𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘯 𝘭𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘦𝘴 6

Chapter 6:

Sleepless Nights & First-Time Parenting Fears

Hazel was perfect. Tiny, warm, theirs.

And she never slept.

It had been three weeks since Reese and Taylor brought her home, and neither of them had gotten more than two consecutive hours of rest. The newborn haze was real. The bags under their eyes? Permanent. Their house? A disaster.

But none of that mattered. Because Hazel was here, and she was everything.

The first night home, they had set up the perfect little nighttime routine. Taylor dimmed the lights, Reese wrapped Hazel in the softest swaddle they could find, and they rocked her in the nursery, whispering to her about all the places she'd go and the life they'd give her.

It was sweet. Beautiful. A perfect family moment.

And then Hazel refused to sleep.

She screamed the second they put her down.

So they picked her up. She calmed a little.

They tried to put her down again.

Screamed. Again.

Reese groaned, bouncing Hazel against her chest. "Baby, you just ate. What do you want?"

Hazel's response was a tiny, heart-shattering wail.

Reese sighed.

Taylor, sitting on the floor beside the crib, looked wrecked. Hair a mess, sweatshirt inside out, eyes barely open. "I think she just wants to be held."

Reese frowned. "But the books said—"

Taylor cut her off with a dry laugh. "Baby, fuck the books."

And that was how, three weeks later, they found themselves permanently attached to their baby, running on sheer willpower and caffeine.

Reese had never been this tired in her life.

She was in the nursery at 3:42 AM, rocking Hazel back and forth, while Taylor sat in the rocking chair, guitar in hand.

Because when words didn't work, when lullabies on Spotify failed, Taylor wrote her own.

Her soft voice filled the nursery, and for the first time all night, Hazel's cries calmed.

Reese, watching from the crib, felt her heart ache.

Not in a bad way. But in a way that made her feel everything all at once.

She watched Taylor, the woman she loved more than anything, softly strumming the guitar, singing to their daughter. Hazel, who had been wailing her tiny lungs out minutes ago, had gone still against Reese's chest, her tiny hands curling into Reese's hoodie.

Reese bit her lip. "She loves your voice."

Taylor smiled, tired, but full of love. "So do you."

Reese nodded, pressing a kiss to Hazel's soft forehead. "Yeah, baby. I do."

It was two nights later when everything caught up to Reese.

She was standing in front of the mirror, staring at herself.

Her body felt different.

It was different.

Her stomach was softer, her hips wider, and no matter how many times Taylor told her she was beautiful, Reese couldn't see it.

And worse? She felt like she wasn't doing enough.

Taylor was handling everything. The sleepless nights, the feeding schedules, the constant phone calls with doctors and family. Reese felt like she was just... there.

Useless.

"Baby?" Taylor's voice was soft from the doorway.

Reese wiped at her eyes quickly. "Hey."

Taylor stepped inside, concern clear in her face. "What's wrong?"

Reese swallowed hard. "I just... I don't feel like myself."

Taylor nodded slowly, stepping closer. "Tell me?"

Reese sighed, fingers gripping the bathroom counter. "I don't know. I feel like you're doing everything. Like you're carrying us, and I'm just..." Her voice cracked. "I don't feel good enough."

Taylor's face fell. "Reese."

Reese shook her head, tears spilling over. "And my body—fuck, my body feels like it's not even mine anymore."

Taylor exhaled softly. She didn't speak right away. Instead, she gently reached for Reese's hands, bringing them to her lips.

"You're everything," Taylor whispered against her knuckles.

Reese's breath hitched.

Taylor held her hands tightly, grounding her. "You're the reason Hazel is here. You're the reason we have this family. And, baby, I know your body feels different, but to me? It's beautiful."

Reese sniffled. "You have to say that."

Taylor frowned. "I don't." She tilted Reese's chin up, making sure she was looking at her. "But I do mean it."

Reese didn't know what to say.

So she just let Taylor hold her.

And in that moment, that was enough.

Two days later, Taylor left Reese a surprise in the nursery.

A note on the crib.

Press play.

Confused, Reese pressed the speaker sitting beside Hazel's stuffed animals.

A melody filled the air.

Soft. Familiar.

And then—Taylor's voice.

Singing.

Reese froze.

The lyrics? About her.

Her strength. Her kindness. How Taylor saw her even when Reese felt invisible.

Reese's breath caught in her throat.

She turned to find Taylor leaning against the doorframe, watching her.

"You wrote me a song?" Reese whispered.

Taylor smiled softly. "You needed to hear it."

Reese broke.

She rushed forward, crashing into Taylor's arms, pressing her face into her shoulder. "I love you so much," she whispered, voice shaky.

Taylor held her tight. "I love you more, baby."

Their house turned into absolute chaos when Gracie and Sabrina moved in.

"I AM THE BABY WHISPERER," Sabrina announced dramatically, holding Hazel up in the air like she was Simba.

Hazel immediately spit up on her.

Gracie nearly fell off the couch laughing.

Sabrina gagged. "Okay. I take it back. Taylor, take your spawn."

Taylor cackled, taking Hazel and pressing a million kisses to her tiny face.

Reese, curled up on the couch, sighed in pure relief. "I'm so glad you guys are here."

Gracie grinned. "We're here forever."

Taylor raised a brow. "You mean for the weekend."

Sabrina smirked. "We'll see."

It was loud. It was messy. But it was love.

And Reese wouldn't trade it for anything.

Selena, ever the problem-solver, decided they needed a sleep consultant.

"Because, babe," she said, dramatically sipping her coffee, "Hazel is feral."

Taylor snorted. "She's three weeks old."

Selena shrugged. "Feral."

They hired a consultant.

They followed every tip.

Hazel ignored them all.

At 2 AM, after two hours of failed sleep training, Reese and Taylor sat in bed, defeated.

"She wins," Reese mumbled.

Taylor nodded, picking up Hazel. "Yeah. She wins."

They curled up together, Hazel nestled between them, safe, loved, completely spoiled.

And as exhausted as they were, as messy and chaotic as life had become, Reese wouldn't change a single thing.

Because this?

This was home.