Chapter 10

The soft glow of the night lamp painted the room in warm gold, wrapping everything in a quiet kind of peace. The world outside was asleep—but inside their small apartment, everything had changed forever.

Jennie sat carefully on the bed, her arms cradling the tiniest bundle she had ever seen. Ruby.

Their Ruby.

“Lisa…” Jennie whispered, her voice trembling just a little. “She’s so small. What if I hold her wrong?”

Lisa, who had been pacing nervously just seconds ago, immediately rushed over. She knelt beside Jennie, eyes wide but shining with awe as she looked at their daughter.

“You’re not holding her wrong,” Lisa said softly, though her own hands hovered awkwardly, unsure where to go. “I think… I think she likes you.”

Jennie let out a quiet laugh, the kind that carried both relief and disbelief. “I hope so. I’m her mom.”

Lisa grinned, her nervousness melting just a bit. “Yeah… you are.”

There was a pause—one of those moments that felt too big for words. Both of them just stared at Ruby, who was peacefully sleeping, her tiny fingers curled against Jennie’s shirt.

Lisa leaned her head against Jennie’s shoulder. “We really did this, huh?”

Jennie nodded, her eyes soft. “We did.”

A small sound came from Ruby—a tiny whimper that instantly sent both of them into panic.

“Oh no—what does that mean?!” Lisa whispered loudly, already reaching for something that didn’t exist.

“I—I don’t know!” Jennie replied, trying to stay calm but failing as Ruby squirmed a little more. “Is she hungry? Or tired? Or—Lisa, why didn’t we read more books?!”

“We did read books!” Lisa defended, then froze. “Wait… I think. Or did we just watch videos?”

Ruby let out another small cry.

Both of them looked at each other.

“…We watched videos,” they said at the same time.

Jennie bit her lip, trying not to panic. “Okay, okay… think. What did the nurse say?”

Lisa snapped her fingers. “Check the diaper!”

Jennie blinked. “Right! Right—okay, you do it.”

“Me?!” Lisa’s eyes widened. “Why me?!”

“You’re the brave one!”

“I’m not brave, I’m just tall!”

Ruby cried a little louder, cutting through their bickering.

“…We’re both doing it,” Lisa decided firmly.

And so, the two first-time mothers fumbled their way through their very first diaper change—hands clumsy, movements unsure, but filled with so much care it almost made up for the chaos.

“Why is it so tiny?!” Lisa whispered in disbelief.

“Because she’s tiny!” Jennie whispered back.

“I feel like I’m defusing a bomb!”

“Lisa!”

But somehow, after a few panicked moments and a lot of nervous laughter, they managed.

Ruby calmed down almost immediately afterward, her tiny face relaxing again.

Both Jennie and Lisa froze.

“…Did we just do that?” Lisa asked quietly.

Jennie looked at her, then at Ruby, then back at Lisa.

“We did.”

They both broke into soft giggles, the tension finally melting away.

Lisa leaned forward carefully, brushing her finger gently against Ruby’s cheek. “Hi, baby Ruby…” she murmured, her voice suddenly so gentle it made Jennie’s heart ache. “I’m your Mama Lisa.”

Jennie smiled, watching them. “And I’m your Mama Nini,” she added softly.

Ruby shifted slightly, her tiny hand reaching out instinctively—grabbing Lisa’s finger.

Lisa completely froze.

“…Jennie.”

“What?”

“She’s holding me.”

Jennie laughed quietly, tears already forming in her eyes. “Yeah… she is.”

Lisa swallowed hard, her own eyes starting to water. “I think… I think I’m gonna cry.”

“Too late,” Jennie teased softly, brushing her thumb under Lisa’s eye as a tear slipped free.

“I just—” Lisa sniffed, laughing a little. “She’s so… ours.”

Jennie leaned her head against Lisa’s. “She really is.”

The room fell quiet again, but this time it wasn’t filled with nervousness. It was full of something deeper—something steady and warm.

Love.

Messy, overwhelming, new love.

Ruby made a tiny cooing sound, as if responding to the silence, and both of them instantly leaned closer.

“Do you think she’ll like music?” Lisa whispered.

“She’s your daughter. Of course she will.”

“Do you think she’ll like your cooking?” Lisa added playfully.

Jennie gasped softly. “Excuse me, she will love my cooking.”

Lisa chuckled, then grew soft again, her gaze never leaving Ruby. “We’re gonna be okay, right?”

Jennie looked at her, then at Ruby, and smiled—a small, certain smile.

“Yeah,” she said gently. “We’re gonna be okay.”

Lisa nodded, leaning in to press a soft kiss to Jennie’s temple.

And there, in the quiet glow of a simple night lamp, with their tiny daughter sleeping between them, Jennie and Lisa began the most beautiful chapter of their lives—not perfect, not easy, but full of love in every little moment.

Their first night as mothers.

And the beginning of forever.