How It Feels

Now they knew just what their friends were about...

Nor Ryan Wolfe or Natalia Boa Vista had doubted that having children could bring such happiness. But how deep that feeling ran was a shock to both the new parents. Previously Natalia would have swore that such a horrid experience giving birth would cause her to reject the child she had carried for nine months. However the moment she laid eyes on Riley Elijah Wolfe, even covered in blood and fluids, everything her body had gone thrown for twenty hours was forgotten. He was worth every once of pain and sweat she had endured and Riley was the most beautiful baby in the world. Even now three days later when it was still difficult and painful to move, or even sit down Natalia could see why Calleigh had four children. They might not go for that same number but the new mom already felt she absolutely wanted another baby sometime down the road.

In addition to going overdue and having to be induced, Natalia had endured twenty-three hours of labor, almost two hours of pushing, before a third-degree Episiotomy was performed and before forceps were used to deliver the baby boy. Even with an Epidural it was excruciating. Ryan had stayed calm for her the entire time, his eyes subtly on the monitors that kept track of his son's vital signs. With the baby's heart rate steady the entire time, he didn't plague the doctor with questions of why he wasn't doing more, quicker. He just kept telling her that she could do it, to keep going.

To his own surprise, from the very start dirty diapers didn't faze Ryan one bit. He had changed most of Riley`s diapers thus far with Natalia finding it so hard to move. Ryan didn't think that his love for Natalia could grow anymore but it had, as well as his respect for women. The new father knew now why the female of species had the children.

The male would never be able to handle it and the human race would fast go extinct.

Even though he never thought he would be an emotionally absent or distant parent if he were ever to become a dad, how much he was into family life already, surprised Ryan. He knew some cops, of all ranks, who were open about how they would rather be at work than with their kids. Being at home from the fast pace was so boring and they always wondered what they could be doing at work right now. There was no law that stated a person had to have children and if someone was going to behave like this, they shouldn't have children.

And if children entered the equation, to treat them that way was cruel and frankly to Ryan, border line abusive. His friend Eric Delko on the other hand was the polar opposite to this. He could give a seminar on to how to be a doting, hands-on daddy while being a cop. When Eric was home, he was home, physically, mentally and emotionally. Eric's wife, Calleigh, the crime lab's ballistics expert was the same with being a loving, devoted mom, there for her children in every way when she were off the law enforcement clock. Calleigh had returned from maternity leave a week prior but on a part-time, not full-time basis. With four children under the age of seven, including one-year-old twins, she wanted to be home more despite the cut in pay. This being a decision that affected how they supported their family, she and Eric had talked about this at length and despite the strain it would put on their finances he fully supported this decision. Happiness in life wasn't about the things you owned, it was about knowing and valuing what you did have. Ryan and Natalia intended to teach Riley-and future children the same values.

Down to the day before she gave birth, Natalia thought a year was long to be home, even if you absolutely loved being with your child. But now, she believed it wasn't long enough. Sleepless nights and all, she and Ryan were looking forward to every moment ahead.