You Made a Person
Heath Hussar Words: 1066
*Trigger warning* Postpartum themes, newborn / infant care, emotional crying, domestic family fluff
The house hadn't been this quiet in weeks.
Not the comfortable quiet you and Heath sometimes shared on lazy Sunday mornings. Not the late-night quiet after everyone finally left a party.
This quiet was different.
It was fragile.
Like the entire world was holding its breath.
You shifted slightly on the couch, careful not to disturb the tiny bundle asleep against your chest. Your son let out a small sigh in his sleep, his fingers curling instinctively into the fabric of your shirt.
Three weeks old.
Three weeks since your entire life had changed.
Heath was sitting beside you, one arm draped across the back of the couch behind your shoulders. His eyes hadn’t left the baby for the past ten minutes.
Honestly… they rarely did anymore.
“Do you think they’re close?” you asked softly.
Heath glanced at the clock on the wall.
“They texted like five minutes ago,” he said. “Zane said something about stopping for coffee because Matt was ‘emotionally preparing.’”
You smiled faintly.
“Emotionally preparing?”
Heath snorted quietly.
“You know Matt.”
Before you could respond, there was a car door outside.
Then another.
Voices.
Loud ones.
Heath froze.
You both looked at each other.
“Oh my god,” he whispered.
“Oh my god,” you echoed.
Three weeks of FaceTimes. Three weeks of Zane dramatically crying through a screen. Three weeks of Matt asking approximately four thousand questions about your baby.
And now they were actually here.
The door opened.
“HELLO?” Zane’s voice echoed through the house.
“Why are you yelling?” Matt hissed.
“I don’t know what the protocol is for babies!”
Heath laughed quietly and stood up.
“In here!” he called.
Footsteps approached quickly… then slowed.
Very slowly.
Zane appeared first in the doorway.
For once in his life—
He was completely silent.
Matt stepped up behind him, peeking over his shoulder.
Both of them looked from Heath… to you… to the baby sleeping in your arms.
Zane’s mouth slowly fell open.
“Oh my—”
His voice broke immediately.
Matt inhaled sharply beside him.
“Dude,” Matt whispered.
Heath rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly shy.
“Guys… this is Theo.”
For a moment, nobody moved.
Zane walked forward first.
Slowly.
Like he was approaching something sacred.
He crouched beside the couch, eyes wide as he stared at the tiny face pressed against your chest.
“That’s a whole human,” he said softly.
Matt laughed under his breath.
“Yeah Zane… that’s usually how babies work.”
Zane ignored him.
He looked up at you, his eyes already glossy.
“Hi Theo” he said gently.
You smiled.
“Hi Uncle Zane.”
That did it.
Zane’s face crumpled instantly.
“Oh my god.”
Matt groaned behind him.
“No—no—don’t start—”
Too late.
Zane wiped his eyes aggressively.
“I’m not crying.”
“You are literally crying,” Matt said.
He stepped closer to the couch and leaned down to get a better look.
And then he froze too.
“Oh,” Matt whispered.
His voice softened in a way you’d rarely heard before.
“He’s… really small.”
Heath laughed quietly.
“Yeah man. Babies tend to be.”
Matt blinked rapidly.
Then looked at Heath.
“You have a kid.”
Heath nodded slowly.
“Yeah.”
Matt shook his head in disbelief.
“You have a kid.”
Zane sniffed loudly.
“You’re a dad. And you're a mum.”
Heath’s smile softened and you chuckled slightly.
“Yeah.”
You watched them carefully.
Three grown men standing in your living room.
All on the verge of tears.
Your baby shifted slightly in his sleep.
Zane gasped dramatically.
“HE MOVED.”
Matt jumped.
“Dude!”
“He MOVED.”
“Zane, babies move!”
“Yeah but Theo moved!”
The baby made a tiny sound.
All three of them froze again.
You started laughing quietly.
“He’s okay,” you reassured them.
“Are you sure?” Zane whispered urgently.
“Yes.”
Matt rubbed his hands over his face.
“This is insane.”
He looked at Heath.
“Do you realize you made this?”
Heath glanced down at the baby… then at you.
“Well, technically we made him.”
Matt shook his head again.
“I remember when this guy used to eat Taco Bell at three in the morning and sleep until noon.”
Zane nodded vigorously.
“Yeah and now he’s like… a father.”
Heath grinned.
“Character development.”
Zane leaned closer again, studying the baby’s face carefully.
“He kinda looks like you,” he said to Heath.
Matt squinted.
“Actually I think he looks like her.”
Zane tilted his head.
“…Okay yeah that’s probably better.”
You rolled your eyes.
“Thanks guys.”
Zane looked up suddenly.
“Can I hold him?”
His voice had dropped to a near whisper.
Heath looked at you and you nodded gently.
“Of course.”
Zane’s entire posture went rigid.
“Wait—really?”
“Yeah.”
“Like… actually?”
Matt snorted.
“Dude take the baby.”
Zane carefully sat down beside you on the couch.
You slowly transferred the baby into his arms.
Zane held him like he was made of glass.
“Oh my god.”
His voice cracked again.
Matt immediately leaned over his shoulder.
“Oh wow.”
The baby stretched slightly.
Zane gasped again.
“He’s stretching!”
Matt laughed quietly.
“You’re gonna narrate everything he does?”
“Yes.”
Theo’s tiny hand curled around Zane’s finger.
Zane stopped breathing.
“…Guys.”
His voice was barely audible.
“He’s holding my finger.”
Matt’s eyes softened.
Heath leaned against the couch beside you, watching the moment unfold.
Your hand slipped into his.
He squeezed gently.
Zane blinked rapidly again.
“I’m gonna cry again.”
Matt sniffed suddenly.
“Yeah… same.”
Heath laughed softly.
“You guys are unbelievable.”
Matt looked at him.
“You’re the one who made us uncles!”
Zane looked up at Heath with watery eyes.
“Dude.”
“Yeah?”
“You made a person.”
Heath’s voice softened.
“…I know.”
For a moment the room went quiet again.
Zane looked back down at the baby.
His expression shifted into something softer.
Protective.
“I’m gonna teach him everything,” Zane said.
“Oh no.” Matt groaned.
“Everything.”
“Like what?” Heath laughed.
Zane thought for a moment.
“…How to prank you.”
“Good uncle material.” Matt nodded approvingly.
You leaned your head against Heath’s shoulder.
Your chest felt warm watching the three of them.
Theo yawned sleepily.
Zane gasped again.
“He yawned!”
Matt burst out laughing.
“Zane you’re losing it.”
Zane didn’t care.
He gently rocked the baby in his arms.
“Hey little guy,” he whispered.
“We’ve been waiting a long time to meet you.”
Matt placed a hand on Heath’s shoulder.
“You guys did good, man.”
Heath glanced down at you… then at the baby.
His voice was quiet.
“Yeah.”
He squeezed your hand again.
“We really did.”
