♡
Sara's POV
"Under no circumstance-"
"Will you call your father, I get it, I get it", I completed his sentence, eating more of mum's soup. "It was just a suggestion."
"He'll just confirm that mother's a lunatic and then he'll try to stir the conversation to something that shouldn't concern him", Michael angrily dug into his soup. "He doesn't need to know more."
"I got it, loud and clear", I patted his hand. That was still his most firm 'no'. "Do you think they'll be back soon?"
As if on cue, we heard a car roll up the hill. Marthe ran inside the kitchen, excitingly slapping Michael's arm. "It's our car! Ours! It must be Leon and Rebecca and the little babe!"
"Rebecca won't be released immediately Marthe", Michael said between gulps, but got up, putting the napkin on the table. "And no Sara, we won't stay longer because of the baby, we have work waiting for us."
"But it's a cute little baaaaby", I whined. "It's my little Sara!"
"My little Sara has work too", Michael pinched my nose. "We'll ask them to send us many, many pictures alright?"
Second firm no - avoiding work.
"Only if I can hold the baby first!", I demanded, rushing to the door.
I opened it to a tired Leon, who beamed at us. "She's beautiful you guys. A perfect little baby, ten fingers, ten toes, and long, long lashes. She's a redhead like Rebecca and has a full head of hair already. She's literally the cutest baby, but all my baby's are cute."
We laughed. "Congratulation Leon!", I cheered, as did Michael.
"Thanks - I came to get you four." He explained with a proud grin.
Estelle was by my legs already and stormed into her papa's arm, who kissed her full cheek. "Your little sister is as cute as you are Esi."
Adrien took his father's hand. "Come on you two, let's go to the hospital."
"They were in the middle of supper!", Marthe yelled out the house.
"There's food at the hospital", Leon assured, hip-hopping excitedly to the car.
Michael sat by Leon and I sat next to the kids. Leon showed me prior how to put them into their seats and how their seat belts had to be fastened.
"What did I miss today?", Leon sing-sang, tapping the wheel happily.
Michael and I exchanged a look.
"Guys?"
"We played!", Estelle announced.
"That's great!", Leon chimed back. Now he whispered. "Michael?"
"Mother gave us a surprise visit", Michael whispered back.
Leon froze slightly, then shook his head. "Not here. Not now. We have a baby and a mother waiting for us. Veronique can wait until tomorrow." Leon took a deep breath and turned cheerier again. "Were oncle and tatie good to you?"
"Oncle gave us chocolate for lunch!", Adrien shouted.
Leon shot Michael a look.
Michael pinched his fingers together. "Just this much. They were begging for it before lunchtime."
"Sara he's going to be a terrible father, I take it all back", Leon said over his shoulder, making me laugh.
"Just a little bit, who are you lying to? I know how weak you get at their big eyes!"
"I can't just say no to them!", Michael stressed with his hand.
"I've noticed", Leon laughed. "How about Sara?"
"He knows how to say no, I promise", I laughed.
"And even if I were extremely lovesick-", Michael started.
"You are lovesick", Leon corrected, interrupting him.
"If I were extremely lovesick", Michael continued in the same voice "Sara isn't harmful or evil, she won't make me do bad things."
"That's right, I would make him work less and speak to Hector!", I chimed in.
Michael opened his mouth, closed it, reopened it. "You know what Leon? She is evil."
Leon broke out in a loud laughter. "Well, I would do the first one too."
"I'm not a workaholic!"
"You are!", his brother and I said at the same time. "Michael you come home and immediately go to your home office to continue working!"
"I'm just finishing everything!", Michael stressed. "So I have the evenings with you!"
"Before he would work until 1 am", Leon told me. "I always called him and told him to go to bed."
"He still does that when I don't sleep over!"
Michael slipped down his seat, lifted his shirt and hid his face in it.
Estelle had her eyes fixed on the cars passing by us, her doll forgotten in her hand.
Adrien leaned against my arm and just listened to us quietly.
"Where's mommy?", he asked suddenly.
"We are going to her", Leon explained. "So you can see her and your little sister."
"Sister sister sister!", both started to chant.
For 5 minutes.
For 20 minutes.
Until we arrived at the hospital.
Michael laughed at my face. "Ready for babies one day?"
"Not yet but I'm sure in a few years or so I am", I smiled and took his hand. He took Adrien's hand and I took Esi's.
Leon led us down the corridors, his steps fast, and swung open the door which led to our destination.
♡
I immediately squealed as Rebecca looked up with a smile, a little bundle in her arms. Her smile was so warm, a smile that I had never seen before on anybody.
"Come in, she's awake, just finished feeding", Rebecca beckoned us in. "Did you bring the kids?"
"Of course I did mon amour", Leon gave her a big kiss on the lips and put the kids up on the bed with Rebecca.
Michael and I stayed behind so the kids could meet little Sara first.
Estelle poked her cheek and seemed surprised when the baby reacted, causing Rebecca to laugh as she withdrew her hand and looked back to her mother. Adrien showered her in kisses, causing all of us to melt.
He patted his sister's head, held her hand, bopped her nose - all softly while glancing at his parents with big eyes.
"Your sister already loves you both", Rebecca told them, kissing the baby, Estelle and Adrien. "Baby quiet", Estelle mused, touching her cheek again.
"Sara is sleepy", Rebecca brushed Estelle's curls back. "Babies sleep a lot."
"Like Esi", Estelle said, poking Sara's eye now. Leon's hand caught hers before she could poke her more.
"Like Esi", Leon laughed.
"Can I hold her?", Adrien ecstatically asked, bouncing on Rebecca's bed. Leon took the babe from Rebecca and held her with Adrien.
"Tiny", Adrien mused, kissing her forehead.
"He's going to be a great big brother", Michael whispered to me, holding me close.
I could only nod, my eyes fixated on the scene of the happy family.
"Esi too!", Estelle stretched out her arms and Leon complied.
"Tatie and oncle next", Rebecca told Leon, brushing his brown curls back. Their eyes were filled with love.
Leon looked so proud as he approached us. "Tatie Sara - would you do us the honours?"
With trembling arms, I extended my arms to little Sara. Leon helped me and showed me how to properly hold her. "But she's so tiny, will I hurt her? Omg Leon I'm not holding her right!"
"You are", Leon laughed. "Calm down, you are doing great."
Sara stirred in my arms, then calmed down, her little fist at her perfect little pink lips.
I held my breath as I scanned the little bundle of joy in my arms. Full head of red hair, a little cute nose, long lashes and perfectly swooped lips. The shape seemed familiar and I compared it to Michael's.
"She has your lips", I whispered.
"I said that too", Leon caressed Sara's cheek with his finger.
I raised her up to my lips and kissed her little forehead, taking in her sweet, sweet baby scent.
Sara moved softly and I watched her until she calmed down again - and my heart melted as she cuddled more into my arms.
"She's perfect", I said teary eyed. "Thank you", my voice broke "thank you for naming her after me!"
Rebecca waved me over and gave me a hug. Her grip was weak, but she was most likely tired from the labour.
"Her full name is Sara Isabelle de Beaumont. Isabelle after my mother."
"It's beautiful", I sobbed, cuddling Sara against me. "You are beautiful Sara Isabelle!"
Michael's arms wrapped around me, his fingers brushing her cheek. He cooed to her, causing her to make a smile like expression. "Bonjour mignon", Michael sneaked by to kiss her cheek.
Mignon - cutie.
"She is a cutie", I brushed through her full head of hair. "She takes after you Rebecca!"
"For now", Rebecca yawned. "But baby's change so much in the first few weeks, she might turn out like Leon."
"No, she should stay like that", Leon stressed, kissing his wife's forehead. "Esi no jumping on the bed." He swooped her down, as well as Adrien.
Reluctantly I passed the baby onto Michael, but still held her little hand.
She was so cute I just wanted to kiss and hug her all the time!
Michael lifted her to his lips and kissed her forehead, nose, and cheek. "Mignon you are perfect, a perfect little girl, oncle and tatie love you very, very much."
He cradled her and started humming a tune.
Rebecca leaned back and closed her eyes. "I didn't think you would remember it."
"Of course I did", Michael stopped for a moment, fixing the pink blanket. "You sang it for Estelle after she was born."
That made me even more teary-eyed. He will be such a good dad one day ...
Michael picked up the humming, rocking himself back and worth, as well as the baby. I leaned against his arm and watched Sara's peaceful sleeping face. I leaned forward to kiss her nose.
Rebecca drifted away and was now sleeping softly.
Leon juggled both kids.
"We should let them rest", I told him, kissing Sara one last time. "Goodbye my sweetie, we'll come by soon again", I promised her.
Michael handed her to me and I put her down in her little bed.
"Esi, Adrien, let's go home again and let mama and papa rest", I told them.
"With mama and papa!", Estelle cried.
"They have to stay here princess", I took her quickly and went outside before she went into a crying fit.
Adrien followed willingly and took Michael's hand, waving goodbye to his parents. Leon tossed Michael the keys.
"Text me when I should pick you up", Michael said and Leon nodded with a smile.
♡
Michael's POV
We put the kids down to bed as we arrived home and Sara sighed happily.
"I'm too jittery to lie down now", Sara spun in a circle. "I can't talk with the others now either!"
"Then let's take a walk", I gave her my hand. "I need some quiet too to think about it."
"Yes!" Sara tugged me along down the stairs. The others were too immersed into the movie to look up.
Sara stopped abruptly. "But the police told us to stay inside!"
"I was never one to follow every rule", I pushed her out the door.
Together we walked up the hill to the swing in a pleasant silence. We both had our own things on our mind, looked around and absorbed the view.
I sat down first and then Sara on my lap. I pushed the swing and we were moving back and forth softly.
Sara put her head on my shoulder and sighed happily. "Such a cute little baby - she fits right in."
"Adrien and Estelle were cute babies too", I told her. "Adrien also had a full head of hair, Estelle had big eyes from the get go. Estelle also would be uneasy if she wasn't cuddled."
Sara squealed loudly. "I just wanna cuddle them all!"
"We'll cuddle them tomorrow when they are awake", I laughed. I rested my head against hers. "It has been quite some time since we had come here."
"It has been", Sara sighed with a smile. "But I'm glad we found this spot - this is my favourite place."
"How so?", I swung harder.
"Because I'm here with you. I'm by the side of my strong man who protects me, just the two of us. I have a man who loves me as much as I love him."
Sara rested her hands on my chest.
"When I'm hear with you, it seems like our problems are so far away, as if the world stands still. I can only think about us and it makes me so happy I get to share this beautiful view with you."
Sara's head went to the lit city. "I just wish I could freeze this very moment. I wish I could always stay like this with you. I wish problems would always seem so far away as right now. When I'm here with you ... only you matter."
My heart was beating heavily and out of loop.
Beautifully - she had said it beautifully.
My palms started sweating.
This is the moment.
This is that moment!
I could practically hear the jewellery guy tell me to hurry.
"I ... I might just be able to do that", I told her quickly.
Sara's head moved up slightly, her gaze still fixated to the view. "How so?"
I took out the box and handed it to her. It was almost automatic and without thinking I had done so.
Oh no fuck I should have-
Sara opened the box with a surprised look.
The engagement ring was even more beautiful in this exact moment, softly lit up by the city lights.
"Will y-"
"Yes!", she blurted out, her eyes shining wet. She threw herself at me. "Yes yes yes!! Michael, I can't believe it!", Sara cried. "You went back to get it?!"
I laughed at her reaction and it took off my nervous almost completely.
I cleared my throat and took her hands. I got us off the swing.
Sara's eyes shone with new unshed tears.
I got on one knee.
"Sara Basic, you are the most perfect woman I have ever met. You fulfill me, make me happy, make me better myself, give my life a reason - every morning I wake up next to you I consider myself the luckiest man alive."
Sara sobbed, covering her mouth with one of her hands. She started nodding and kept on going.
"I want you to be the mother of my children, my wife, my partner in life. I don't want to have it any other way - but with you at my side until the very end. I knew I loved you from the first time you ran into me, I knew you were the right one when you fought for me, I knew you were my significant other when I was separated from you. And I know I want you to be my wife. Sara, will you marry me and make me the happiest man on this world? Can you repeat your answer now again for me?"
"Silly", Sara sobbed thickly, throwing her arms around me, storming into me, knocking both of us over.
I hugged her. Her shoulders were shaking heavily as she cried. "You just keep knocking me off my feet, you know that?", I whispered into her hair.
"Yes!", Sara cupped my face. "Yes I'll marry you! Yes yes yes! A thousand times yes!"
Sara pressed her lips onto mine and showered me with kisses. One kiss, two kisses, ten kisses, not letting me breath through her affection.
"I'm so happy right now", my heart was booming as she retreated, her hands clasped before her, her eyes shining, her lips red.
I got the box off the ground and took the engagement ring. She gave me her hand and I slipped it onto her ring finger. I kissed her hand.
"My fiancée", I said, causing another happy sob to escape Sara's lips.
Her hug was bone-crushingly tight.
"When did you go back for the ring?", she asked, sniffling.
"Remember when I woke you up at five on our little vacation?", I asked and her face filled with understanding.
"When you wanted to go eat breakfast claiming you were hungry. Oh you couldn't sleep the whole night long!", Sara sobbed. "Is that why you were also so jumpy the last few days?"
"I was?"
"Anytime we talked about marriage you had this look but I brushed it aside", Sara wiped across her eyes, sniffling.
"I didn't want you to know", I told her, brushing her hair out of her face, scanning her proudly. My future wife. "That's why I lied to you about not wanting to propose anytime soon. Honestly I ... didn't even plan for it to happen here."
"It was perfect nonetheless", Sara looked at the ring, then at me, causing another tear wave. "You are perfect! I'll never, ever, forget this moment!"
She stormed into my arms again.
July 1st. Little Sara Isabelle had been born.
Sara Basic had accepted my proposal, becoming now my fiancée.
And one day, my bride.