***** Nick woke up to the sound of crying. Next to him, Morgan was still fast asleep. He gently moved out of her arms and got up. He walked to the crib where Amelia was flailing her arms with every wail and hesitantly picked her up. He rocked her gently, deliberating that this was his daughter in his arms...His daughter. He liked the sound of that. Amelia slowly stopped crying a few seconds after Nick picked her up. He held her a little tighter, appreciating her warmth and the way she curled up to him and had an arm around his neck. He stood by the window for a few minutes, once again confronted with the questions of last night and whether or not he was going to stay. He sighed and decided to just enjoy the moment instead of worrying. For a second, he was overwhelmed. He and Morgan had spent another night together and basically, she was cheating on Jake with Nick. And here Nick was, holding his daughter for the first time. He cradled her away from him and studied her face, wanting to memorize every crease. Her large blue eyes stared up at him before her face split into a large smile, a deep gurgling coming from her throat. Nick found himself smiling back and felt a rush of affection to Amelia and to Morgan. He wanted it to be only them with no worries about what was to come next. Knowing that Angela and Todd were already off on their business trip, he made his way quietly out of the bedroom, deciding to let Mor get a couple more hours of sleep. “ Are you hungry?” He asked Amelia softly, heading to the kitchen. In response, she laughed again. Nick walked into the kitchen and over to the refrigerator. Sifting through the items, he pulled out a milk container and shut the door again. Setting it on the counter, he propped Amelia’s babyseat next to it and strapped her in. “ Let’s get you some food,” He said to her and looked through the cabinets for a pan. He finally found one and turned on the stovetop. AFter pouring the milk in, he played with Amelia until the temperature was ok( He’s made bottles for his younger sibs before in case you’re thinking ‘ how the Hell does he know how to take care of a kid’). Taking her to the couch in the den, he sat her in his lap and turned on the news before giving her her bottle...
***** Morgan rolled languidly over, expecting to feel Nick next to her but only the air was at her fingers. Opening her eyes, she felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach when she saw he wasn’t there. Of course he wasn’t here, he probably left the first chance he got. Tears stung her eyes as she pushed the blanket off of her and got up. She wondered why Amelia hadn’t woken her up but when she checked her crib, she saw she was asleep. Morgan sighed and crawled back in bed, not wanting to face the day and it’s miseries. She closed her eyes, sunk in too deep inside her sorrow to hear the door open. Nick walked to the bed and studied her face before slipping in next to her. Her eyes opened in surprise when he put his arms around her. “ Oh, so you are awake,” Nick murmered in her hair, wanting to take away all the worries that creased her forehead. “ You’re still here,” He stiffened slightly. “ Did you want me to leave?” He asked, pulling away slightly. “ No, it’s just I thought you already left,” She said quickly, relief surging through her. Maybe if she just pretended for one day, it would all turn out ok. “ Are you hungry? I made breakfast.” She turned to him and smiled. “ You made breakfast? That’s sweet,” He grinned, obviously proud of his accomplishment. “ Did Amelia wake up?” She asked. “ Oh, yeah. I fed her a bottle and she fell asleep half an hour ago,” Nick got up. “ Come on, let’s eat,” He tugged on her hand and she got up. “ I’m gonna take a quick shower, Ok?” “ Ok. I’ll be downstairs,” Morgan watched him leave and sighed, heading to the bathroom. Where in the world did they stand now? He certainly was acting quite the family man but you never could tell with him. She walked inside and turned the shower on...
***** Nick watched Morgan laugh and she caught his wistful look. Her smile faded and her eyes searched his for an answer to the question they had both been ignoring. He leaned forward and kissed her sweetly on her lips. “ I love you, Mor,” He murmered, looking into her eyes. “ I hope you realize that,” He added, pulling back and looking down at Amelia who was staring up at them, talking in her gurgled way. It was three o’clock and Nick had stayed after breakfast, not wanting to leave yet and afraid that if he did, he wouldn’t have the intentions of coming back. “ Look at the lovely doll,” Morgan crooned, holding a Barbie out to Amelia who tugged on her hair. “ Ouch. Let go of Mommy’s hair, Honey,” Morgan gently took hold of her fist and tried unclenching it. Nick sat laughing at Mor’s pained expression before reaching forward and helping her. As soon as they got her to let go, she burst out crying. “ Here,” Nick picked her up out of Morgan’s lap and stood up, gently rocking her. “ She’s getting sleepy,” Morgan commented, content with watching the two. “ Where’s her bottle?” He asked and Morgan held it out to him. He took a seat on the couch and patted the seat next to him. “ Sit here,” She stood up and sat down on the sofa, resting her head on his shoulder as he fed Amelia. She watched for a few minutes, just absorbing the whole aura of the moment. “ What’s on tv?” He asked softly, not wanting to disturb Amelia. She turned it on and stopped on the news. “ There is a snow storm watch for this whole region. Snowfall accumulation of at least fourteen inches to be expected...” “ Uh-oh...Nick, you should get going, the roads are gonna be hell later,” She said reluctantly, looking at him. “ You don’t mind if I spend another night, do you?” “ Of course not, but what about Gabrial?” “ I’ll just call him later and tell him I’m staying at a hotel cause the road’s are blocked,” “ You sure?” “ Yeah...Don’t worry about it. It’ll be cozy,” He gave her a reassuring smile and she leaned back, flipping channels for a movie...
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