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You've done many difficult things throughout your life.
You've gotten seriously injured more times than you can count, the scars riddled all over your body serving as proof. There were even a few times where you thought you were going to die.
But as for the hardest thing you've ever done, giving birth definitely takes the cake.
"C'mon, baby, one more." Jimin urges, holding your hand tight. "You can do this."
These white walls that you hate so much surround you once again. But this time, they are accompanied by several doctors and nurses who are trying to get this baby out of you.
It's a few hours into your labor and you're absolutely exhausted. But you know that you're almost there, so you can't give up.
"One big push on the count of three!" Dr. Jeon calls from near your feet. "One, two, three!"
You take a deep breath and push with all your might, squeezing your mate's hand so tightly that you might be cutting off his blood circulation.
When you finally hear the cheers and soft cries, you let out a sigh of relief. It's over.
"You did it, I'm so proud of you." Jimin smiles softly, kissing the back of your hand.
But you've completely tuned him out as the doctor brings your crying baby closer to you, resting her on your chest. "Oh my god, she's beautiful." You gasp, letting go of Jimin's hand so you can hold her properly.
She stops crying after a few moments, looking up at you with wide eyes. And that's when you fall in love.
Nova has a unique mix of both yours and Jimin's features. But the most noticeable of them is her button nose and her pouty lips, which she obviously acquired from her father.
"She's perfect." Jimin whispers, watching from next to you.
"You're just adorable, aren't you?" You coo. And as if she understood you, the corners of her lips turn up to form a little smile.
A chorus of 'aww's erupt from around the room.
"She's probably hungry, most babies are right after birth." A nurse mentions to you.
Well, breastfeeding it is. You move her head up towards your chest and she immediately latches on, beginning to suck. That's a weird feeling, alright.
But at the same time, it's such a special moment. It's the first time you're bonding with your baby.
When Nova's done, her little eyes begin to flutter closed. Being born takes a lot out of you, doesn't it?
"Do you want to hold her?" You ask, turning to Jimin.
He's been standing beside you this whole time, waiting patiently for you to ask that very question.
He nods excitedly, holding his arms out as you hand her over. He admires her for a moment before looking back at you with a small smile. "Wow, she looks exactly like me."
"Shut up." You chuckle. Yes, Nova was just born but you can't help but be slightly annoyed that you carried her for so long only for her to come out looking mostly like her father.
"Hey, hey, no cursing in front of our daughter."
"Oh, so 'shut up' is a bad word now?" You raise an eyebrow.
He nods, but the sparkle in his eyes tells you that he's just teasing.
After a few hours, the hospital staff has determined that you and your baby are in good condition. So after they stitch you up wherever is necessary, they wheel you to a recovery room. There, Jimin holds your child as you finally fill your now empty stomach with some food.
Surprisingly, your first visitor is your mother.
Your relationship with her has always been strained, even more so since the whole situation with your father. Because of this, you can't say you exactly expected her to be here.
"Hi, can I come in?" She asks in a soft voice.
You and Jimin nod. She makes her way in slowly as if in an effort not to wake the baby.
"Would you like to hold her?" Jimin offers as she approaches his side.
She nods, almost shyly, holding her arms out. As she looks down at her grandchild for the first time, you can see a look of awe cross her face. You can only imagine that it's similar to your expression when you held her for the first time. "She's beautiful." She says, gently rocking her back and forth. "What's her name?"
"Nova." You answer.
At the sound of your voice, your mother makes eye contact with you. In that moment, you can feel a certain feeling of understanding passing between the two of you. As if everything either of you have said or done in the past is forgiven and you're starting with a clean slate. It feels good, as if a weight has been lifted off of your shoulders.
"I'm so proud of you."
She finally says the words you've been waiting to hear your whole life.
"Of both of you." She continues, her eyes flickering to Jimin for a moment. "I can tell that you're going to be great parents. And if you ever need anything, I'll be happy to help."
Hearing these words from her couldn't make you happier. From an early age, you've learned to be independent from your parents since they never approved of you inheriting the Alpha position anyway. But knowing that you now have full support from your mother is amazing. It's something you've secretly always wanted.
"Thanks mom, that means a lot." You smile.
She stays for a bit longer before deciding she should give the three of you some time to rest. And you do, falling asleep soon after her departure.
But then, you are awoken by the sound of crying. "She's already hungry again?" You groan, rubbing at your eyes.
Jimin nods sympathetically, putting the crying child in your arms. You breastfeed her again and she becomes quiet soon after that, gurgling and then falling back asleep.
You're about to drift off once more with the child in your arms when there's a light knock at the door.
"Hey guys!" Helena peeks her head in before entering the room with Sawyer on her hip. "Look who I brought." She smiles.
Behind her is not only Yoongi, but also Hoseok and Taehyung.
