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Post by Tori on Mar 6, 2011 0:42:37 GMT -5
Max grinned wider, "I've been thinking of you everyday too." he admitted also quietly, his arms still kept around her body, hugging her body close to his. "Are you kidding? Of course she will!" he exclaimed, careful not to be too loud to wake the baby as he quickly caught himself. "I mean, sure she's only four months old, but that doesn't mean she won't remember your soft touch or your beautiful voice." he added in, glancing in towards the living room where he had left Arielle, then glanced back at Naomi with a grin. "Come on, I think its time you see your daughter." he said, letting go of the hug with only their hands still connected as he led her into the living room, pointing over to the pink baby swing Arielle was sleeping in peacefully. Max could of swore then, that he saw a tiny smile start to perk up on the corner of Arielle's mouth. This made him smile even wider, whispering back to Naomi, "See? I told you she was dreaming of you."
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Post by Mia on Mar 6, 2011 9:44:45 GMT -5
Naomi followed Max into the living room, her heart rate speeding up. As they neared the baby, she found she could only stare at her daughter. She'd gotten so much bigger than the last time she saw her. Letting go of Max's hand, Naomi slowly walked over to her sleeping baby, dropping to her knees beside her. She could feel the tears pricking her eyes as she reached out to hesitantly touch the red hair growing on the baby's head.
"Hey Ari..." She spoke softly, the tears threatening to fall. "Mommy missed you so much." She trailed her fingers lightly down Arielle's cheek and then down her arm, jumping a bit when the baby reached up to wrap her tiny hand around her finger. The tears began to fall as Naomi struggled to talk. "M...Mommy's is sorry for leaving you. She promised that she wouldn't but...she couldn't keep that promise. But...but Mommy promises that she will never leave you again. Mommy will always be here for you." Naomi leaned forward to press a gentle kiss to Arielle's forehead. "Mommy loves you Ari...she loves you very much and...and I won't leave you ever again."
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Post by Tori on Mar 6, 2011 14:05:58 GMT -5
Max watched as Naomi slowly approached Arielle, smiling wider as Arielle reached her tiny hand around Naomi's finger. Her eyes were still closed, but slowly, after Naomi had finished speaking, her eyes began to open up, her green eyes staring up in her mother's same shade of eyes. With a blank stare on the baby's face, Arielle let go of Naomi's finger and placed her hand onto Naomi's cheek, then nose, plugging it up. She let out a giggle and coo, causing Max to chuckle as well. "I think she remembers you." he finally said. "And we both forgive you," he walked up behind Naomi, bending down to the floor as well, resting his chin on her shoulder, kissing her cheek, "We love you, Naomi. So, very much." he finished off, watching as the baby girl started to yawn again for she was just waking up from possibly her second nap today, putting her tiny hand back on Naomi's face, this time having it rest on her mouth.
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Post by Mia on Mar 6, 2011 14:43:21 GMT -5
Naomi smiled through the tears the just wouldn't seem to stop coming. She sniffled, taking a deep shuddery breath. She reached up to hold the hand that was touching her mouth, kissing it softly. "I'm glad..." She finally whispered. Hearing her daughter giggle was probably the best thing that had happened to Naomi the last few weeks, and it helped ebb away the guilt. She suddenly had the urge to pick up her baby and looked up at Max. "Can I...can I hold her?" She felt a bit silly for asking permission to hold her own daughter but given the circumstances, she felt it was only right. He had been raising her alone all these months after all.
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Post by Tori on Mar 6, 2011 18:06:59 GMT -5
With Arielle still cooing quietly, Max grinned at each of his beautiful girls whom he loved so much. He looked back at Naomi when he asked if she could hold her. "Of course. She is your daughter, you can hold her as much or as long as you want." he smiled, stroking the back of her head lightly, with his other hand stroking his daughter's soft cheek.
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Post by Mia on Mar 6, 2011 18:11:14 GMT -5
Naomi bit her lip, a habit she'd seemed to acquire lately, and reached to gently lift Ari from her chair. Holding her baby close, Naomi squeezed her eyes shut to stop the sudden flow of tears. God, she hadn't cried this much since she was pregnant with Arielle. She opened her eyes when she felt Arielle's hand on her nose and smiled down at her daughter. She needed this, she didn't realize how bad she longed to hold her daughter until now, and now she never wanted to let her go.
Holding her easily with one hand, she used the other to touch the inside of Ari's palm, smiling when the baby immediately wrapped her hand around a finger and try to put it in her mouth. Naomi leaned down to kiss her forehead gently and then looked up at Max. "Max...thank you for...for not giving up on me."
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Post by Tori on Mar 6, 2011 18:17:22 GMT -5
Standing back up as Naomi did, Max never left Naomi or Arielle's side once. He lightly placed his arm around Naomi's waist, keeping their little family closer than they have ever been before, and gave a soft kiss on Naomi's cheek then onto Arielle's forehead, rubbing it gently. He watched as his baby girl was sucking on her mother's finger lightly, squeezing Naomi closer to him lightly as he turned over to her again, kissing her neck. "You know I'll always be there for you, right? For you, and our baby." he kissed her again, "I won't let any harm come forth to either of you."
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Post by Mia on Mar 6, 2011 18:23:49 GMT -5
Naomi turned to Max, leaning forward to kiss him, careful not to crush the baby in her arms. "I love you Max." She said softly. She pulled away then and held Arielle in the air with both hands, kissing the baby's cheeks. "And I love you Ari." She said, blowing on Ari's stomach. The baby girl squealed, a small gurgle coming from her mouth. Naomi felt her heart do a flip with she heard the giggle. Knowing it was her who caused the baby's happiness did wonders for her. She smiled over and Max, and then turned back to Arielle, rubbing her belly with her nose, earning her another gurgle.
After a few minutes of playing with her daughter, Naomi went to sit on the couch, craddling her baby in her arms. Exhaustion hit her then and she touched her forehead lightly. All that crying had given her a headache. She looked down at Arielle, who had busied herself with examining her mother's hand and smiled warmly.
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Post by Tori on Mar 6, 2011 18:32:01 GMT -5
Max smiled as he was kissed back, "I love you too, Naomi." He kept his arm around her waist then, and continued stroking Arielle's red hair that was beginning to grow in. He noticed that Naomi was getting tired then, he unwrapped his arm from her, taking a seat beside her and the baby nuzzling them both into his warm body, urging Naomi to rest her head on his shoulder. He could tell that she's been crying earlier, and how she was holding her hand to her forehead clearly showed him that she was gaining a small headache. He kissed her forehead softly, as if it would help any, and wrapped his arm around the couch and rested it over her shoulders then, as he began watching their little one explore her mother she hasn't seen in a while. A curious look on her face as well as a smile as she begun sucking on Naomi's index finger again.
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Post by Mia on Mar 6, 2011 18:37:15 GMT -5
Naomi smiled sleepily, a smile spreading across her face as she felt her daughter begin to suckle on her finger again. As she snuggled close to Max, a frown touched her features. "I don't want to fall asleep just yet..." She protested, even though the warmth of his body against hers was quickly pulling her into sleep. "It seems that every time we're together, I end up falling asleep against you." She raised her head, only to place it back on his shoulder, a yawn escaping her lips. She was emotionally drained.
Rubbing her eyes, she looked up at Max and pouted lightly. "I look horrible, don't I?" She said, indicating her clothes and hair. She glanced down at Arielle, who was beginning to fall back asleep nestled against her mother's chest.
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Post by Tori on Mar 6, 2011 18:44:48 GMT -5
Max just smiled at Naomi's comment, glancing down at Arielle then back up. "It does seem like both of my girls are feeling a little sleepy now." he chuckled ever so lightly, stroking his fingers against Naomi's shoulder and his other resting over Naomi's hand over Arielle's tiny, delicate body. "I think its that time of day for a nice nap for you two." he said softly, nuzzling his face in her hair, kissing her head as she rested on him still. "Go ahead and sleep, maybe when you both wake up, we can go out for dinner like a real family would."
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Post by Mia on Mar 6, 2011 18:48:34 GMT -5
Naomi nodded, not willing to fight sleep anymore. "That would be nice." She yawned, snuggling even closer to him. "I won't be sleep for long though, just a few minutes, okay?" She was tired and she needed the sleep. Shifting so that she was more comfortable, she looked at her daughter once more, as if she were worried this was all a dream, and then closed her eyes, finally letting sleep overtake her.
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Post by Tori on Mar 6, 2011 18:57:20 GMT -5
Max grinned wider, glad to know that she agreed to his idea. Watching as Arielle was fully asleep then, he kissed Naomi's head one last time before she fell asleep as well. He looked down at both of his girls in his arms, smiling constantly at each of them for a small moment before slowly and carefully getting up off the couch, careful not to wake either of them. Once back on his feet, he looked down at the both of them with a smile across his face, and spread out one of the baby blankets over both of his girls, making sure they were all tucked and snugged in with each other, before returning to his phone on the table to snap a few quick pictures of this beautiful moment that he hasn't seen since the hospital.
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Post by Mia on Mar 6, 2011 19:10:02 GMT -5
Arielle was the first awake, letting out a soft whine to let her father know she'd woken up. Of course, the whine was short lived when she noticed her sleeping mother next to her. She was contented to lay quietly next to her mother. She gurgled, reaching out to touch her Naomi's mouth. Surprisingly, Naomi slept through this, though her arms were still in a protective hold on Arielle.
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Post by Tori on Mar 6, 2011 19:20:59 GMT -5
During that period of napping, Max figured he clean up the house a bit, at least until anyone woke up. Just as soon as he finished putting the last set of dishes away then, he heard a small cry come from none other than Arielle. He walked back in the living room, knowing that cry anywhere, and gently without waking Naomi up, picked up his daughter, holding her close in his arms. "Hey there, Ari. Did you have a nice nap with mommy?" he asked his daughter, and as a response, Arielle simply gurgled and cooed, burying her face into her daddy's chest, showing that she was missing being held by him too. Max kissed Arielle's head, keeping her close to his body as he slowly bent over giving a light kiss on Naomi's forehead next, stroking his fingertips against her cheek.
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