After Tonight

“I knew it.” I pouted as I felt around my stomach. Ella had finally conked out around ten o’clock and we were laying on our bed, too exhausted to fold down the sheets. I hadn’t fallen asleep on account of waiting for Ella to wake up again.
“What?” Chuckling, Rob looked up at me.
“Stretch marks,” I repeated, pushing back his hair.
“Where?” Rob situated himself on his stomach and began examining my abdomen. He kissed my hip. “Here?”
“Don’t!” I covered my eyes and laughed. I was going to have to slap some cocoa butter on those things. It’d been four months and I’d yet to lose any of baby weight I gained.
“Oh come on, Abbey!” Rob laughed as he continued kissing across my stomach. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m a mess.”
“You look gorgeous, love.”
“Well, I think you’re obligated to say that because I just carried your child for nine months.” I pushed his shoulder lightly and we both laughed.
“Fine, don’t believe me.” Rob kissed my shoulder. “And don’t believe me when I tell you that your breasts have never looked better.”
“You’re such a dork!” I laughed, pulling him into a kiss. “God, I love you.”
Rob slipped his arms around my waist as he continued kissing down my neck. I practically melted at his touch. I silently pulled my tank top above my head, slightly self-conscious of my post-baby body. I squeezed my eyes shut briefly, pretending that if I couldn’t see anything, neither could Rob. Did the lamp have to be on?
“What the hell are your eyes closed for?” Rob bit back a smile as he hovered over me. When I didn’t answer right away, he sighed. “Abbey, you’re beautiful. I don’t care that you haven’t lost the weight. I don’t care if you never lose it—what was the movie we watched a while back, Away We Go? I will still love you. Now,” he grinned at me and kissed below my ear. “Can we get this started, or what?”
I kissed him hungrily, despite every part of me feeling worn down and tired. As if on cue, Ella started wailing.
“Really, Ellie? Now?” Rob chuckled, resting his forehead against mine. “I got it.”
In a flash he was gone. I’d never seen him move fast than when that little girl turned on the water works. Rob was a natural. It was slowly becoming clear that he had more parental instincts than I did. I wasn’t sure whether or not I should be grateful for that, as I was running on no sleep and a weak system, or if I should be jealous. Until things righted themselves out, I vowed to let it pass. Why make a mow hill into a mountain?
When Ella’s crying wasn’t ceasing, I rolled out of bed and found my clothes. By the time I plodded my way out of the bedroom, however, the well had dried up. Instead I heard the guitar—one of Rob’s magical tricks. He could pluck at a few strings and Ella would go mute. He was sitting in the rocking chair, a picture I still wasn’t used to but loved to see, strumming a soft tune.
“I can’t imagine how this would go if you had no musical talent,” I whispered as I tip-toed over to the crib. “She’s just staring up at the ceiling with a dopey little look on her face---did you slip her something?”
“I don’t give away my secrets,” he replied flatly.
“Alright,” I disappeared into the hallway to grab a blanket. “But if you start pulling rabbits out of that thing, we’re going to have to talk.”
“You can’t be serious?” Rob watched as I stretched out across the floor beside Ella’s crib. “You should be in a bed.”
“I want to be in here.” I rolled onto my back and closed my eyes, letting the quiet melody lull me into the same sleep as my daughter.
…
I woke up the next morning to complete silence. Rob’s arms were tangled around me and a sliver of sunlight crept through the shades. Carefully slipping out of his grasp, I draped the blanket over him and took a peak at Ella. Sound asleep.