Bravissimo

Beautiful

I wake up in a haze and am very sore from my stomach down. Erik is sitting at my side holding my hand, and I grow worried as I don't see the baby. Erik smiles at me, kisses my hand and my breathing picks up as I look around. He shakes his head and puts his hand on my shoulder. "Hey, hey come now darling it's alright." "W-where is she." I ask tiredly. 

"With Antoinette and the doctor, making sure she's the healthiest she can be." I let out a sigh of relief and Erik helps me sit up and scoot to the edge of the bed. The front door closes as our bedroom door opens and Antoinette emerges with Annabel Lee safely in her arms. Erik smiles as do I. 

"Well, we have all twenty fingers and toes! She hasn't opened her eyes yet, very healthy and a strong crier bless your hearts." She says with a laugh, and looks down at her and then at us with a bit of unease. My heart sinks as Erik asks, "what is it?" 

"Well, she has what you feared, I'm afraid." She says and I stand up but Erik sits down and holds my hand as he leans his forehead into my outer thigh. I place my hand on his back. "But truly it is not as bad as you're thinking, honest!" I don't believe her. Dear God, what have we done? What horrors have we bestowed on this precious little girl? My head spins for a moment.

"What have I done?" I hear Erik whisper and I shake my head and kiss the top of his. "Let me have her." I say removing my hand from Erik's and I take my child in my arms for the very first time. Antoinette smiles. I gasp, immediately tear up and give a small laugh. 

"Ohh my, she's beautiful." I say swaying side to side. "It's her hand, and there's a small amount behind her ear, however the doctor says as she grows that should clear up quite well." "Oh, okay!" I say and smile and Antoinette leaves the room. 

"Let's see darling," I say to Annabel and unwrap her a bit and take out her left hand. Antoinette is right, her hand is deformed as well as a bit of her wrist, but it works all the same. She can move all her fingers and her wrist every way a person can, thankfully the deformity effects nothing but skin. Annabel starts to whimper and I calmly shush her which quickly makes her stop. "Mommy's here darling, it's alright." I say as I put her in one arm and the other hand on Erik's shoulder. I crouch down and put my forehead to Erik's. 

"Erik, really it's okay, it's her hand, my love." I whisper as I look at his sad eyes. "Her ear-" "Only the skin behind it, and it will be almost gone when she gets older." I say with a smile. "Erik, darling." I say placing Annabel on his legs. "You look at her and tell me she's not the most beautiful thing you've created." I say a bit stern. Erik puts his finger in her small hand and she gives it a squeeze making him give a grin. 

"She.. really is." He says as a tear falls from his cheek. "She'll be fine." I say putting my hands on either side of his face. "Like we said, we'll be there, every step of the way." Erik lightly nods his head and glances at me then back at her. He leans down and kisses her hand, then her head, the act alone filling my heart with joy and love. 

"We're not going anywhere my dear, I promise you that." Annabel stirs a bit making Erik chuckle, and he looks up to me, I smile and nod. "It's all going to be okay." I tell him and put my hand on his cheek, no matter how much reassurance he needs I'll give it. But now I see him smiling down at our daughter and I realize he won't really need it anymore. Antoinette knocks and walks back in. 

"All okay?" She says and we nod and smile. "Good, Christine, darling I must ask you to get back in bed, it's far too soon for you to be standing that long." She says and I oblige as I let Erik hold her now. No matter how much I feel the need to, it's important to me he does right now. Erik walks back and forth smiling down at her and finally sits on the bed next to me. It's an incredible thing seeing her small form in her father's large arms. She begins to stir again and then cries harder.