Cigarettes [Bennoda] ✔

Chapter 74

Chester's POV
"Can we please hold her?" Mike asked like he always did when we saw Max. The nurse sighed a little. I could tell she was tired of us asking, but she was never rude or anything. She knew we were just new parents and wanted her in our arms already.

"Please?" Mike asked again when she didn't say anything. "We're not supposed to when she's still this little. I've told you this, Mr. Shinoda." She said. Mike sighed. "She's been here for like a week and a half. I'm dying to hold her. It doesn't even have to be that long. Just a few minutes." He said.

"I'll go ask the doc. Okay?" We both nodded our heads. She smiled a little and walked away. "He's gonna say no." I mumbled. "Hey, you never know. Maybe not." Mike said. We waited for about five minutes and then she came back into the room. She came back with a big smile on her face.

"He said yes, but-" She started. Mike cut her off. "Hell yes! I fucking knew he'd say yes." He said. I laughed and playfully shushed him. "Shh... Mikey." I said. "But only for a few minutes each." The nurse finished. "That's fine, as long as we get to hold her." He said. She nodded and started getting her ready to hold. After she unhooked her from a few machines, she turned around with her.

"Who wants to hold her first?" She asked. Mike looked at me. "Chester can hold her first." He said. "You sure?" I asked. "Of course, baby." I smiled and held out my arms for her. The nurse gently put her in my arms. She was so tiny and was awake and looking at me. I started tearing up while holding her. I looked at Mike for a second and he was grinning.

"God... you're so beautiful, Max." I said as I looked back down at her. Mike pulled out his phone to take a picture. "Come on, Mike. I look horrible today." I said with a little chuckle. He laughed. "Shh... No you don't, love. I have to get a picture of the two most beautiful things on earth." He said. He took a picture and showed it to me. "See? Y'all are so pretty. Fuck." He said. I laughed and looked back down at her.

"You look like your daddy. That one." I said with a little laugh as I motioned toward Mike. Mike grinned. "You think?" He asked. "Look, she's got your black hair and I think she's gonna have your eyes." "Yeah?" "Yeah. You know how you've got your mom's eyes, but you can still tell you're from an Asian descent. I love that." Mike smiled and nodded.

"Okay, Mike it's your turn." The nurse said. Mike held out his arms and I handed her over to him. "You are so tiny. Oh my God." He said as he looked at her. "You need to hurry and gain some weight so we can take you home. I need a lil chunk I can snuggle with." He said. We both laughed. "Chester's great to snuggle with, but he's tiny like you. He needs to get some meat on his bones too." He whispered. "Hey!" I said. We both laughed again. "Just kidding. He's the perfect snuggle buddy, but yeah. We're so ready to take you home." He said. He was smiling, but you could tell he was still scared and nervous. There was just that look in his eyes. He looked up at me and smiled.

"Your turn." I said as I got his phone and took a picture of them. "Look, I think she's got your's and Kat's nose and ears." He said after I took the picture. "Really?" "Yeah."

"Alright guys. Time to put her back. Maybe you can hold her again tomorrow or the next day. Oh and she's almost three pounds now. One more pound and we can talk about taking her home. She's breathing on her own and all now, so things look good." She said. Mike handed her back over and we smiled to eachother. "We might get to take her home in another week or so. I'm so happy." He said. "Me too."

-

"Today was a good day." Mike said as we were on the way back home. He reached over and intertwined his hand in mine. "It was. Hopefully the next few weeks will go by fast and we'll be able to take her home." I said. "Yeah." He said with a little nod, glancing at me and then back at the road.