24 September 1891 — Crouch Home, Swallowbury
The ten days since Nora had been born passed in something of a blur, and if that was true for Ben it must have been doubly true for Melody. The part-time night nurse they'd hired should have been giving Melody plenty of time to rest, but with the cradle still occupying the corner of her bedroom Ben was sure that she was still waking up fairly often. The first few nights he'd been startled out of bed every time Nora cried, worried that there was something the matter and ready to run for a professional at the first sign of danger. After being reassured time and time again that this was all quite normal, he'd stopped getting up in the middle of the night, but he was still waking at least once or twice to the sound of Nora's noise across the hall. If it was waking him, it must have been waking Melody, too.
He'd gotten home from work a little earlier today, and he'd been eager to spend time with his daughter. There wasn't much you could do with a ten day old baby, but since it was a pleasant enough day he'd decided to bundle her up in his arms and walk around the little garden behind their home. He spent as much time looking at her as he did looking at anything else, and it was hard to tell what, if anything, she was looking at, but she seemed to enjoy it. At one point Ben looked away from her for only a few seconds, and when he glanced back down in his arms she was somehow fast asleep, despite having been wide-eyed only a moment earlier.
Walking as carefully as he could so as not to jostle her, Ben made his way into the house and up the stairs to Melody's room. "She's asleep," he whispered to his wife, then gently laid Nora down in her cradle. He didn't spend much time in here — Melody's room was still her sanctuary, and the birth hadn't changed their relationship so much that he thought he was welcome here whenever he pleased — so it was the first time he'd gotten a look at the baby blanket in Nora's crib. He ran his fingers over the pattern at the corner, where it wouldn't disturb his daughter, then glanced over at Melody. "Did someone give us this?" he asked quietly, nodding towards the blanket.
He'd gotten home from work a little earlier today, and he'd been eager to spend time with his daughter. There wasn't much you could do with a ten day old baby, but since it was a pleasant enough day he'd decided to bundle her up in his arms and walk around the little garden behind their home. He spent as much time looking at her as he did looking at anything else, and it was hard to tell what, if anything, she was looking at, but she seemed to enjoy it. At one point Ben looked away from her for only a few seconds, and when he glanced back down in his arms she was somehow fast asleep, despite having been wide-eyed only a moment earlier.
Walking as carefully as he could so as not to jostle her, Ben made his way into the house and up the stairs to Melody's room. "She's asleep," he whispered to his wife, then gently laid Nora down in her cradle. He didn't spend much time in here — Melody's room was still her sanctuary, and the birth hadn't changed their relationship so much that he thought he was welcome here whenever he pleased — so it was the first time he'd gotten a look at the baby blanket in Nora's crib. He ran his fingers over the pattern at the corner, where it wouldn't disturb his daughter, then glanced over at Melody. "Did someone give us this?" he asked quietly, nodding towards the blanket.
MJ made this <3