“Of course,” Daniel nodded eagerly. “Clothes. What else? What does she eat?”
“She's still on formula at the moment, but I'm going to start trying her on solids very soon. They say they're ready for that between four and six months,” Laura told him.
“Formula,” Daniel listed aloud. “I can do that. What else does she need?”
Laura smiled. “Baby stuff,” she said. “You don't have to go mad. Her grandparents spoil her rotten and her godmother too.”
“She has a godmother?” Daniel asked.
“Yes, my best friend Sophie,” Laura revealed. “You saw her in that photo, remember?”
“I do,” Daniel replied. “Oh God, I've missed so much, haven't I?”
“You didn't know,” Laura reasoned. “There's still time for you to be there for her. She still hasn't said her first words, or taken her first steps or any of those big things. If you want to be there, then there's still time.”
“I'm so sorry,” Daniel repeated in a heart-felt apology. “It must have been awful for you. I can't believe you've been raising her all on your own and went through the birth and everything... Do people know that I'm her father?”
Laura nodded. “They know she didn't come from thin air,” she laughed. “I told people that her father was away for work, but nothing more. If you decide to be part of Annie's life, then I'm sure you'll meet them all in time.”
“My mother is going to have a heart attack,” Daniel laughed. “She's been asking about grandchildren since I was out of college. It'll come as a shock to her, but she's going to go crazy for this little one.”
“You're going to tell them about her?” Laura asked with emotion tightening her throat.
Daniel looked up at her with earnest eyes. “Of course, Laura. She's my daughter.”
After all these months of holding it together, Laura couldn't help but shed a tear or two of relief now. For so long she had been carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders, and being mother and father to this child. She had begun to think of her night with Daniel as some distant, far away thing that had started to become less and less real until it felt like she had imagined it. To have him here with her now, real and solid and sorry to have been gone felt like some small miracle.
The captain returned to his seat beside her and gently wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
“It's going to be all right, Laura,” he said softly.
A hundred different people had told her that; Sophie, her mother, Marie. But hearing it from Daniel made her truly believe it and she leaned her head against his chest to sob a little from relief. He hugged her tightly and then asked if he could hold his daughter.
Laura lifted her from her stroller and Annie squirmed a little as she did when she was disturbed, letting out a little gurgle of protest, but falling quiet as soon as she was in her daddy's arms. For someone who made a living out of carrying people from burning buildings, Daniel had no idea how to hold a baby and Laura laughed at his uncertain pose. She repositioned Annie in his arms so that one arm was resting underneath the baby and the other was holding her back, so that she was cradled against his chest. She must have been comfortable there, as she almost immediately fell asleep.
Daniel became emotional once more and Laura could even make out the beginnings of tears suspended in his eyes.
“She must like me,” he grinned. “I've never been good with babies. She must know that I'm her daddy.”
Laura reached out and stroked her baby's head softly. Watching Daniel hold her with fatherly love made her own heart swell. Even though the future was still uncertain and scary, she was glad for this one moment when the world came to a still and she could live in a snapshot of perfection with Mommy, Daddy, and baby all together.
“I'm going to look after you two,” Daniel vowed. “It was a rough start, but I'm going to take care of you from now on.”
The fireman held his daughter against his chest for a long time as though he wanted to make up for all the cuddles he had missed, but eventually as it began to grow late and the wind cooled, he had to at last lay her back down in her stroller.
“When can I see you again?” he asked Laura hopefully.
“Any time,” Laura said. “Do you remember where I live?”
The smile that jumped to Daniel's lips at the question was the same smile that came to her face whenever she remembered that night and he nodded.
“I remember.”
“Well, I usually get home from work around six. You can come around any time after.”
“I'll be there tomorrow,” he promised. “I'll bring some of the guys with me and we'll baby-proof the house.”