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There was a mini crowd in Faelyn's hospital room as she held her and Hassan's daughter, smiling widely.
"She's so pretty." Neriah marveled, softly stroking the skin on the tight fist that Hazel had formed.
Hassan smiles, "I mean look at her daddy. I'm pretty as hell."
Neriah snorted at her brother's joke, still watching the tiny baby cradled in Faelyn's arms.
"Can I hold her?"
Faelyn nodded and carefully passed off her daughter, watching as Neriah held Hazel close to her chest.
"Look, Jo." Neriah called, making him look up from his phone, "Isn't she perfect?"
"She look like her daddy." He replied before pausing, "Ugly."
He and Hassan began a playful argument while Neriah continued to stare at the small body in her arms.
The door opened as Lia came inside glancing at her granddaughter and immediately going to the sink to wash her hands so she could hold her.
"Ma, Jo was in here calling your first grandchild ugly." Hassan snitched, "You needa get your son under control."
"I just said she look like her daddy, and her daddy ugly."
Lia ignored them, taking the baby from Neriah, "What's her name?"
"Hazel," Faelyn answered, wondering was she being petty in thinking she didn't want Lia holding her daughter.
"Hi, Hazel." Lia cooed at her, "Hi sweet Hazel."
Everyone in the room continued to make small talk until Lia passed Hazel back to her mother, looking towards Josiah who looked tired.
He always looked tired these days.
"How are you feeling Josiah?" She asked, walking to give him a hug.
"I'm good. You?"
"If you're fine, I'm perfect." Lia smiled, searching her son's eyes for the real answer to her question.
Ever since Grace left almost 2 months ago, she had yet to see an actual smile appear on his face, just fake ones that he thought had everyone fooled.
Hassan told her he didn't sleep that much anymore, often hearing him in the living room at odd hours of the night.
It was taking much longer for him to get over Grace than Lia thought, and she was upset at that fact, wishing her son would return to the way he was before.
"You should come over for dinner tonight." Lia suggested, "I'll cook for you for a change."
Josiah shook his head no, "I have plans."
He'd returned to his SAA meetings, Ben, the group leader, welcoming him back with open arms. They were the ones he opened up to, not his family.
When Grace came home, if she still wanted to be with him, he still planned on attending the meetings, wanting to ensure that what happened in the shower would never take place again.
