Chapter 43

                                    

                                          
a/n: Short & sweet (& naughty) tonight! 
                          
Xoxo M
                          
-- 
                          
"Bambina, you can't be serious?" Carina asked.
                          
Maya jumped off of her girlfriend's lap and awkwardly swayed before she stuttered out her answer, "I guess, I don't know..." Carina stared at her and waited for her to continue, but she didn't. 
                          
The tall Italian stood up and faced her. She reached down for her love's hands and held them both. "Maya, Josie will find a good home, but I don't think it's ours."
                          
The blonde roughly pulled her hands away from Carina and turned to look at the abandoned baby girl in the corner incubator. "But why can't it be our home?" she asked, teary-eyed.
                          
The doctor wasn't going to let Maya shut her out. She wrapped her arms around Maya from behind and rested her head on her shoulder. Carina whispered into her ear as they stared at Josie. "Bambina, I want more than anything to have a family with you, but I'm not sure we are ready. One day we will be ready, but one day is not today. I promise you that Josie will find a loving home. I will be sure of it."
                          
A few more tears slid down Maya's pale cheeks. This was one of the first times in her life she had ever felt a maternal instinct. "Carina, I feel something for her. I'm not sure what it is, but I just have this feeling that she should be ours."
                          
Carina raised her hands from Maya's waist and rested them on her chest. "Bella, what you feel is love. You have the biggest heart of anyone I have ever met. No matter how much you deny it, you are filled with love."
                          
Maya sauntered over towards Josie with Carina still attached to her backside. She stood over the baby girl and smiled down. The doctor couldn't help but think how significantly their life would change if they decided to bring her home. Her heart swelled at how much Maya felt drawn to her.
                          
The blonde turned to walk back towards the chair, but Carina stopped her. "Please, don't think I'm hesitant because I don't see a future with you. I just..." Truthfully, Carina didn't have any more excuses. 
                          
Maya tried to be patient and let her finish, but she couldn't. She asked, "Just what?"
                          
Carina continued to stumble over her thoughts. A million possibilities ran through her mind- Their lives would change significantly. They would have to cut back on their careers. The sleepless nights and early mornings. The temper tantrums and timeouts. However, the one thought that kept creeping in was that 'they would be mothers.'
                          
She closed her eyes and composed herself before finally saying, "Bambina, I..." the doctor gulped, "I'm in."
                          
Maya's deep blue eyes nearly popped out of her skull. "You're in?" she confirmed. 
                          
"I. Am. So. In." Carina grabbed Maya around the waist and spun her around in the air. She quickly pulled down her mask so she could kiss the firefighter's forehead. 
                          
The two girlfriends stood side by side with their arms around each other. They looked down at the baby girl fighting for life. Small sniffles and tears escaped the both of them. Their tight squeezes against one another's waist was confirmation that they would be willing to move mountains to bring her home.
                          
--
                          
"5, 4, 3, 2, 1... Happy New Year!" the group of four quietly yelled in the NICU. Carina had woken up Jack and Andy ten minutes ago so they could ring in the New Year with Tanner. 
                          
Maya stepped away from the incubators and pulled down her mask so she could kiss her girlfriend at the ball drop. "Happy New Year, baby," she said softly. "I have a feeling this will be the best year yet."