Happily Ever After

21: Starting IVF

There's never a dull day here, huh?" Maya giggled, and Carina nodded with a smile.
"Never a dull day in paradise," she replied, and Maya looked at her with a goofy grin. It was true, as hectic as their life was, they wouldn't trade it for anything.

———

"Since Sarah's this drunk, we should take shifts sleeping to make sure everything goes smoothly," Maya insisted, and Carina nodded in agreement. Having someone awake, someone who could act if something was wrong, was a good idea.

"I'll take the first one," Carina offered, and Maya gave her wife a peck on the lips. "Are you sure?' Maya asked, rubbing her eyes to stay awake, trying to ward off the exhaustion she felt. "Positive. Close your eyes, tesoro, I know you're tired," Carina smiled, opening her available arm for Maya to snuggle against.

"Goodnight, babe. I love you so much," the blonde yawned, and laid down in her wife's arms, right next to her daughter, who was snoring somewhat loudly due to the alcohol, her mouth hanging open like her mom's usually did.

"Are you going to be able to sleep?" Carina laughed, and Maya smiled sleepily.

"I've... slept through...worse..." she mumbled, her eyes fluttering closed. Her grip on Carina's hand loosened as the blonde instantly fell asleep, her mouth slowly falling open as her breathing evened out. That was one perk of being a firefighter; they learned to fall asleep quickly. Carina shook her head as she chuckled quietly.

That was one thing she could never understand. Carina cracked open her notebook and her phone, making meticulous notes all while listening for any changes in her daughter's sleeping. The Italian luckily knew the IVF process fairly well, and was compiling a book of sorts for Travis and Emmett to read.

She knew what to expect, but the two future dads did not, so she offered to help answer their questions. This would also serve as a research project, one that her boss, Chief of Surgery Miranda Bailey, had approved. A generalized study of the process.

Sarah's breathing hitched and she began mumbling, Carina instantly putting everything down in case of disaster. As much as she loved her daughter, she was pissed. This was reckless behaviour, and she could have done something stupid. Carina just hoped that Sarah didn't do anything stupid.

"Mm...Mamma..."

"Shhh, bambina. I'm right here, Sare," the Italian soothed.

"Where's my mamma? I want my mamma..." Sarah mumbled, throwing her arm over Maya, who was unaffected, being the deep sleeper that she was.

"I'm right here, tesoro," Carina soothed.

"Mamma... Mamma... I need to go over math... but I... I'm... sleepy... got a test... to study... for..."

"Shhh, bellina. That was last week, Sarah. Shhhh," Carina whispered, rubbing her daughter's arm until the teenager slowly stopped her mumbling, resuming her snores. Carina chuckled, Sarah really was Maya's mini. The little things, like the sleep talking, really showed the Italian how similar the mother and daughter duo were, and that brought her so much joy.

Carina had a lovely couple hours of time to herself, taking meticulous notes and writing a journal of sorts. Eventually, Maya's turn came around and Carina fell asleep quickly, exhausted, sprawled out on the blonde's chest.

Maya read more about IVF while stroking her wife's cheek, and what to expect. She knew Carina could just tell her, but she had several hours to herself, so she thought she'd make the most of it. It made her happy to just watch her girls sleep. They looked so peaceful. Maya could never get enough of them.