Smoke and Mirrors (DE)

66. Fed up

Joseph watched with a scowl as Richard pushed Cataleya up and down the hospital halls in the hospital bassinet with a smile plastered on his face as if nobody else existed. Since she'd entered the world so quickly, Emily nor Richard were present for her birth but Richard was there an hour later and it was love at first sight. Joseph had never saw the old man smile so much, not even when it came to Grace. He'd softened immensely— talking in a soft baby voice to his precious granddaughter. Joseph was starting to get a little jealous.

Grace was recovering well, especially since being moved to a more comfortable room. Joseph had her upgraded to the most expensive maternity suite money could buy— like a small apartment in itself with a full bathroom, a double hospital bed and a beautiful view of the ocean from their room.

Going back into their room, Joseph found Grace sitting up right in the bed resting her eyes with an episode of Keeping up with the Kardashians playing on the enormous flat screen TV. The curtains were pulled open, flooding the room with natural light, the room filled with numerous beautiful assortments of roses and floral arrangements sent from different friends and family members— like a mini botanical garden.

"Tell yo daddy to give me my daughter back," Joseph said irritatedly making Grace slowly open her eyes and glare at him for disturbing her rest.

"Let him have her," Grace mumbled tiredly, wiping her eyes— her face still puffy, nose and lips swollen.

"He's had her for two days straight—"

"How about your bring her to me so I can feed her and nobody has her— she's not a toy," Grace said irritatedly.

She didn't mean to be snippy with Joseph but she was exhausted both mentally and physically, and between her husband, her father and her daughter, she felt like she was dealing with three children. Grace understood her father was ecstatic to be a new grandfather so she didn't mind him stealing Cataleya because Grace and Joseph get to have her for the rest of their lives.

As if on cue, Richard carefully pushed Cataleya into the room. "I have to pick up your mom from the airport— you going to feed her? I think she's hungry,"

"Daddy—," Grace said with a warning tone.

"Ight," Richard said, throwing his hands up defensively. "Are we coming back here or are y'all being discharged today?"

"The house— we're going home today," Grace said as she sat up slowly, carefully lifting Cataleya out of the bassinet.

Joseph gently stroked Catelyas soft black placenta perm with his thumb as Grace breast fed her— mesmerized. The new father had been under a euphoric spell since she was born two days ago and he was absolutely smitten. He'd stay up all night just watching her sleep— holding her teeny tiny hands. Joseph thought he knew loves with Grace but this was different— an incomprehensible type of love.

"She has your eyebrows," Grace said, breaking the silence in the room as she watched her husband stare at their daughter as he softly stroked her head.

Joseph let out a small chuckle, looking up at Grace remembering the time she'd expressed that she'd hoped their baby would inherit them from him.

Grace used to have an undeclared fear that she wouldn't be a good mom before she got pregnant— partially why she was so weary of having children. She'd never been very good with children and it felt awkward in a way to care for other kids. Grace was always the cool auntie because she'd let Kash get away with anything which always landed him in trouble with her sister. But the second her eyes landed on her daughter something inside her clicked— all the anxiety and worry she'd been experiencing her whole pregnancy about not knowing what to do went away, her maternal instincts were beginning to come naturally.