coming home?"
"Not yet, sweetie. Listen, you two.. We need to talk."
The four of them sit on the couch and Jessica says, "Kids.. *Sighs* Kids, your sister is still very weak. she had a really good day today, but that doesn't mean she's out of the woods yet."
"What dos that mean?" Jackson asks.
"That means that we're not sure if she'll ever be able to come home with us or not." Danny says.
"She'll stay at the hospital?"
Jessica pauses and says, "Baby.. We just have to pray. We have to pray that God heals her little body, and let's her stay here with us, for a long, long, long, long time! Can we do that?"
"I always pray for that." Sofia smiles.
"Aw, you do?"
"Mhm! I pray for Arabella, grandma, grandpa, uncle George, aunt Anne, aunt Jane, aunt Angelica, I pray for Jackson, mommy, and I pray for daddy!"
"Aw, well that's very sweet of you, Sof!" Jessica smiles.
"Thank you! Mommy?"
"Yes, baby?"
Sofia looks at Danny with a worried look, then looks back at Jessica and whispers, "Can daddy stay with us forever and ever?"
Jessica's eyes water and she looks over to Danny.
"Sweetie.. Daddy can stay here. Everything's okay, alright? We're working very very hard for everything to be perfect!" She smiles.
"Really?!"
"Yes!"
"Oh my gosh! God answered! He answered!" Sofia jumps on Danny.
Jessica giggles at how excited she is, but can't help but cry as well.
"We're a family again!"
"Hey, we were always a family, silly goose!" Danny tells her.
"Yes but not a normal one! But now we are! Now we are!" She yells and hugs him tight.
