Liam
Finally home! Feels like we have been gone for a week when it has barely been 12 hours.
I smile over at Zayn as he turns the car off and we undo our seatbelts.
Zayn and I get out of the vehicle, stretching, happy to be out of the car.
I smile over at Zayn, "happy to be home?"
Zayn nods and returns the smile, "yes. Very."
Zayn nods his head towards the car. "Do you want to get Melanie or the bags?"
"I'll get Melanie. Can you grab her bag and our suit jackets? I'll need to give those to Jackie for dry cleaning.. along with my tie I guess."
Zayn laughs out loud, "I don't know babe. You might want to just throw that out."
I shake my head laughing and open the rear car door. Melanie is still sound asleep so I lift the latch on the back of her car seat and lift her seat out as gently as possible so I don't wake her up. She will stay warmer this way and she's less likely to wake up from me taking her out. Obviously she will be getting out of her seat when we get inside the house but then at least we will be somewhere warm.
When I bring her out of the warm car she whimpers at the feeling of being cold and no longer warm and cozy. I tuck the blanket into her more, shushing her quietly.
I hold her seat in one arm and shut the door. Melanie whines a bit in her sleep so I rock her slightly, shushing her, hoping to keep her asleep for just a few more minutes.
Her thumb finds it's way to her mouth once again, after falling out earlier from sleeping so soundly. I smirk but leave her be for now. As long as she's not awake and crying, I'm fine with it.
I make my way up the steps, Zayn directly behind me. Melanie's bag is in one hand and the suit jackets slung over his arm. I get up to the door and key in our code to get into the house.
Upon entering, Zayn hangs up our jackets on the coat hook by the door and sets Melanie's bag down on a chair.
I look down at Melanie and she has visibly relaxed upon being in the warm house. She's still sucking on her thumb but she is noticeably more calm. I release a breath I didn't realize I was holding, grateful she's still asleep.
However, at hearing the sound of the door and shoes on the hardwood floor, our two Siberian Huskies trot into the room excited to see their daddies are back home.
I groan, "oh shit."
Zayn laughs and stands in front of me blocking the dogs from jumping up to greet the newest member of the family. The dogs whine and sniff at Zayn's clothing knowing something is different and they want to know what it is. I don't blame them but now isn't the time to make introductions.
Zayn bends down trying to get them calmer.
"Boys I know you're excited. You'll have lots of time to meet the baby later."
Zayn makes them sit before petting them and letting them take a whiff at the new smell. They're his dogs and listen to him way better than they do me. Probably because Zayn is more assertive and demands respect from them.
Melanie squirms in her seat and whimpers trying to stretch but appears to still be asleep... for now. I run a hand gently over her head to calm her down.
I shoot a glare toward the dogs as Zayn stands up. "I swear if they wake her up.."
Zayn rolls his eyes, "babe it's fine. I'm sure she will wake up in a few minutes anyway whether it be from the dogs or anything else."
All of a sudden Jason comes in from the hallway that leads to the family room. He's our most trusted pet sitter and we had asked him to come over to keep an eye on the boys to ensure they didn't destroy the house while we were gone. I wasn't expecting to see him here so late but I'm happy to know he was here taking care of the boys for us.
Jason gives us a friendly smile, "welcome home guys. Sorry I would have put them away but I wasn't sure if that was the best idea." He motions towards the dogs who have calmed down more now that their beloved owners are home.
Zayn and I nod in understanding.
I smirk at the dogs who are now laying at Zayn's feet.
"It's completely fine. I know they would have went nuts if they heard someone come through the door but couldn't greet them. And this way we have a better chance at keeping Melanie asleep."
We have kennels for the dogs but we rarely use them unless absolutely necessary.
Jason grins when he notices I'm holding a car seat but the back is to him so he can't see what's inside.
"So I take it you guys went ahead with the adoption? That's fantastic."
I nod and smile looking down at Melanie.
"We sure did. Here, do you want to see her?"
I turn the car seat so she's facing Jason and he awwes appropriately gently touching a finger to her hand that is clutching the blanket.
"She is beautiful. Congratulations!"
I beam with pride. "Thank you Jason. We couldn't be happier."
He nods and puts his hands in his pockets, "Well I'm sure you guys are ready to get your new addition settled in and get some sleep so I'm going to get out of your hair. The dogs were good as always."
He ruffles Duke and Ryder's ears in turn.
I thank Jason for his care and attention and willingness to come over on such short notice but he waves it off. He's in college and is a bartender at a local pub but he's always looking to earn some extra cash when he can. The situation works out well for all of us.
I wave goodbye, "see ya Jason. Thank you again."
Zayn continues chatting with him as he walks with him to the garage door where he parked and the dogs trot after him. I silently thank God that I don't have to deal with the pups right now. I love them but it's going to be a whole event introducing them to Melanie and I really don't want to tackle that project at the moment.
I look down at Melanie once again and grin, running a finger gently over her cheek. I need to get her changed and possibly fed again but I would like it if she woke up comfortably on her own rather than me waking her up. I also need her to sleep after she's changed and fed and that might not happen if she sleeps much longer.
I bring Melanie into the casual dining room and place her car seat down on the table. We have a casual dining room off the kitchen in a small alcove surrounded by windows and then we have a formal dining room off the kitchen in its own separate room.
After placing her down on our mahogany dining table that comfortably seats 8, I remove her blanket off of her. We keep the house fairly warm and she's wearing a long sleeved onesie, pants, and socks so I doubt she will be cold. And if she is, it might help her to wake up.
Zayn comes in a few seconds later, "I was wondering where you guys went."
He wraps an arm around my shoulder and looks down at Melanie with me.
I give him a sideways glance, "where are the boys?"
"Oh they went back to their beds for the night. They know it's bedtime."
I can't help but silently laugh at how matter of fact he is. If Zayn is ever gone in the evenings, the dogs won't go to bed unless they're in their crates and being forced to go to bed or if they're in bed with me, which isn't a favorite of mine.
Zayn looks from me to Melanie. "Are you going to get her out or is she going to sleep in here tonight?"
I frown and look at him, not sure if he's serious. But of course he has the faintest of smiles so I know he's just fucking with me. I give him a playful shove.
"Yes I'm going to get her out. I was just hoping she would wake up on her own instead of me having to wake her up."
Zayn smirks and gives me a deep kiss. I lean into him a bit surprised by his action. Not that he doesn't kiss me but it seemed like an odd time. I kiss him back as he puts a hand behind my neck.
I lean away for a second, a bit breathless.
"What was that for?"
He shrugs and grins. "Just felt like it. Who knows when we'll have time for that stuff anymore."
It's now my turn to roll my eyes as I kiss him back.
"We will make time for it."
As I kiss him for a few more seconds, a small mewling sound has us separating and chuckling.
Zayn smirks, "case in point."
We both look to Melanie and I rest my forehead against Zayn's head smiling as Melanie begins to stir.
Zayn moves to stand behind me and wraps his arms around my middle, resting his chin on my shoulder.
I look down at him and grin and gently tickle Melanie's foot as she yawns and blinks her eyes open looking around sleepily.
Zayn gives her a smile, "well look who woke up. We gotta work on your timing kiddo."
I chuckle, happy to see her awake.
She looks around the side of her and then looks up at us, jumping a bit when she makes eye contact.
I give her a small smile, "did we scare you? How about we get you out of there and into some comfy jammies? Sound good?"
I hold out my hands to her. She's still buckled in so she's not going anywhere but I'm anxious to see if she will reach for me willingly.
She doesn't respond but she looks up at me wide eyed and kicks her feet at my hands whimpering.
I grin and look at Zayn who has made his way to stand next to me.
"What do you think? Is that a yes?"
Zayn smirks, "I think that's the closest thing you're gonna get to a yes."
I laugh and lean down to unbuckle Melanie from her seat. I do the chest clip first and then undo the buckle that sits between her legs. She whimpers and kicks her feet, probably wanting to be free of the confines of the car seat. I smile at her and place my hands underneath her arms, lifting her up and out.
She kicks her feet again. Most likely trying to stretch and grateful to be out of her seat.
I chuckle and place a kiss to her forehead. "Oh wow. What a big stretch."
I hold her in front of me, supporting her head and neck with my hands because I'm not sure where she is on being able to support herself at the moment. She's also tired and it's been a long day for her so that will have an affect on what she can and can't physically do right now.
She looks around the room and I turn from side to side so she can see everything.
"What do you think huh? You like your new home so far?"
I give her a kiss to the cheek and she grunts and bats at my face. Zayn chuckles and leans over, rubbing a hand lightly over her head. She looks up at Zayn and gives him the smallest of smiles but enough of one that leaves us both thrilled and smiling back at her like idiots.
I bring her up to my shoulder and place a hand on her butt, leaving my other hand against her head. I frown and move my hand from her butt resting my forearm against her instead.
Zayn notices my reaction, "what's the matter?"
I shake my head and move my other arm so it's supporting her head and back holding her up against my shoulder and feel her car seat with my other hand. Melanie whimpers into my shoulder probably not as comfortable as she was when I was holding her with two hands.
"Shhhh Mel you're okay," I mutter, hoping to avoid a crying fit.
"I think her diaper must have leaked. Her butt and the carseat are pretty damp."
Zayn can't help but laugh, "well I guess I know the first thing on the agenda."
I roll my eyes, "let's get her upstairs then. I really hope she doesn't have a rash. I knew I should have changed her at the rest stop."
Zayn continues laughing and I shoot him a glare as we head towards the stairs.
Zayn ignores my look, "Li she is fine. Babies get rashes, it is not the end of the world. If she was that uncomfortable or in pain because of it... she would be letting us know."
Melanie is no longer whining and has decided to bite at my shoulder. It doesn't hurt but I'm concerned her mouth is bothering her. Or she's hungry again. Guess we'll find out soon enough.
Zayn puts a few fingers on my shoulder when Melanie lifts her head and continues chuckling, "you're just getting all of the bodily fluids. Your shirt is pretty slobbered on."
"Shut up Zayn. Do you want to hold her?" Half joking because I really don't mind it. If a little pee and drool is going to bother me then I'm going to have a long road ahead of me. Regardless, I hold her slightly in front me, turning so I'm in front of Zayn.
Zayn holds up his hands in surrender as we make our way up the stairs.
"That's what I thought." I mutter. "Don't worry papa, your time is coming."
Zayn just laughs, "bring it on."
"Here you go then," I chuckle but make no move to pass over Melanie who has started to drift to sleep once again on my shoulder. I jiggle her a bit, she needs to stay awake for a bit longer. She whines at my motion to keep her up and proceeds to gnaw on my shirt. Oh well... at least she's awake.
Zayn shuts and locks the dog/baby gate at the bottom of the steps and then does it again at the gate at the top of the stairs. Nobody will be coming up the steps (like the dogs) and nobody will be going down the steps (like Melanie) unless Z or myself are with them.
"Nope this one's on you babe."
I roll my eyes and make my way down the wide hallway to Melanie's room. Zayn opens her door for me and I walk into the center of the room. The walls are painted a light grey with white and light blue accents surrounding the spacious room. You can tell it's a girls room but it also doesn't look like a pink bomb went off. The research I read has shown that softer colors are better for an infants development rather than crazy bright and vivid colors.
I ask Zayn to turn the light on but dim it so it's not on full brightness mode and just light enough I can see what I'm doing.
Zayn stands in the doorway for a second leaning against the wall with his arms folded while I let Melanie have a quick look at her room. She doesn't seem to have much of an opinion on it and I smile over at Zayn before turning my attention to Mel.
"This is your room. What do you think?" I jostle her a bit hoping to get a reaction out of her.
Mel takes a break from drooling on my shoulder and looks up towards my face when she hears me talking to her. A line of drool connects from her mouth to my shoulder making Zayn and I laugh.
"Well you look real impressed," causing Zayn to chuckle at my sarcasm.
Zayn shakes his head, "babe I'm gonna go get some more comfortable clothes on. I want out of these slacks and this shirt." He tugs at the business shirt he's wearing and I nod smiling. Neither of us are a fan of the monkey suits and only wear them when deemed necessary.
"Alright I'm going to get Mel changed and then I'll do the same."
Zayn nods leaving the room, "yell if you need me."
I wave him off and turn my attention back to Melanie who went back to gnawing at my shirt.
I sigh, "okay Melanie. Let's work on getting you cleaned up shall we?"
I walk over to her white dresser that has a soft light blue changing bed on top of it. Putting a hand on her head and the other on her bottom I lean down, laying her on the mat.
Melanie isn't thrilled to say the least and starts whimpering as soon as she's put down.
I frown and sigh. I hate making her upset but she will need to learn that she can't be held all the time. Zayn would have my head if she turned into one of those kids that couldn't dare be put down or else they would scream until practically passing out. Zayn's sisters kids are like that and he constantly has to bite his tongue from saying anything about it when we are around them.
I rub her stomach gently trying to calm her down. She kicks at my hands and takes her volume up a notch, clearly not happy with the situation.
I shake my head, "Melanie sweetie that's enough. You have to stop or you're going to make yourself sick."
I may as well be talking to the wall for all the good it's doing me.
I sigh and give up trying to soothe her at the moment. A little crying never hurt a baby. I refuse to be one of those dads that pushes a pacifier into her mouth at every cry she makes. She needs to learn how to self soothe and she will, it will just take some practice.
I grab hold of her pants at the waist and peel them down her legs, tossing them (with her socks that came off with the pants) into the hamper that's conveniently located by the dresser.
She calms down slightly and turns her body to the side, trying to roll onto her stomach.
"Where you going, huh? We aren't finished yet."
I chuckle and shake my head putting a hand on her tummy to keep her on her back. She whimpers and kicks at my hand once again.
"You're not going to make this easy on me are ya?"
I tickle her tummy lightly but apparently she's not in the mood. She continues whimpering and then stops to yawn and rubs clumsily at her eyes and face.
I coo and gently rub her cheek, "so that's the problem, you're just sleepy. Well daddy promises to be quick and then you can go night night."
She fusses in response and continues rubbing at her eyes and face.
I coo again at her, even cranky she's adorable. I undo the snaps at her crotch before bringing her onesie up. I carefully bring her arms through the holes and then hold her head up with my hand while dragging the onesie up and over and tossing it in the hamper with her pants.
Melanie kicks her feet and flails her tiny fists. She seems to be content enough so I let her be for a few minutes while I snap a couple photos of her and tickle her belly a bit, hoping for a smile.
Zayn comes back wearing a pair of sweatpants and an old tshirt. His hair is damp from his shower and I can smell his body wash from here.
Zayn leans against the wall by the dresser and makes faces at Melanie when she starts to fuss, following him with her eyes. He reaches out and takes one of her fists in his hand, waving it slightly and planting a soft kiss to it.
"Someone looks grumpy. Is daddy being mean to you?"
I shoot him an "are you serious" look while I undo the two tabs on her diaper folding it down and grabbing hold of both ankles, lifting her lower region up and pulling the soaked diaper away. I push the wet diaper towards Zayn and he arches an eyebrow.
"Throw it away please."
Zayn tries and fails to suppress a smile at my "look" but then sobers up when Melanie starts crying and trying to kick her feet free. He folds up the diaper into a ball and puts it into the diaper genie.
I grab several wipes from a container on the dresser next to the changing mat and take note of her slightly red bottom, grabbing the rash cream.
I set her ankles down and run a wipe over her vagina. She flails out her arms and legs, reacting to the cold wipe.
Zayn takes note of it. "She did not like that. Don't we have a wipe warmer?"
I shush Melanie as I grab hold of her ankles so I that I can gain access to her bottom. "I think we have one somewhere, just not sure where."
She wails louder the longer I take, clenching her fists by her face when I wipe her bottom. I wince at her shrill cries and try to talk over her while wiping up the wetness.
"Daddy's sorry sweetie. I'm almost finished. But you need to be clean. Although at the moment, I think she could care less," I mutter to Zayn.
She ignores me and continues shrieking. Zayn rubs his finger over one of her fists. Still crying she looks at his finger and grips it in her hand.
I watch while rubbing some rash cream onto her bottom as she brings Zayn's finger to her mouth to try and suck on it. She hiccups trying to calm herself down.
I bite my cheek to keep from laughing while Zayn rolls his eyes. He allows her to suck and bite at it for a second before grabbing for a pacifier from a basket on the dresser where we have several stockpiled.
Zayn looks up at me before looking to Melanie again, "I think someone is hungry daddy."
He gently removes his finger and replaces it with the binky. She whimpers and tries to use her tongue to push it out. Zayn holds it still and she latches onto it.
I nod at Zayn, "yeah I know. She will need a bottle before she goes to sleep for the night."
I give her a brief smile when she gazes up at me and tickle her beneath her chin waiting for the cream to dry up a bit before grabbing another diaper.
When I'm happy with the way her bottom looks, I slide the diaper under her and release her feet so I can bring the front of the diaper up between her legs, taping it up.
I show her my hands, "there we go sweetie. I'm all done."
She looks up at me with her wet big brown eyes still sucking at the binky.
I hold my hands out to her, "you wanna come see me now?"
Zayn smirks when Melanie makes no move to reach back for me.
I sigh and pick her up, "one day Melanie."
I hold her against my shoulder and carry her over to the crib and lay her down, much to her disappointment.
She immediately starts wailing after being put down causing the pacifier to fall out of her mouth and replacing it with her fist. I shake my head and sigh, running my fingers through my hair. I turn to Zayn who is looking at Melanie frowning with his arms crossed.
"Zayn can you please get her pajamas on? I'm dying to take a shower and get some clean clothes on."
I gently tickle Melanie's belly while she kicks her feet out. "Be good for papa, yeah? I'll be right back."
Zayn nods still frowning while I leave the room. One thing is for sure, Melanie's lungs work just fine.
I wince as I make my way to our bedroom and hear her let out an ear piercing shriek.
"Good luck Zayn," I chuckle.
Zayn
I frown looking down at Melanie who has proceeded to cry and kick her feet.
I understand she's an infant and this is all probably scary for her but my God, she needs to stop.
I place a hand on her stomach and rock her slightly, "Melanie come on now, shhhhhh."
She ignores my attempts to calm her and kicks her feet at my hands, wailing louder, if that's even possible.
I raise my eyebrows, well then. I'll be damned if she's going to turn into a little demon baby that is only happy when she's in someone's arms. That just isn't going to happen - not in my house.
I grab some baby nighttime lotion on the dresser by her crib which is supposed to help calm her and help get her to sleep and after squirting some into my hand, I proceed to rub it into her legs, feet, tummy, arms, back, and neck.
She stops wailing and yawns in response while I rub it into her skin and gives me the faintest of smiles.
I chuckle while I finish rubbing the lotion in, "you like that huh? Well that's good, hopefully you will sleep good tonight for daddy and I."
I walk away from her and grab a pair of warm, footie pajamas that look like they will fit her out of her dresser and lay it out on the other side of the crib. They're quite adorable being white with pastel hearts covering it. We had bought several different sizes not sure where she would be on the scale. Glancing at the tag I see that this is a 6-9 month pajama. I then look at Melanie and nod to myself, yeah that looks about right.
I then pick Melanie up, putting my hands underneath her, careful of the fact her body is a bit slippery from the lotion and move her onto the pajamas.
She proceeds to put her fist in her mouth and whimpers wanting picked back up from the looks of it. Well you're just going to have to wait a minute, I think to myself.
I gently put her legs inside the leg pieces and do the same with her arms, making her hand leave her mouth. I zip up the pajama and tickle her gently at her sides when I'm finished.
"Is that better?"
She gurgles a response and I grin, happy with myself.
I pick her up and hold her against my chest, bouncing her a bit and making shushing noises when she starts to fuss.
She starts sucking on her fingers and I gently tug them out of her mouth.
"Yucky baby. Let's go get a bottle. I'm sure you're hungry."
I kiss the top of her head taking note of her little ponytails that are starting to come loose. We need to get those out of her hair before bedtime.
I hold her against me, one hand under her butt and the other against her head while we make our way back down the hall toward the stairs. I give her a kiss to her head. I can hear the shower running and I know Liam will join us when he's finished.
I descend the steps and go to the kitchen, carefully setting Melanie down in a highchair we had set up next to the kitchen island and buckling her in around the waist.
She immediately juts out her bottom lip and starts whining.
I shake my head no. "Sorry babe. You're staying put until your bottle is ready. You will be just fine."
I turn my back and go to the cupboard that we've designated as hers. There are bottles, formula, a few jars of baby food, a couple burp cloths, and some baby friendly snacks.
I pull out a bottle with a matching nipple and the formula container, setting it on the marble counter top.
Melanie lets out a sudden shriek making me jump. I turn my body halfway, just enough so I can see her and raise my voice slightly, "that is enough of that."
She looks at me startled and promptly shuts her mouth. I sigh feeling a little bad for getting stern with her but there is no reason for her to be screaming like that.
I go to the dining room adjacent to the kitchen and grab a small stuffed animal from her bag that rattles when shaken and go back into the kitchen. I shake it for a second and then place it on her tray hoping she will entertain herself for a few minutes.
I then go back to preparing her bottle. I grab the purified water jug that Liam conveniently placed next to the Keurig, beneath the cupboard.
Measuring out the correct amount of water into the bottle, I scoop in the correct amount of formula and then attach the lid and nipple. I shake it up and then place it in the bottle warmer, switching it on and putting it on the warm setting.
I turn back towards Melanie who is busy chewing on the toy I gave her. I chuckle, well at least she's not crying... or screaming.
I hear footsteps coming down the stairs and apparently so does Melanie because she turns her head towards the noise.
I chuckle, "who do you think that is?"
Liam struts into the kitchen a few seconds later, sending a quick smile Melanie's way. His hair is still damp from his shower and he's wearing a pair of basketball shorts and a soft, worn tshirt. I prefer pajama pants typically and Liam prefers shorts.
He gives me a quick kiss and then goes to the fridge to grab a bottled water. I lean against the counter and fold my arms yawning.
Liam continues rummaging through the fridge and then glances at me. "You hungry babe?"
I shrug, "a little. Mostly just tired."
Liam nods, "I know the feeling. How about a protein shake for tonight?"
"Yeah that sounds great." I turn and grab the protein container from another cupboard and slide it down the counter towards Liam.
The bottle warmer beeps and I turn it off letting the bottle sit for a minute to cool off before I grab it.
Liam grabs the strawberries from the fridge and then a banana from the fruit basket that hangs from a hook.
I hand him a cutting board and a knife. Liam has always been better in the kitchen when it comes to cooking or preparing anything but I'm usually better at guessing what he needs and when and having it ready for him.
We don't do much cooking anymore. Our full time cook and housekeeper Jackie, prepares our meals but we typically give her weekends off unless we are having a party or a few friends over and then we enlist her help.
I glance at Melanie making sure she's still happy and see that she's content just sucking on the ear of the stuffed animal. She has her gaze fixed on Liam, probably curious as to what he's doing but above all else... she looks exhausted.
I chuckle and whisper to Liam but loud enough so he can hear me.. "you have an audience."
He looks to me confused and then glances behind him at Melanie who is still watching him.
He laughs and starts cutting up the fruit, "someone is looking sleepy I would say."
I nod and grab her bottle out of the warmer testing it on my wrist... perfect.
"Which is why she's going to bed as soon as she's done eating."
I set her bottle down on the bar opposite the kitchen counter and unbuckle her, lifting her up. She drops her toy to the floor making me laugh.
"Done with that are ya?"
I walk around to the other side of the kitchen counter, sitting on one of the bar stools.
I lay Melanie down in my left arm. She starts whimpering when I don't start feeding her quickly enough. I roll my eyes... needy little thing.
I grab the bottle once I'm situated comfortably and nudge Melanie's hand out of the way that inevitably found it's way to her mouth and pop the bottle into her mouth.
She immediately starts suckling. I sigh in relief and look back to Liam who is finishing up with chopping the fruit into small pieces. He dumps the fruit into the blender with the protein powder and almond milk.
Melanie's eyes are starting to drift shut and her body starts to get heavier in my arms as she relaxes. The only noise I hear is little suckling sounds while she eats, making me smile.
Liam pops the top on the blender and pushes the button to "start."
Melanie jumps in my arms as soon as the noise from the blender sounds. I jump because she jumped and thank God that I had a good hold on her and didn't drop her.
"Fuck."
She starts coughing pushing the bottle away, milk splattering onto my shirt, and I can tell she's scared from being jarred awake by such a loud noise. Not that I blame her, just bad timing.
I put the bottle down on the table and hold Melanie so she's sitting up on my lap. One hand on her stomach and chest holding her upright, my other hand rubbing and patting her back.
She coughs a bit more and starts wailing in between coughing. I bring her up to my shoulder and stand up, swaying from side to side and patting her back. I cup her head against my shoulder trying to block out some of the noise that Liam is causing.
After what feels like forever, when in reality it was a couple seconds, the blender stops. Melanie continues wailing on my shoulder and Liam turns towards us shocked when he can hear her, obviously not aware of what he did.
"What happened?" Liam frowns assuming I did something.
I jerk my head in his direction, "the blender scared her. She was almost asleep too."
I turn my attention back to Melanie. "Hey sweetie, it's all gone. You're okay. Shhhhh."
Her wails start to diminish and she rubs her face against my shoulder, gripping my shirt in her fists.
I grab a Kleenex from the counter top and wipe at her nose that had started running and her mouth. She turns her head away from me whimpering.
I can't help but laugh, "sorry cutie. But you have milk and God knows what else on your face and I would rather not have all of it on my shirt."
Liam comes around the counter trying to keep a straight face.
"Melanie... daddy's sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."
I glance to the side watching her face and to my surprise and Liam's, she leans away from me, reaching for Li.
Liam looks at her in shock for a moment before regaining his composure and takes Melanie from me, giving her a kiss to her wet cheek.
I let her go but gape a bit. Liam just chuckles and kisses Melanie on the side of her head, holding her against his chest.
"I see how it is Mel. Don't forget... daddy is the one who scared you, not me."
Liam just laughs, "welllllll you were the one holding her so she might not see it that way."
I roll my eyes and go into the kitchen to get my protein shake. I pour the contents of the blender into 2 separate glasses and hand one to Liam who is holding a sleepy Melanie against his shoulder.
Liam takes a glass and we down the protein shakes before placing the empty glasses in the sink.
"Mmm thanks babe. Delicious as always."
Liam smiles and nods, "you're welcome."
He lays Melanie in his arms and offers her the rest of her bottle but she turns her face away and brings up her hands to block her mouth, a clear sign she's finished.
I smile warmly at both of them, "alrighty. I think it's time for bed."
Liam nods and turns the lights to a dim setting so it's not too dark in the house.
I place Melanie's half full bottle in the fridge, grab the diaper bag, and make my way upstairs to our room. I can hear Liam behind me.
I place Melanie's bag on the couch we have set up next to the fireplace which is in a separate area of our bedroom.
Liam comes into the room and sits down in the rocking chair that's seated next to the bed. She fusses a bit when he sits down but he calms her with a shushing sound and a couple pats to her bottom. She puts her thumb into her mouth and cuddles into Liam's chest, closing her eyes.
I smirk and grab a binky out of the bassinet at the foot of the bed. I carefully ease her thumb away and put the pacifier in its place. Melanie stirs for a moment, murmuring incoherently and then begins to happily suck at the pacifier.
I gently take out both tiny hair ties that are still in her hair and other than turning her head (probably annoyed), she stays curled up and seems to be sleeping.
I place a soft kiss to her temple and then kiss Liam.
I go into our en suite and brush my teeth and run a comb through my hair a few times. I notice my shirt has a couple wet spots on the shoulder but I shrug it off, I'm too tired to care or change shirts. Better get used to this anyway I suppose, I think to myself though not angry or annoyed. It's a good feeling that we finally made the move to adopt.
I yawn and walk back into our bedroom. I stop when I see that Liam has fallen asleep in the chair and has Melanie protectively held against his chest. I grab my phone off the nightstand where it was charging and snap a couple photos.
I watch him bemused and consider letting them be. I finally sigh and decide against it. Melanie needs to be in her own bed when she's sleeping at night.
I walk over to them and bend down making a cradle motion with my arms to easily transfer Melanie from Liam to myself.
Liam subconsciously tightens his hold on Melanie when I go to remove her. He jumps awake startled, causing Melanie to whine in her sleep but luckily she keeps her eyes closed.
Liam releases his hold when he sees that it's me.
"God Zayn... you scared the shit out of me."
I roll my eyes and rock Melanie from side to side, ensuring she is asleep.
"Sorry but you need to be in bed and so does Melanie. She shouldn't get used to being held when she's sleeping. Do you want that to become an issue later on?"
Liam stands up and stretches, yawning. "No, I guess not."
He walks over and gives Melanie a light kiss to the top of her head, "goodnight cutie. Daddy loves you."
I grin and walk over to the bassinet, gently laying her on her back.
She makes little fussing noises but stops when I rock the bassinet a couple times. She lightly sucks at the pacifier every so often and then stops as she falls back to sleep.
I place a light blanket over her legs and stomach in case she gets cold. I gotta say, she looks adorable with her fists curled up next to her head and quietly sleeping.
I give her one last look before walking to my side of the bed and sliding in next to Liam.
I silently thank Jackie, our housekeeper, for our freshly laundered sheets. They feel amazing and it's something I need after an exhausting day... such as today.
I lay down beneath the blankets and sheet and grab my phone, checking that doors are locked and alarm is set... all things I can do from my phone thanks to our top notch security team.
I set my phone back down and look to Liam who is reading something on a white pill bottle.
"What's that babe?"
Liam doesn't look up but continues reading, holding up a finger in a "just a second" motion.
He then sighs and I look to him expectantly, growing impatient with how tired I am.
"Liam for fucks sake just tell me what's going on."
He holds up the white pill bottle, "these are the breastfeeding tablets. I just don't know if I should use them or not."
I nod in understanding.
"Well that's up to you babe. I'm fine with whatever you want."
Liam sighs and I know what I said isn't what he wanted to hear. I wait patiently for him to continue talking like I know he's going to do and sure enough he speaks up a few seconds later.
"I would really like your thoughts on it though. You have a medical degree... is this going to change anything other than the fact I could physically feed Melanie? Have you heard about this before at all?"
I groan and reach my hand out for the bottle.
I study it for a minute and hand it back to him.
"It's been approved by the FDA and all of the side effects are normal possibilities... nausea, moodiness, headaches, etc. That doesn't mean those things are going to happen though. But no I wouldn't say this is going to make your dick shrink or that you will sprout actual breasts."
I try to keep the humor out of my voice but I don't think it worked as well as I wanted it to.
Liam puts his head back against the headboard and closes his eyes and I know he's getting frustrated.
I sigh and get more serious.
"Alright Liam... I'm sorry. Even though what I said is true. I don't see a problem with it. As your husband, I guess I would say to try it for a couple days and if you don't like it then don't take it anymore. It's not a lifelong medicine."
Liam peeks at me with one eye open, "yeah I guess you're right."
"I'm always right. You should know that by now."
Liam chuckles, "whatever you say Z."
I grin back at him and get more serious, "did that help though?"
Liam nods, "yeah I think I'll give it a try and decide in a couple days if I like it or not. And obviously if Melanie doesn't like it or prefers a bottle then I will stop then too."
I nod, "sounds like a plan. Now go to sleep. Who knows when or if our little princess will get up in the night."
Liam chuckles and takes the prescribed dosage with a chug of water and lays down next to me.
I use the remote to turn the lights off from the dim that they were on.
I hear Liam sigh sleepily and I chuckle.
"I know how you feel. But hey... we survived our first few hours at home with her."
Liam laughs, "yeah lets just see what tomorrow brings."
I chuckle again and close my eyes, surrendering myself to sleep.
Hope everyone is enjoying so far!!
Feel free to provide feedback.
I will have a new chapter posted ASAP!
Hi everyone! Just letting you all know I haven't forgotten about you. I'm working on a new chapter and will hopefully have it posted this weekend.
This story is far from over :)