Reason To Be (A Zouis Family AU)

Interlude Four, Extra Four

She lets out a giggle and bounces on her knees a little before she opens her mouth and shrieks, "dada!"

He freezes. Emily sits upright beside him with a sharp intake of breath. Even Gracie stops bouncing and goes back to staring silently with those wide brown eyes of hers.

"Did — did she just —" Liam splutters over the words, heart soaring in his chest.

"I think she did."

Emily lets out a laugh beside him and he can't help but join in with it, leaning down to scoop their daughter up, hooking his hands beneath her tiny arms and lifting her with ease into his lap.

"Say it again," he says, holding her up on wobbly legs which are yet to take their first solo steps.

She giggles and bats out a drool covered hand to grapple onto his chin. He bounces her slightly on his lap, love and a million other warm emotions rushing to the surface.

"Go on, baby, say 'dada'," he repeats, though he doesn't really mind whether she repeats it or not because saying it once is enough to turn his entire body into mush.

Gracie gargles and smacks his face a few times in a way that makes him laugh before she opens her mouth again. "Dada! Dada, dada, dada!" She babbles, and this is it, Liam thinks, he's going to die of absolute overwhelm and cuteness overload right here on the couch with freaking Peppa-Pig playing on the TV in front of them.

Once Gracie starts talking, she doesn't seem to stop.
He wouldn't have it any other way.

two
Gracie takes her first steps on her first birthday, a two-in-one special if you will. She's come close several times, standing with the support of the coffee table or the couch or somebodies hands holding onto hers — but every time she's tried to venture away from the stabilisers, she's crumpled and given up.

They're at his Dad and Papa's house when it happens, all sitting around in the kitchen after dinner — adults are the table (at he still feels weird referring to himself as one of the adults, even now), Gracie out of her high chair playing on the floor with Harry and Niall. Liam watches his two younger brothers sitting in the linoleum with their legs stretched out, backs resting against the cupboards, holding out pots and pans and wooden spoons for the toddler to clang together loudly whilst she screeches along.

He watches with a smile, turning to face his parents as Dad rests a hand on his arm and gives it a squeeze. "How you feeling?" He asks softly.

Liam frowns in confusion at the question, giving a small shrug. "Fine. Why?"

Papa laughs. "The first birthday I spent with you, you were turning four. I still cried like a baby the night before because I didn't want you to grow up," he says, and Liam feels himself soften at the words, smiling at the men who raised him and trying to swallow down the lump in his throat.

"I mean...she's one and that's huge and everything but it's not like — she's not growing up yet. She can't even walk —"

"Um, Li," Niall calls out, sounding shocked.

Liam turns his head quickly with panic thrumming through him for second before his eyes widen and he sees Gracie standing on two wobbly legs, letting go of the cupboard and turning to face him.