The Tragic Life

Chapter 35

New life is a beautiful thing. I spent most of the past three hours panting, gritting my teeth, and shouting with Yasmin as she gave birth to the most beautiful little angel. Alima Jayne Grey is perfect, and the absolute double of her beautiful mummy.

Matt burst into tears at the first sounds of her loud wails, as I rushed to the end of the bed when the doctor said the words: It's a girl. I couldn't help it as pure happiness and excitement for my two best friends overtook me.

Now, we're sitting in the hospital room with Alima sound asleep in her cot, waiting on Emily's arrival. Jamie is bringing her down after picking up the gifts I preordered from town. I'm most excited to see Emily's tiny face as she meets the tiny human who's been growing in Aunty Yasmin's belly for the past nine months. Nine point three months, to be exact.

There's a knock at the door which pulls me up from my seat to see Emily wobbling into the room with the big pink balloon in her hands. I crouch down when she spots me and squeaks to pick her up to sit on the hospital bed near Yasmin as she pulls her tiny body close to point to the see-through crib.

"Look, Emmy. Your baby cousin," Yasmin says in a croaky voice. She's exhausted.

Emily looks at me, to Jamie who's peeking over the edge of the bundle of joy to launch her body towards the crib with her chubby fingers over the plastic rim. "Baby!"

We all giggle as she kneels now to almost join Alima in there. Jamie steps in when poor Yasmin is in too much pain to move her. It's so sweet as he collects Emily into his arms to lean down so she can touch the baby.

"Ahh," she says, patting a little too hard which causes Alima to wriggle about. Emily jumps at this like she expected her to never move. "Baby, dada."

Dada.

Yeah, that still gets me deep in the gut.

I had been secretly trying to get her to say dada on the sly, which she took to pretty quick considering she's the next genius. Not biased. I promise you.

Future world leader right here.

Anyway, Jamie was typing on his laptop on the couch one evening when I came downstairs after bathing Emily ready for her to have her nighttime cuddles when I pointed to Jamie and she came right out with the words.

It was beautiful as his head snapped to the side with the laptop almost on the floor. "What did you just say, baby?" he whispered, eyes flicking up to me, then back to Emmy who was holding onto the leg of my jogging pants.

Then she was off, thundering towards him with her arms out. "Dadadadada!"

He caught her in time to lift her so close to his face that his nose smacked into the back of her head as he started to laugh hysterically, until those laughs turned into happy tears. "Yes, baby, dada."

The love right then was so strong that it stole my breath as he fell back into of the couch with her in his arms. They giggled together with Emily tugging at the tie wrapped loosely around his neck, and him not able to take his eyes from her.

Jamie leans in now to stroke Alima's tiny head. "Yes, isn't she beautiful?"

Yasmin and Matt are both watching with gentle smiles as Emily starts stroking the blanket wrapped around Alima. My girl looks up at Yasmin when she says, "Belly!

Opening her arms, Yasmin waits for Jamie to round there so she can take her into her arms, pulling the covers down to show her still-rounded belly. "Look, belly all gone now."

Emily crawls down the bed to place two hands over Yasmin's belly. "Belly on!"

She's coming on in leaps and bounds as she tries her best to speak in full words now with some sentences sneaking in there.