welcome to parenthood

"That's the first time she smiled."

Chimney beamed at the pictures of his daughter now filling up his entire camera roll. He was elated showing all of them to the team on his first day back since his two-month paternity leave. Buck and Eddie surrounded him during the little show and tell.

Eddie leaned in on his seat, knitting his brows. "You sure that's a smile? That's the same face Buck makes when he's gassy."

"I will take that as a compliment cause it just means she looks like her uncle Buck."

"And we're lucky Monet looks like Sasha." He retorted.

Unbothered by the side conversation, Chimney remained mesmerized at the picture of Jee-Yun. "God, I love her so much. I don't even feel like the same person anymore. Is that weird?" He asked as Bobby joined the trio with coffees.

"What's that saying that having a kid is like walking around with your heart outside your body?"

"Okay, that's weirder and morbid."

"Just means it's a whole different kind of love." Bobby informed, passing the last two mugs to Eddie and Buck.

Eddie steered the conversation, "How's Maddie doing? First solo ship with the baby."

"Babies plural." Chimney corrected. "She's pulling double duty, Albert and Jee-Yun."

"Offer still stands, you know. He can come back to my place. Sasha and I don't mind." Buck expressed in a genuine tone.

Pleased by the gesture, Chimney waved him off. "He needs round the clock care. He can't be on his own for a whole 24 hours. With the new schedule, one of us is always home." He explained. "You already have a load on your plate with Sasha occupied with the exhibition coming up."

"You and Maddie are working opposite schedules, when do you actually see each other?" Eddie wondered.

"I haven't quite figured that out yet."

Buck was the first to notice Hen appearing at the top of the staircase. "Oh uh, she- she's coming." He whispered to them.

Chimney cleared his throat, "So, uh yeah...the doctor said Albert's physical therapy is going great."

"Welcome back!"

Hen came up to the counter with a decorative cake inside the white box she carried in.

Chimney perked up, "Hey! I was just filling them in on Albert's recovery."

His best friend scanned everyone's faces then frowned. "I am disappointed in you guys. Where's the banner? Where's the balloons? This is not how we do when somebody comes back to work." She scolded.

"I said it was okay. I don't need that kind of stuff. Not when uh..."

She knew that he referred to her and Karen losing Nia this week. Of course, having to give back a child you've not only fostered but loved dearly anticipated the worst heartbreak. However, Hen had to come to terms whether she hated it or not. Even when the couple had been planning to officially adopt Nia after a year.

"No, no, no, no, no. We celebrate every good moment—when we can." She assured the group. "Let me see these baby pictures."

"Okay." Chimney relaxed, his mouth spread into a wide grin and brought his phone out again.

Hen gasped, "Oh my god, she's so big already."

"Yeah, they grow up fast."

Veronica sent knocks onto Sasha and Buck's door that morning. She came to babysit Monet for Sasha to leave for work until Buck returned from his shift at the firehouse. With her online class starting in the afternoon, she didn't mind watching the toddler for a bit. Plus, she only had to take the elevator from her shared apartment with Yasmin to get there.

Being a trusted nanny for Monet, Veronica became accustomed for the good and bad days. It happened to be a not-so-great morning when met with a visibly exhausted Sasha bouncing a whimpering toddler hoisted on her hip.

"Morning."

"Morning, you look—"

"Tired? We had a rough night." She tilted her head down motioning to her daughter. "Which is why someone is cranky this morning." She continued to soothe Monet by rubbing small circles on her back.

Veronica fell into step with Sasha leading her inside the kitchen where she managed to settle Monet into her highchair. She placed a small plate on the tray then moved to the counter where she offered the college student coffee. Veronica accepted a cup while taking a seat at the table.

Clearly reluctant to eat, Monet started to become fussy. Veronica intervened for Sasha's relief by capturing the toddler's attention and acting overjoyed after grasping one of the cheerios in her mouth and a sliced banana then plopping into her mouth. Somehow it was convincing enough for Monet to calm down and mimic her actions.

Sasha mouthed a 'thank you' to Veronica when she delivered her coffee.

"Evan should be home soon. If you need to work on any schoolwork, he won't mind."

"It's fine. I don't have any deadlines or exams to worry about yet." Veronica said. "I can watch Monet longer if he wants to rest."

"Surely one of us could use some sleep." Sasha mused, drinking her coffee. "How are you and Albert doing?" It was inevitable that the casual hangouts between the duo would develop into a romantic relationship. More specifically when Albert sought out Sasha and Buck for girl advice.

"We're doing good. Sucks not to see him but I don't want to overstay my welcome or bother Chimney and Maddie." Veronica shared. "Which is why we are thankful for technology to be able to Facetime."

Sasha laughed in agreement.

"He does hate feeling useless around the apartment. Forcing Chimney and Maddie to be his caretakers while adjusting to parenthood."

"Evan was like that too during my last trimester." Sasha recalled. "We volunteered to have Albert stay with us again in the guest bedroom. But our schedules seem busier than theirs." She felt bad that her life was in a whirlwind to lessen the weight on the couple's shoulders.

Veronica hummed, "Albert mentioned that to me. Don't feel too guilty, doubt having him here will be different over there. Especially this one running around." She maneuvered her gaze to Monet who had food spread all over her face.

Nearly running late on her first day back, Maddie was startled by the ambush of her colleagues from both sides of the conference room. They smothered the new mother with gift baskets, treats, and balloons which illuminated the room. The sight of this thoughtful gesture touched her—almost causing her to cry.

"Oh my God! You guys did not have to do this!"

"Well, of course we do! We didn't get a chance to throw you a shower with the least we can do is give you a good welcome back." Sue insisted, sending the brunette a warm smile.

Sasha chimed in, propping a gift basket. "That one is for baby." She slid another one forward on the table. "This is for mommy."

"How does it feel being back?" Josh inquired.

"Weird, I mean, I haven't left the house in two months except doctor's appointments."

Linda interjected, "Ah, just wait for the mom guilt to set in and everyone's going to have advice. Don't take it, you have to figure out what works best for yourself—except for this."

Josh whipped his head at her in confusion. "Didn't you say that—"

"You can have it all. But you can't do it all delegate. Get help don't be a martyr." She clarified to the latter.

Both Sasha and Sue agreed with Linda. "She's right. It takes a village, so use your village." Sue emphasized. "It's good to have you back."

"It's good to be back." Maddie affirmed before everyone dispersed from the room except Sasha and Josh.

"Ready for this?"

Maddie took no hesitation to answer honestly. "No, basically I ran out of the house this morning before I could change my mind and not leave Jee's side until she's 40." She humored lightly.

Sasha suppressed a laugh, "Understandable. I began to have second thoughts on my first day with Monet."

"I have no idea what that feels like, but I do know that I'm here for you. Whatever you need other than babysitting that feels like a lot of pressure." Josh told the two mothers.

"It's okay. Chimney's got us covered."

Buck pivoted to the counter to begin cutting pieces of uncooked chicken. He listened to the door shutting and a pair of incoming footsteps breaching the room.

"Now isn't that the sexiest chef I've seen in my life." Sasha sent him a teasing smirk to which he developed a slight grin.

He placed the knife down, glancing up at her. "Good to hear from the only woman whose validation I care about the most." He wiped his hands as Sasha came around to greet with a kiss.

"Sounds like your day went well?" She noted the unusual silence in their apartment.

"Yeah, uh Ronnie let me rest a bit before I relieved her." Buck began, "Then I took Monet to the park and lunch with Eddie. Her eventful day seemed to run her down for a nap."

Cries erupted through the baby monitor stationed on the counter.

He grimaced, "Was napping."

Sasha rested her purse and lunch bag down. "I'll go get her. Missed my little bean a little extra today."

"Meet me in our bathroom after. I have a surprise for you." Buck quipped, receiving a bewildered look from his girlfriend before she sauntered out of the room.

Monet snuggled into her mother as she was being whisked away into the master bedroom. Sasha entered the bathroom as requested by Buck. Within a second, she entered, she understood his reasoning for the surprise. Laid out were a few lit scented candles around the tub where bubbles arise, and a wine bottle paired with a glass.

"Thought you could use some "me time" before dinner." Buck declared, sporting a sheepish grin. "It made me feel a little guilty that you had to deal with our daughter alone while I was on shift." He thought of the chain of messages with her exchanged that night.

Sasha giggled, walking towards him. She tugged his chin down, "You're the sweetest, you know that?" She pecked his lips. "Thank you. I could really use one because I've been feeling really tired lately."

"That's what I'm here for." He pressed another kiss on her lips then her forehead. He stole Monet from her arms to leave her alone.

"So, you're still not talking to your mom?"

"Let me guess, mom has been calling you?" May sighed from the couch while Sasha picked up the scattered toys on the floor.

After confiding in her father about the recent argument with her mother, she decided on another pit stop at her cousin's. She couldn't go home since the new information left her aghast to fully process in her mind.

Like Athena, Sasha wasn't too keen about May making amends with Laila. She can remember the frantic phone call from Harry that day at the call center. And then finding out the real story of what happened to her younger cousin. It felt as if she was clutching onto her heart that day until hearing the good news.

But when May entailed the reason, it shattered and anger Sasha. May came to her for advice about dealing with mean girls once, yet not the full extent of the story.

At the end of the day, Sasha will support her younger cousin despite the choices she might not like.

"Obviously." They both shared a laugh. "She's your mom. She'll always worry about you, May."

The teenager cast her eyes down to her hands on her lap. "Can I ask you something?"

Mindlessly proceeding snatching the toys to store in the basket, Sash nodded shortly. "Ask away."

"...Um, when you found your mom—" May paused, beginning to backtrack on her question. "Never mind, forget that I tried to ask. That was insensitive of me."

Sasha placed the toys in her hands into the basket and raised her gaze at the teenager. "You want to know what I felt when I found my mom in the kitchen." Sasha inhaled sharply, sat back on the floor. "Everything felt like a blur, just happened so fast. I-I remembered my hands shaking while trying to concentrate to dial 911 and listen to the operator on the line."

She fiddled with her locket.

"It gave me nightmares for a while. Except that scene will plague my mind for a long time because I thought losing my mom would never happen after beating cancer." She swallowed thickly. "I think a piece of my heart left with her that day. With both of my parents."

After work, Sasha slid into the driver's seat of her car. She threw her purse and a shopping bag in the passenger's seat. She stared straight forward and basked into the peaceful quietness for a moment. Her head leaned back on the headrest as her eyes closed briefly.

Cutting to the end of that moment, she pulled out her phone.

She heard two rings play out until the other line answered the call.

"Hey, um I got out of the store. I'll be home soon." Sasha breathed out.

"Great because someone is getting restless to see you." Buck told, flickering down to their daughter on his lap.

Sasha tugged a small smile, "That someone could either be you or our daughter." She joked, listening to a chuckle in response. "I shouldn't long then. See you in a few. Love you."

"Love you too."

Once dismissing the call, Sasha placed her phone away and turned on the ignition. Her eyes captured the sight of the bag laying on the seat then began pulling out of the parking lot.

-A cliffhanger or not a cliffhanger? Hope you like it! Tell me what you think! Don't forget to vote and comment! Stay tuned!-

WRITTEN: 8/17/23

PUBLISHED: 8/18/23