Just Rewards
by Threnody
Set: Some time way off in the future Disclaimer: I do not own Dot, Bob, Enzo, or anyone/anyplace you recognize. The baby in question is Adena, who made her fic debut in Lullaby, and is a creation of my own brain. Please don't use her without my permission. Oh, and I'm making no money off this story, so please don't sue. Author's Note: This occurs some vague amount of time into the future, so don't worry about continuity. :) Many thanks to Timesprite and Meghan. Feedback is greatly desired and will be yummed right up. thrennish@hotmail.com Dedication: To Alryssa, for being my Ryssalovely and handling the sprog with patience. ;)
As I look down at the little sprite in my arms, the world suddenly feels so right. Her tiny fists are becoming unclenched as sleep overcomes her, and I take this precious moment of silence and peace to just appreciate her presence. After the hell we've what been through, she seems to me to be the culmination of all we've fought for. Running a finger gently along her perfect pale blue cheek, I wonder if I'm up to this particular challenge. I've never done this before. Been a mother, yes. But Enzo was already a child when he became my responsibility. This... this is different. Not that I don't love him dearly, but loving Enzo never felt quite like this. This awe of holding someone who didn't exist such a short while ago, someone who is as much a part of you as your own right hand, is a humbling experience. And a tiring one. I was already a teenager by the time Enzo came along, but I don't remember it ever being like this. Of course, I wasn't the one responsible for him, either. I've run countless businesses, overseen mergers, negotiated contracts, battled viruses, run a system... but somehow all of that put together doesn't equal the sheer exhaustion that comes from caring for a single infant. I never thought, in a million hours, that I'd end up here. That I'd be with Bob. That I'd be sitting here in our home, cradling our tiny child in my arms, watching her sleep the sleep of one who has never known anything but comfort and love. My heart feels like it's about to burst. I don't think I can get much happier than this. Yes, it was hard giving up everything else and just focusing on this one thing. It's hard to watch everyone come and go as they please, drop in for a few nanos and then take off again, when I'm sitting here tethered to a baby and a mountain of equipment. Bottles, diapers, sleepers, wipes, carriers, toys, pacifiers... It can be so overwhelming, even for me. But I have to admit, as I brush a few wisps of silvery hair off my baby's forehead, that I wouldn't trade it for anything.
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