Lotus [18+]

|This is what I can promise|

|Lotus Cortez|
|Six weeks later|

"Ahhh!" My throat stung as I gripped the hands of Camilo and Ace.

"Good job, Lotus," the Doctor congratulated with the cry of my newborn baby, filling the room.

My eyes immediately followed the nurse who quickly wrapped my little purple baby in a white blanket before handing her to me and placing the little hat on her stunning little head. Everything in me was throbbing and it felt like I was about to implode because after twenty hours of labor, I finally have my perfect baby in my arms.

"Hello, Emilia," tears filled my eyes as my lips curved into a smile; she's so wrinkly and tender.

"Bienvenue, Emilia," Camilo whispered as he leaned his forehead on my head. "You did it, mon amour; you were brilliant," he whispered into my ear before pecking my temple. "I love you."

"I love you too," my head turned to my right to peck my fiancé's lips before looking at the father of my baby, who was looking down at Emilia with a gaze that said it all; she's now his whole world which is exactly how I feel.

"You made a perfect baby girl, Lotus," Ace pecked the top of my head.

This must be an odd situation for everyone in the room who doesn't know the story.

The las couple of weeks haven't been easy at all. Coping with the loss of my best friend and nephew have had me reminiscing on the overpowering darkness that took over my every sense after the passing of my grandma. I've mostly been in bed, not wanting to do anything but look at my bump and hope to make my mother, grandmother and best friend proud. Camilo and Ace told me that if I wanted to change Emilia's name for the one of my grandma, mom or best friend, they would be okay with it, but I didn't know my mom and neither my grandma or Clara were fond of the idea of naming babies after family members; in their memory, I didn't do it.

After five minutes of the three of us, being utterly mesmerized by the tiny human being in my arms, the umbilical cord was clamped to then be cut by Ace.

My lower lip quivered as Camilo pushed further down my gown to uncover my left breast. I've never felt closer to my mom because now I know how she felt when she had me and how she saw me as her whole wide world, like grandma told me. I wish she was here to see me.

"It's okay, baby, mommy is here and she's never leaving you," I told as I helped her find my nipple, which she immediately sucked on once it grazed her lips. Oh, I can't wait for her to speak so we can stay up all night, talking.

Fifteen minutes later, I had delivered the placenta, Emilia seemed to be done eating and the nurses were getting ready to clean me up; luckily there weren't any vaginal or perineal tears which means I won't need stitches. They gave me a new bracelet and placed two on my baby before taking her away so she can be checked over.

Out of fear, I asked Camilo to walk my newborn baby to the nursery.

My head turned to Ace who was sitting on the sofa, to my left; he seemed incredibly overwhelmed which concerns me because the last time that happened, he cheated on me.

"Ace, honey, what's wrong?"

"I'm scared, Lotus," his voice broke.

A deep frown appeared upon my face "Why? Emilia is healthy and beautiful and perfect."

"That's exactly why I'm scared," he looked up at me. "I cheated on her mother; how will I explain that to her when she's old? She'll abhor me and with good reason but I don't want her to because she's now my entire life–"