Settling in Seattle

Chapter 33- A First

"Rachel?" Mike spoke softly, she hadn't really spoken to him since their argument, and had gone to sleep before he had even gone upstairs. Sitting up against the headboard, he knew that his wife was awake, even if she wasn't facing him.

"Yes?" She whispered, still not moving, or eluding to any feelings.

"Can we talk?" Rachel rolled over so she was facing the ceiling, watching the sun reflections bouncing off the walls. She adjusted the duvet so it was comfortable and wriggled so she was sat slightly up right.

"Mike I'm sorry. I know where it came from and I should've voiced it." She finally turned to face him, resisting the overwhelming temptation to take him in her arms and kiss him.

"Where did it come from?"

"Having the time we did in the hotel room, it made me realise how much I missed you. Your touch, you're love, you're everything. Then I got to thinking that if we didn't have Rosalie we could do that whenever we wanted, and most lawyers our age..." Rachel's smile from when she thought back to their wonderful night morphed into a negligible moue.

"Babe, people start families at different times, and we can still have our time, in fact it's especially important."

"I know, I also know we aren't magnificently young anymore, but we're not old. Last night I actualised that I love being a mother more than anything, and I wouldn't go back even if I could. She's the best little baby you could wish for."

"I think we just had it balanced a bit wrong, and we need to work on finding time for each other, as well as treasuring the moments we have with Rosy. Before you know it she'll be five and learning to read."

"Don't make me think like that!" Rachel smiled and playfully slapped Mike's forearm that rested on the mattress in between the two of them.

"I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have snapped at you, and I get where you're coming from. I've never told you the guilt I felt when you told me you were pregnant, it sounds horrible like you said. I just felt like I'd let you down. I can see now that it was what was meant to happen, that's just how I felt in the moment. That said, I can't speak to that and then snap at you for trying to convey the same sort of thing."

"It's okay. We've got time now, is Rosalie still asleep?" Rachel's eyebrows scrunched in and Mike reached over to his bedside table, checking the baby monitor, confirming the time in the same move.

"Sound asleep. That's a first." He turned it so that she got a view, and then placed it back, Rachel smiling.

"That is a first." He matched her smile and they sat in silence for a moment. Until Mike opened his mouth to say something else, but Rachel stopped him by pressing her lips onto his. He reciprocated, and she moved herself, so she was on top of him, embracing each other with undeniable desire. Their time was treasured, every touch savoured, and every kiss preserved, holding on to every precious second that went by, rocking into an alluring rhythm.

"Bubba, what are you doing?" Mike tickled Rosalie's stomach as she unsteadily sat on the floor around her toys. Her back was strong, holding her up, however her arms were waving, and she was convulsing waywardly. Her smile was completely contagious, ear to ear and open mouthed, her eyes participating too. They sparkled up at her father, as she manoeuvred her hands to hit them together, mimicking Mike who was goofily encouraging her to clap.

"She's practicing clapping and sitting up all at once!" Rachel poked her head round the door frame, watching the beautiful interactions, catching the smile too.

"Yes, she is." Mike picked up the little silicone elephant and handed it to Rosalie before she reached too far and tumbled over herself. She laughed and flapped it around in her clammy, young hands, making both her parents chuckle.

"Look how big she's getting." Rachel moved into the living room and perched herself onto the arm of the sofa.

"I told you, next thing you know she'll be massive!" He looked up to her, and placed his hand on her thigh, rubbing his thumb against the cotton leggings.

"Not yet! I just mushed some more vegetables, there is now carrot, peas, I thought we could also give her some avocado to try... oh, and I've made some apple and cinnamon concoction that I thought would taste nice. I read somewhere that we can give her strawberries, and blueberries, I think it's good that she can hold the food and give it to herself."

"You're loving this baby food thing! I'm pretty sure you loved the sweet potato."

"Well, I'm pretty sure I didn't. It was just potato anyway, I've done more weird things."

"Have you now?"

"Remember when she had that baby acne, I read somewhere that breastmilk helps with if you rub it on, so I tried it! Slightly odd, but it worked, and I guess it's only natural."

"Well, sure. What are you doing on that front now that she's started solids?"

"I plan to feed her for the full year but wean her off it and just get her down to just a night feed."

"Sounds good to me." Mike smiled, and Rachel copied.

"I want to do something today; can we go somewhere?"

"Sure, where do you want to go?"

"Can we go for a walk around Volunteer Park?"

"Sounds great babe, we just need to compile our things!" Mike reached out and lifted Rosalie up, her arms attained upwards, and he placed her on his hip, following Rachel out the room to gather their belongings.

"I'll do changing, you grab her coat and stroller?"

"Okay, which coat?"

"Any!" Rachel shouted as they drew away from each other. She never said any, it must've been a good start to the day.