"Come on babe." Zayn had his arms wrapped my waist from behind, his chin rested on my shoulder. I was in the kitchen trying to make breakfast and he was trying to take me back to bed.
For the last three weeks, since Zayn came back from his trip, he'd been very persistent with having sex with me. He said we needed to make up for lost time.
I flipped the pancakes over in the skillet. "Not right now." I pushed his arms away from my body. "We have to get ready for later."
"I know that, but we won't have time to have sex later or any time after that." He pointed out. I knew that was true, but after today, sex wasn't even going to be the top thing on my mind.
I turned around and saw he was leaning against the counter with his arms crossed. I mimicked his actions. "You say that like it's a bad thing."
Zayn gave me a small smile. "It isn't but I'm going to miss getting to bang you anytime I want."
I rolled my eyes and went back to making breakfast. "I'm going to tell Val that her dad would rather have sex than be with her."
I heard a chuckle behind me. "Well, maybe if her mom wasn't so fuckable we wouldn't have that problem."
"Now you really aren't getting any action." I put a couple pancakes on a plate and handed it to Zayn. "Go eat so we can get going."
He took the plate from me and kissed my cheek softly. "We will make time for each other though. I'm not going to stop just because we have a kid at home with us."
"I know and we will. We're going to have to if we want us to stay as strong as we are." I plated some pancakes for myself and sat down at the table.
We were silent for a few minutes. The only sounds that could be heard were us breathing and forks clanking against the plates. Both of us had been anticipating this day since Valentina was born.
This day was the day we were going to feel like an actual family.
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“Are you sure we have everything we need?” I asked Zayn. We had just pulled into the hospital parking lot and I was starting to get anxious.
He nodded as he stopped the car. “Yeah. All they said to bring was a carseat and clothes if we wanted to change her into something different. I think we’re all good. Oh, and her blanket. I think she’ll love it.” Zayn held up a pastel pink blanket that he bought. In the corner it had “Valentina Rose Malik December 13, 2013” stitched in a slightly darker shade of pink. There was a white border with pink polka dots all over it.
“No. Not like with us. At home. We have everything we need, right? We got a ton of diapers at the baby shower, and clothes and toys. She has enough preemie clothes I think. The other ones won’t fit her yet. Oh, and I got some of that formula for premature babies the doctors told us about.” I started saying. My brain started thinking about everything that Valentina needed. It also thought about other things too. “What if she doesn’t even like the formula though? Or what if she doesn’t eat when I feed her? I’m going to feel like I can’t even take care of my own kid.”
“Babe stop.” Zayn placed a hand on my leg. I looked over at him. “I know you’re scared. So am I though. We just have to do it though. We can’t overthink everything. She’s coming home and that’s what matters. She’s well enough to finally come home.”
I leaned over the center console and gave Zayn a big hug. I thought about how in a matter of minutes, not hours, not days, not weeks, but minutes I’d be back in this car with my baby girl. She’d be sitting in the backseat completely oblivious to what was going on. The hospital had been her home for the last ten weeks, so I didn’t know how she would react to being out in the real world.
Zayn leaned away from my body and cupped my face with his hands. “You ready? He asked.
I nodded and gave him the biggest smile. “Let’s go get her.”
Before Zayn let my face go, he connected his lips with mine. “I love you.” He rested his forehead against mine. This was one of the final moments without having our daughter with us. After this, we were going to have her everyday, and I could not wait.
We got out of the car, and Zayn grabbed Valentina’s car seat from the back seat. I got the bag that had a change of clothes for her and her blanket.
As we walked across the parking lot, the entrance to the hospital seemed so far away. Every step we took though was one step closer to our daugher. Zayn took my hand in his, and it was in that moment that this whole situation turned real. I had the man I loved more than anything by my side, and he was always going to be by my side. Even when he had to go off for months at a time I knew he would come back. Right then, I felt as if my life was finally perfect.
When we got up to the baby floor, we stopped and looked at the big sign that would direct us to the correct area of the floor to pick up Valentina. We had received a call last night that she wouldn’t be in the NICU. She was stable enough to not be in there anymore, so the moved her to the nursery. The arrow pointed down the hall in the opposite direction of the NICU.
I could actually see the sign over the door that said ‘Nursery’. Zayn’s hand was still in mine, and when I started to move faster towards the door, he was getting dragged behind me.
Zayn laughed at my actions. “Slow down. We’re still going to get to keep her.”
I stopped in the middle of the hallway only a few feet away from the door. There was a big rectangular window that showed the inside of the nursery. When I looked into the window, I saw a few rows of beds that looked like clear plastic tubs. Some of them held newborns, but most of them were empty. I scanned the room looking for Valentina. My body tensed up a little when I couldn’t see her among all the other babies.
Zayn nudged my side and pointed to the back corner of the room. “Right there.”
I smiled when I saw her.Glancing around at all the other beds I noticed that she was the smallest baby in the nursery. Even being ten weeks old she was smaller than all the newborns.
She wasn’t surrounded by any other babies and I wondered why she was by herself. Maybe it was because she still needed a little extra attention, or it could have been because she was leaving the hospital.
I glanced over at Zayn. He was looking at Valentina with such admiration. It almost seemed like he had tears in his eyes, but I wasn’t going to say anything to him about it.
“Come on.” I said as I reattached my hand to his.
We walked as quietly as we could into the nursery. When we got to Valentina’s side I saw that she was awake. Her eyes were going around the room, taking in the new place she was located. The NICU was probably so familiar to her.
I put the bag I had been carrying on the floor and picked Valentina up so I was cradling her in my arms. Zayn also set the car seat to the side and came over to us. He put his hand on top of Valentina’s head and kissed her cheek.
“Hi Val.” He whispered in her ear. She turned her head a little and looked up at him. “Are you ready to come home?”
She looked over at me and tried to move closer to my body. It was hard for her because she was swaddled into a tight bundle. I shifted her so I was holding her on my shoulder.
A nurse I had never seen, probably one who worked in the nursery, approached Zayn and I. “Are you Zayn Malik and Rosemary Collins?” She read our names off of a chart. It looked like it was Valentina’s. Zayn and I both nodded.“Alright, we can go sign her discharge papers then and we’ll get you on your way. Just follow me.” The nurse took the bed Valentina was laying in and rolled it through the nursery and into another room. It was an office and there was a doctor sitting behind the desk doing some work. I set Valentina back into her bed before taking a seat in front of the doctor.
He explained to us what we needed to do so Valentina could be discharged. We had to provide proof of who we were since she hadn’t been with us from birth. We also had to sign a few papers and then the doctor signed the discharge papers. The doctor gave us her birth certificate and then she was ours to take home.
I changed her out of the onsie the hospital had put on her and into simple yellow pajamas. It was the first time I changed her clothes. For some reason it made me feel more like a mom when I did it.
One of the nurses walked us down to the lobby when we were all ready. Zayn and I took some time to put Valentina in her car seat and bundle her up. Since it was the middle of February it was a little cold outside.
When we were ready, Zayn picked up Valentina and I took everything else. This moment was better than I could have ever imagined. We were walking to the car to finally bring Valentina home. We would be home soon with our daughter and then everything would change. In the best way possible though.
I couldn’t wait to have her with me every day. I was actually looking forward to the long nights of no sleep and having to take care of a sick kid. It was never going to be glamorous, but it was all going to be worth it.
At the car, Zayn put Valentina in securely and I sat next to her. She was sleeping now, and looked so peaceful.
My daughter was finally coming home.
---------------------------------------------------
“Careful. Careful.” I said to Zayn as he carried Valentina up the stairs to the front door.
I unlocked the door for Zayn and he stepped inside with our daughter. We were home. Valentina was home. This was our first night as a real family.
Zayn set the car seat down on the tiled floor. I quickly took my coat off and bent down to get Valentina out.
She was still asleep. I didn't want to wake her up, but I needed to hold her. I had to tell her how happy I was she was with Zayn and I. I needed to kiss her little cheeks and tell her how much I loved her.
I unstrapped the buckles on her car seat and unwrapped her body from the blankets that had been keeping her warm. When I took the warmth away from her, she woke up. The sudden temperature change must have startled her because she started crying. It wasn't the most pleasant sound I've heard but I knew this was what was supposed to happen.
I picked Valentina up and started to comfort her. "Shh. It's okay. Mommy's here." I said to her. She didn't stop crying though. I gave Zayn a panicked look and he came over to me.
He placed a hand on my lower back and kissed my temple. "You're doing fine sweetie. Just keep doing that."
Valentina was still crying. I rested my cheek on top of her head. I rocked her back and forth a little and it seemed like it was helping. She was calming down the more I did it.
"Do you want to feed her? The nurse said she might need food when we got home." Zayn asked me.
I nodded against Valentina's head.
Zayn gave me a quick kiss. "You go upstairs and I'll make her a bottle."
He left my side and walked towards the kitchen. That was my cue to go and take Valentina to her room.
When I reached her room, I made my way over to the rocking chair in the corner. I positioned Valentina so I was cradling her in my arms.
“This is your room Val.” I said to her when I sat down. She wasn’t crying anymore. “You aren’t going to sleep in here yet though. Mommy and Daddy want you in our room for a while.” I started to rock the chair slowly. “We’re happy you’re home. You have no idea how hard it was for us to have you away, but you’re here now and that’s all that matters.” I started to cry when I looked down at the angelic face staring back at me. They were tears of joy. “Daddy and I are always going to be here for you. We’re never going to leave you. We’re going to give you everything you need. And we’ll always take care of you. No matter what.” I remembered all the hell I’d gone through to get to this point. “Even if you do something as stupid as we did. I’ll always support you because that’s what a mom is supposed to do. You’re my baby girl and I love you.”
“And I love you Rose.” I heard Zayn say. My head turned to see him leaning against the doorframe with a bottle in his hand.
I wiped away the tears that were streaming down my face. “I love you too Zayn.” I replied, still rocking the chair slowly.
“You know what today is, don’t you?” He asked me from across the room.
“What?”
“Your due date. Well, her due date.”
I thought for a few seconds. He was right. “February twenty first.” I said and looked down at Valentina. “I guess you came when you were supposed to then.” I smiled at the now sleeping girl in my arms.
“Crazy coincidence” Zayn stated.
I looked back over at him. “I think it’s just how it was supposed to be.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way. I don’t regret anything that happened. This is the life I was supposed to have.”
“I feel the same way.” I glanced down at Valentina before looking back at Zayn. “Hey, how do I look?” I asked Zayn giving him a huge grin.
He laughed and then turned serious. “Like a mom.”
“Come here.” I said, motioning my arm for him to come to me.
Zayn stalked across the room and knelt down next to me. Taking on of my hands in his and the other stroking Valentina’s cheek.
This moment just topped off the amazing day I was having. We were finally home as a family. Valentina was ours to take care of now.
Zayn was looking at Valentina with so much love in his eyes. It was the same when he looked at me. I could tell that he really meant he wouldn’t have this situation any other way.
We sat in silence and I realized something.
Everything that had happen, him offering to take my virginity, me cheating on Bryden, going through with the sex plan, my parents falling out of and coming back into my life, McKenzie, Valentina’s early arrival, and waiting ten weeks to bring her home were all apart of something.
Something bigger than I had ever imagined.
It was all just one big beautiful mistake.
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A/N: Guys! I am so so so so so so sorry if I keep making you cry. Like I'm not meaning to. I keep crying when I write though too, so we're all crying together.
I have some sad news. This is the last real chapter in this story. I still have the epilogue to do because I want to explain their life after since I'm not doing a sequel. But this is the end of the main part. Hopefully I ended it in a good place.
Something else I have to say is that I've done a shitty job dedicating chapters to people. I think I have 7 chapters that aren't dedicated to anyone. Since I want to dedicate to people I'm going to. I'm not going to dedicate to random people, so those 7 chapters are for you. If you want one just leave me a comment. I'd prefer you write something other than "I want a dedication". If there are more than 7 people that want one, I'll pick the people who give me the best comments.
And one more thing, if you haven't seen Frozen yet I highly highly highly recommend going to see it. If you love Disney movies, you'll love this one. It was so cute.
VOTE/COMMENT/FOLLOW
XOXO
~Nicole