All the Little Things

Chapter Seven: Luca

Noelle squirms against Luca, and looking down he sees that she is wide awake. She must have woken when Jamie was setting her in his arms. Her little face squishes, eyes closing before she lets out the most pathetic sounding cry, and it breaks his heart.

"It's alright, peanut," he murmurs, rubbing her back, but she is having none of it. It is not in the least bit surprising that she is doing this. He wasn't lying when he told Jamie that she is calmer around him than anyone else.

His mind reflects on what had happened just minutes before. There had been something there when Luca had told Jamie that he was part of their family. He couldn't decipher what that something was, but it was there. It was almost like a crackling in the air, a charge that had never been there before.

And for one split second, Luca had seen himself kissing his best friend. The thought was pushed out of his mind, but it kept coming back, no matter how hard Luca tried to ignore it.

Jamie was his best friend since they were born. Their parents had raised them together, so it had always been like they had four parents instead of two. That would technically make Jamie his brother, but that thought made him almost physically recoil.

No, that title didn't fit at all.

Noelle lets out another small cry, letting Luca know that she isn't about to be ignored. Holding her close to his chest, he stands up from the bed and walks over to the changing table. He had moved it into his room from the nursery once Becca had left. She had wanted all the baby stuff to stay in there, but Luca found it convenient. She slept in here, so it didn't make sense for him to have to walk back to the nursery in the middle of the night to change her diaper.

The baby watched him with wide eyes as he unbuttoned her onesie and changed her diaper. She let out a little whimper when he cleaned her, probably not liking the cold of the baby wipe, but she didn't cry.

Luca carefully pulled her onesie off before putting on the tiny dress that Jamie had bought for her just a few days ago.

"You were just going to have her in her pajamas, weren't you?" Jamie had asked him when Luca tried to protest his friend buying even more clothes for his already spoiled daughter.

"It's not like we are going anywhere!"

Jamie had just shaken his head while hanging the dress up in her closet. "She still deserves to look nice on her first Thanksgiving. So, make sure she wears this Luca, or so help me..."

The memory brought a smile to his face, and he ran a finger over the soft fabric. The dress was made of a mustard-colored velvet, the sleeves slightly ruffled, and a ruffle going across the middle. Jamie had even bought her thick, warm tights, and shiny black dress shoes with a little bow on top.

Once she was fully dressed, Luca tried to brush down some of her hairs with the soft baby brush they had gotten at the baby shower, but her hair was relentless. The curls just bounced by up every time he tried to brush them down, so he eventually gave up.

Even with the wild hair, she still looked adorable, and he had to admit that Jamie had been right about dressing her up.

With her tucked safely into his arm, Luca made his way downstairs, where it was homey sounding. The music from before was still playing, and looking around the living room, he saw that most of his family was sitting in the living room chatting. Even Jonny, Jamie's little brother, was there, sipping cautiously on some wine while he listened to the conversation his mom and Cally were having.

His mom looks up as soon he steps into the room. "Oh, look how adorable she looks!" She is quick to cross the room, taking Noelle from her father. "I could just gobble you up." She presses kisses against Noelle's face, and the baby's face scrunches up in displeasure before she lets a small cry.