BREAKING | rafe cameron

TWENTY NINE

"One, two, three." Rafe helped me climb up into the back of his truck, we were finally leaving the hospital after two long days, I sighed in relief when I was finally sitting still in the backseat, looking at Josie next to me in her car seat. "Congratulations!" The nurse gave us a wave as we drove off, "I'm so happy to go home." I told Rafe with a sigh, everything's different now, it's not just the two of us. "Me too." Rafe was driving so slow, it was cute, really. It was Christmas night, our Christmas was spent in the hospital, but Josie was the best gift we could've asked for. "Merry first Christmas, Josie." I whispered to the sleeping baby.

"Oh shit." Rafe laughed turning into the driveway, our friends lined up outside, despite the cold weather. "Welcome home!" They shouted as Rafe opened the truck door, "take her inside, I don't want her to get cold." Rafe nodded, lifting the car seat out and rushing inside with her, "JJ, can you help me?" I called you the blonde boy, "oh, yeah." He came over to the car door, grabbing my hands and helping me get down without falling. "Thanks." I mumbled, wincing as I walked. Kie came over, wrapping her arm with mine, "let's get you inside. I want to see that beautiful baby!" She said excitedly, Rafe came back out, leaving Josie inside with Sarah, he went to the truck and grabbed the bags, it's like we had just moved out of the hospital I swear. "You guys didn't have to come, it's Christmas! You should be with your families." "You guys are our family." JJ spoke up, my heart broke at his words. "Yeah, I second that." John B piped up, grabbing my other arm as I hobbled up the steps, that hurt like all hell.

"Oh." I sighed, sitting next to Sarah who was holding Josie, "she's absolutely beautiful, you guys did good!" She laughed looking up at me before glancing to Rafe. "As long as she looks like Charli we're good." Rafe smiled, taking a seat beside me. Josie got passed around between everybody, JJ undoubtedly being the most nervous to hold her. But he passed her to me almost instantly because she got hungry and mad, I covered myself with a blanket as I fed her, my new normal. "Ward says congratulations." Sarah whispered to Rafe and I as everyone was making chit chat with one another, I glanced to Rafe. "I'll call him, it's the right thing to do." He mumbled, slightly annoyed, I gave him a quick kiss before he could get up. "Thank you." I whispered, he nodded pulling his phone out of his pocket as he walked away. I went back to talking with everyone, a smile on my face, I'm already exhausted but I wouldn't change a thing.

***

I changed Josie's diaper, setting her back in the bassinet as she drifted off to sleep, it was four in the morning and she just woke up for her fourth feeding of the night, I laid back down, letting out a deep breath that I didn't know I was holding in. Rafe rolled over to face me, he had been waking up every time I did, even though he couldn't feed her. "I wish I could feed her so you could sleep." We looked equally exhausted, "I know, me too." I whispered, he wrapped his arm around me, pulling me closer as he started drifting off.

I stirred as I felt the bed move, I hummed rolling over, preparing to see Rafe moving around. He was sitting against the headboard, Josie laying on his chest, a blanket draped over them, she was only in a diaper and he had no shirt on, "are you doing skin to skin?" I whispered scaring him, "Jesus Charli!" He whisper shouted, "sorry." I bit my lip holding back a laugh. "She woke up early, I wanted you to get some sleep until she had to eat." He explained softly, smoothing over her hair as he looked down at her. I reached behind me, turning the lamp on, grabbing my phone in the process, I snapped a picture of them, I smiled at the sight. I pushed myself up to be in a sitting position, it was time for her to eat, again. All she does is eat, sleep and poop, I swear. Rafe handed her to me with a yawn, but just continued to stare at us, "you're amazing." He kissed my temple, resting his forehead there, these are the moments I love. "If someone told you a year ago that you'd be married to me with a baby, would you have believed them?" I questioned, meeting his eyes, "yes." He answered with no hesitation, a year ago we had only been together for four months. "Really?" I retorted with a smile, "yes, I fell for you so fast, they could've said anything and as long as I was with you I'd be happy." "You have a way with words, Rafe Cameron." "I try, Charli Cameron."

Josie is now one week old, and the difference between then and now is just crazy to me. She loves music, especially if Rafe is singing it to her, even if he's not the best, which he isn't. She's becoming much more alert, she's almost past her birth weight which is amazing, the doctor said she's doing the best she could be, which makes me and Rafe feel relieved. "Oh, big stretch." I laughed undoing her swaddle, her arms shooting straight up, she barely fits in her newborn clothes, so she's pretty much wearing zero to three month clothes already. Mind blowing. "What's daddy doing out there, huh?" I walked over to the window, Josie enjoyed looking outside, I pointed to Rafe who was covering the bushes with sheets, hoping to keep them from dying in this cold weather, we didn't want to replant them in the summer. He looked up and saw me standing by the window and smiled, I returned the action and began walking around, showing things to Josie while she was awake.

The next few weeks went like this, until they didn't.