Mistakes [A SVU Fanfiction]

[28]

Two weeks after Christmas, in the middle of the worst snowstorm that New York City had seen in years, Lilah Mae Barba was born. She came quick, but thanks to having Alex and Rafael both there, she came safely and into a house full of love.

"Her entrance was a lot more extreme than I expected." Olivia whispered as she snuggled her newborn close.

"The boys didn't even wake up. You'd expect them to wake up when their baby sister is being born." Alex chuckled softly as she walked back into Olivia and Rafael's room. 

"I'm glad they didn't... I needed you both through this all. Rafa and I had a plan for a hospital labor and delivery since I'm older and wanted nothing bad to happen. God, I was scared and kinda still am." Olivia breathed, as she finally lifted her eyes from Lilah's sweet face.

"Are you feeling okay, love?" Rafael asked as he grew worried. 

"I'm feeling fine, and as soon as the roads cleared we need to go to the hospital, so all of my worries will be soothed in a day or so. Hopefully sooner." Olivia replied.

The conversation fizzled out as Lilah grunted in her mother's arms. Rafael and Alex moved closer to the bed and focused on the small and beyond special little girl. Rafael felt a few tears slip down his cheeks as he reached out and caressed the thin brown hair that covered his daughter's head.

"I bet you are going to be trouble, Lilah Mae. Especially if you are anything like the women in your life." Rafael whispered.

///

At the boys' usual time they woke up and found that their Aunt was the only one in the living room. Cade held his brother's hand as he led him from his bedroom and towards the sofa.

"Hi, Auntie." Cade and Clayton yawned in unison.

"Hey, sweet boys. How'd you sleep?" Alex asked, as she shut her laptop before moving to the boys. She leaned down and hugged them tightly, before leading them to the sofa so they could wake up while she cuddled them.

"I slept good..." Cade yawned, as Clayton climbed onto Alex's lap and stared to doze back off in her arms.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Is it still snowing?" Cade questioned, and Alex nodded.

"It is. And later I will take you outside. Okay?"

"Can Mama and Daddy come with us? Or is Mama still not feeling good?" Cade asked, as he frowned at the thought of his mother not feeling well.

No one knew why Olivia wasn't feeling well yesterday, but it was very clear once Lilah made her arrival in the early hours of the next day.

"Mama is feeling better now, buddy. But she won't be joining us outside. Your Daddy probably won't either." Alex admitted since Rafael hadn't left Olivia's side at all. He was beyond dedicated to her, which was amazing for Alex to see. Especially since she had watched how horribly Elliot had treated Olivia when they were married.

"Why not Daddy?!" Cade huffed loudly. Rafael heard it from the bedroom, before he slowly walked out and into the living room.

"Cade Michael, please don't get grumpy already. We have an extremely good reason for Mama and me staying inside. Okay?"

"And what is that?!" Cade spat, as he climbed off the couch and stomped towards his father.

"Mama had Lilah last night." Rafael breathed. Cade narrowed his eyes at his father and tried to figure out if he was lying or not.

"Lilah is in there with Mama right now?" Cade mused, and Rafael nodded.

"Yeah. Mama had her last night and she's an amazing baby. Trust me."

"C-can I meet her?" Cade whispered.

"Let me ask Mama."

///

Cade and Clayton were very careful with their baby sister. Rafael helped them hold her, and they couldn't keep their eyes off of her. As Olivia watched her sons, fiance, and daughter all together she realized that every mistake that happed in the past was worth it. It led her to her amazing life right now, and she couldn't be happier.

The day after Lilah was born, Olivia and Rafael packed up Lilah and made the slow trek to the hospital so Olivia and Lilah could be examined. 

"Are you feeling alright?" Rafael asked, as he looked in the rearview mirror and at Olivia. She nodded slowly as she kept her hand placed against Lilah's chest.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired." Olivia replied softly.

"Are you sure?" Rafael asked, and Olivia nodded.

"When I had Cade, I lost all the color in my face and was extremely worn down for about two weeks. I just might not look like myself or act like myself for a few weeks while I'm still recovering from having Lilah." Olivia spoke, as she tried her best to calm Rafael down.

It took nearly two hours to get into the city and to the hospital. The roads were still horrible, but they didn't want to wait any longer to get looked at. Rafael's girls were too important to him for them to wait any longer.

Once they got to the hospital, Rafael carried in Lilah with one hand, while he had his other hand helping Olivia to keep her balance.

They got into the ER and Olivia got a bed pretty much as soon as they arrived. She and Rafael had a bunch of questions to answer about Lilah's birth and about everything else. Lilah was taken to get some tests ran, so Rafael stayed with Olivia. He sat beside her and gently rubbed her arm as she sat cross legged on the bed.

"So, you have been amazing through this all, Rafa." Olivia smiled, as she looked over at her fiance.

"Awe, thanks." Rafael chuckled.

"I'm being serious though, Rafa. I was freaking out yesterday because our plan went out the window thanks to all the snow and our daughter being eager to meet us... you kept me calm and helped me through it. Elliot would have never did that for me, and I'm so beyond thankful for you and everything you do for our family." Olivia whispered.

"You four are too important to me, so I refuse to act like an ass and treat you like shit. None of you deserve that, and never have. And I'm proud of you, Liv. You were a badass and that will never change."