That Would Be Enough

15

As the next few months passed, Lin and Kate seemed to fall even more and more in love.  They started looking for apartments immediately and soon found the perfect one.  It was three bedrooms and they had a wonderful view of the Hudson River.  They quickly moved on it, knowing it would soon be snatched up.  They moved in and terminated the leases on their old apartments.  Maddie got an upgraded bed.  She'd had a toddler bed she was getting a bit big for, and now she had a twin-sized bed.  She even got to pick out the bedspread.

Maddie seemed thrilled to have Lin officially living with them full time.  She adored him, and was constantly all over him and asking him to play.  She was also starting to get more comfortable with him and was starting to test his limits.  Up until now, he'd been more of a fun uncle, but now that he was no longer a guest he had to be a bit firmer.

"Let's go!" Maddie tried to hurry Lin along, anxious to go to the park.

"Not until you pick up your toys like I asked," Lin said as he cleaned a few things up in the kitchen.

"No!" She told him, kicking at one of her toys.

"Madeline, that's not how you treat your toys," he told her firmly.  "Pick them up please."

The little girl laid down on the floor, spreading her arms and legs out, and cried. It was so unfair.  Lin sighed and wiped his hands on a towel.

"I'm going to count to three," he told her over her crying.  "One...two...."

He gave her some extra wait time, but she wasn't moving.  "Three."

She screeched as he walked over to her.  Lin picked her up and then carried her back to her bedroom.  He set her down on her bed.  "Stay here until I come get you."

Lin shut the door and she began to cry louder.  He went to the living room and sat down, turning on the TV to drown out the noise a bit.  Madeline didn't like that he was setting firm limits and not letting her get away with acting up.

About five minutes later, she had finally calmed down, or at least had stopped crying.  Lin walked back to her room and found her rubbing at her eyes on her bed.  He sat down next to her.

"Madeline, what did I ask you to do?"

"Pick up my toys," she said.

"That's right," he said.  "You don't leave a mess.  Are you ready to go clean up now, then we can go to the park?"

"Uh-huh," she decided.  Lin took her hand and they walked to the living room together, where he helped her pick up her toys.  It only took a couple minutes.  Lin then took her to the park where they played happily.

Kate got home later in the day.  Lin thought she looked gorgeous pregnant.  She wore the cutest little dresses, and she glowed.  He told her constantly how beautiful she was and showered her with affection.  They'd since met each other's parents and they all got along very well.  Lin's parents were suggesting Latino names for the baby.  Her parents suggested traditional English names.  They were keeping a list, experimenting with combinations of first and middle names. 

One Saturday, Lin and his father were trying to assemble the crib they'd just bought for the baby.  The instructions never quite seemed right.  After starting over a third time, they decided to take a break and grab a beer.  They went to the roof of the apartment building and relaxed for a few minutes.

"Dad, I'm getting really nervous," Lin admitted to Luis as they enjoyed the nice weather.

"You're going to be a wonderful father," Luis assured his son.  "You're great with your nephews and you're great with Madeline."

"But I haven't been the one responsible for them," he said.  "I'm afraid I'm going to screw it up."

"Every new parent thinks that," Luis said.  "It's a bit nerve-wracking, but you learn as you go."

Lin nodded and took a sip from his beer.  "I'm a bit nervous about the birth, quite honestly."

Luis chuckled and shook his head.  "Yeah, that's another story," he said.  "You'll make it through.  Just hold her hand and be encouraging."

"She's going to want to murder me."

"She'll be fine afterwards," he said.  "Once you meet the baby, the pain is forgotten about."

"Were you nervous about becoming a dad?" Lin asked.

"Sure," he said.  "Of course, your mother already had your sister when I came along.  I got some practice with her before you came along.  But yeah, I get what you mean about it being yours.  You were my kid, and I thought for sure I would screw you up."

"I seemed to turn out okay," Lin said.

"Sometimes I wonder," he joked.  "Remember, you've got tons of family and friends nearby.  You can always ask for help."

The two men finished off their beers and headed back down to the apartment so they could give the crib assembly another try.  Luz was having a chat with Kate over tea in the kitchen.  They were laughing and smiling, so it seemed to be going well.  Lin walked over and planted a kiss on the top of Kate's head.

"How's it going over here?"

"Fine," Kate said.  "Have you guys given up on the crib?"

"We're about to give it another try," Lin said.  "I will not let it get the best of me."

"Try Youtube," Kate suggested.

"Good idea," Lin said, pulling out his phone.  He pulled up Youtube and put in the make and model of the crib.  Just like that, an instructional video came up.  Gold.

In less than half an hour, Lin and Luis had successfully constructed the crib.  They gloated, proud of their accomplishment.  It was a beautiful day, so the five of them took a walk down to Central Park to have a picnic.  Madeline loved being the center of attention and talked excitedly to Lin's parents.  Kate worried a bit about Maddie having to share the spotlight with a sibling.  She'd been an only child for almost five years now and wasn't used to not have all of Kate and Lin's attention.

Later on, Luis and Luz headed home and Madeline was put to bed.  Lin and Kate laid in bed, spooning, as Lin gently stroked her belly.  One of his favorite things to do was to put his hand on her belly and feel for any kicking.  It was one of the coolest things he'd ever felt.  Kate's belly was growing fast and she was starting to feel a bit self-conscious about how she looked.  Lin, however, loved her pregnant belly.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered to her, his lips right next to her ear.  She squeezed his hand, where they rested, conjoined on her belly.

"I'll be glad when I'm back to a normal size," she told him honestly.  Kate had three months left.  The nursery was mostly ready, and her baby shower was about a month away.  They'd decided not to find out the sex of the child.  They would be surprised at the birth.  There was a list of names for both boys and girls; a mix of Latino and English names.  Lin desperately wanted to know what they were having, but Kate insisted they not know. 

"Are you sure we can't find out what it is?" He asked, kissing her neck.

"I want to be surprised," she told him, smiling.

"But you'll be surprised when the nurse tells you," he pointed out, making her laugh.

"What do you want it to be?" she asked.

"I don't mind," he said, kissing her neck some more.  "As long as it's healthy."

"So why does it matter?"

"It's killing me," he admitted.  "I need to know."

Kate turned in his arms and palmed his cheek, smiling.  "Patience, Lin-Manuel," she told him.  He grinned at her as their baby kicked beneath his hand.