His Little Miracle

And funny enough, you were not the first one to notice a change, even though it was happening to you. 

-

Earlier in the day, you and Matt had been sitting rather impatiently at the OBGYN. After you had confirmed the pregnancy with blood work, you’d scheduled in the first ultrasound to see the baby and check measurements for growth. He didn’t tell you, but Matt was nervous about this appointment. He knew the baby was alive, could hear the heartbeat fluttering away beneath your navel, but life had a cruel way of playing tricks on him. What if there was a defect, or the baby wasn’t growing like it should? What about you, your body? Was it adapting well to the pregnancy? You’d been so sick lately, which worried him greatly. If he could count on anything in his life, it was that anything good was likely to be ripped away from him when he least expected it.

Luckily the doctor didn’t take long, and soon you were on your back and staring at a little black and white screen, your hand grasped tightly in Matt’s. You had promised him to narrate everything you were seeing, but you couldn’t really tell what much of anything was. It just seemed like vague shapes of different tones of gray.

“Ah! There’s the little peanut,” the doctor said cheerfully, pointing helpfully at the screen. Her finger touched a gray blob, curved into a little c-shape and surrounded by a black wobbly circle. You could maybe make out a head and a body, but that was about it. 

“That’s it?” You whispered, swallowing heavily. Tears were stinging behind your eyes, and you tried to blink them away. “It’s so little, Matt. It doesn’t really look like a baby.”

Matt’s brow furrowed, the corners of his mouth pulling down slightly. He could smell the saltiness of your unshed tears in the air, and he felt his chest constrict painfully. He wasn’t showing it, but the anxiety coursing through his head was overwhelming. You don’t deserve this. It will be taken from you. Everything is wrong, wrong, wrong. “Is everything… does everything look alright?”

The doctor hummed positively. “If I can just grab a measurement here… yep, baby is measuring right on track from crown to rump.” Matt let out a breath shakily, his shoulders visibly slumping with relief. The doctor continued. “You should be around 8 weeks, according to your chart, so this matches up perfectly. Let me try to angle this a little better, see if we can get a better view for the arms and legs.”

You felt her shift the wand, a little uncomfortably, and you tried not to tense up. Regardless, you squeezed Matt’s hand a little tighter, and you felt his fingers flex in return. The view on the screen shifted, and you let out a little watery laugh. “Oh! It looks like a little gummy bear,” you breathed, seeing the little nubs that indicated the arms and legs. 

Matt huffed, tilting his head slightly. “A gummy bear?” He echoed, a little dubiously. 

“Well it’s got a big head and these little arms and legs,” you mumbled softly, then your eyes widened as you watch the little gummy-bear-shaped blob jerk upwards suddenly, the limbs flailing. The tears you were trying to hold back spilled out, dripping down your temples and into your hair. “It just moved, Matty. Our baby just moved.”

“It did?” Matt asked breathlessly, and he felt his heart pounding in his chest. He wished, more than anything, he could experience the sight of it with you. To see your baby, so small and lively, on the screen. But his anxious thoughts were quieted for now, knowing that the baby was measuring well, moving and growing. 

“And now for the heartbeat,” the doctor announced, clicking a key on the keyboard, and suddenly that small fluttering heartbeat he had been hearing for two weeks was so loud. It filled the room, thumping loudly from the computer’s speakers. 

Your heart skipped a beat, and you turned your head to look at Matt with wide, watery eyes. “That’s what you’ve been hearing this whole time?” You whispered, low enough for the doctor not to hear.

He nodded, a wide smile tugging at his lips. “It’s the most beautiful sound in the world,” he breathed, bending forward to press a kiss to the crown of your head. “Thank you. Thank you for giving me this.” His voice was muffled against your hair, but you could tell he was trying to hold back his own tears behind his red lenses. 

“You never need to thank me for this, Matthew. Never,” you insisted, reaching up to cup his cheek, rubbing your thumb against his stubble. “I love you, so much.”

“And I love you both,” he replied, turning his head to press a kiss to your palm.

-

You didn’t really remember falling asleep, especially as you’d been sitting up in bed with a book in your lap waiting for Matt to come home from patrol. You’d even tugged on one of his shirts to keep you company, the scent of him always comforting. It had been such a long day, especially after your visit to the doctor. But suddenly you’re being woken up by Matt sliding the book out from your loose grip and carefully placing a bookmark in between its pages. He gently shushed you as you tried to mumble an apology. “It’s okay, sweetheart. You’ve been exhausted recently. You don’t have to wait up for me.”

That earned him a pouty frown, your mind still a little bleary from dozing off. “Always do. Want to make sure you’re safe, you know that.”

Matt chuckled softly, placing your book on the nightstand and sitting on the edge of the bed next to you. “Yeah, well, you weren’t busy growing a baby before. Your body is putting all of its energy into taking care of our little one. You’re bound to need more sleep.”

You grunted as you rubbed the heel of your palm to your eye. “Not hurt?” You asked, squinting as your eyes roam over Matt’s body in the light from the billboard across the street. He had already shed his Devil suit, opting to join you with just his silk boxers on. You noticed a tender looking bruise forming near his hip. 

Matt shrugged. “Nothing you need to worry about. I’ll be fine in the morning.”

You spared a glance over at the alarm clock on the side of the bed. “Matthew… it’s already 3:37 am. It is the morning.”

His chuckle was dry as he leaned forward to press a tender kiss to your lips. “And you say I focus too much on technicalities,” he teased, his nose bumping with yours.

You shook your head, letting out a huff of annoyance. “Just get in bed, Matty,” you commanded, tugging his arm with one hand while the other pulled back the sheets.

He settled in with you, his hands skating up your side as you rested your forehead against his chest. He listened to the symphony of your heartbeat in tandem with the quick cadence of the baby’s. His chest squeezed as he focused in on that little noise. It had gotten stronger in the few weeks since he first heard it, and he relished in knowing the baby was doing well, that it was safe and cared for. Your appointment that day had really eased his mind. He pulled you in closer, desperate and touch starved after a long night in the crisp winter air. As his hands explored your side, his thumb brushed the side of your breast and he froze, then repeated the motion again. His hand shifted then, moving to cup your entire breast in his palm, letting out a soft ‘oh’ under his breath. That piqued your interest, and you hummed in question, your eyebrows knitting together.

“They got bigger,” he murmured, wondering how he hadn’t noticed before. You’d been sick more often in the past week, which the doctor assured him was normal as you were still in your first trimester. As a result, though, it wasn’t like you’d been in the mood for anything other than comforting cuddles. His fingers experimentally kneaded your supple skin, his thumb grazing against your nipple through your shirt - his shirt. However, when you let out a quiet hiss at the motion, he pulled back quickly, his hand hovering hesitantly in front of you. His heart pounded at the thought that he had hurt you, and he struggled to form an apology.

“Sensitive,” you whispered, carefully bringing his hand back to you in reassurance. Even when his palm settled over your breast again, you kept your hand on top of his, gently guiding his movements. You gazed at his face longingly, a small smile tugging at the corner of your mouth. “Very sensitive. Have to be gentle, Matty. Can you do that for me?”

He choked out a strangled moan in the back of his throat. “I can do that, sweetheart.”

-

The second noticeable change came as you reached the end of your twelfth week of pregnancy, finally out of the first trimester. Matt had woken before you, slipping out of bed silently as he was so skilled at doing. You stirred a bit, clearly sensing the change of no longer having a warm body to snuggle up to, and he hovered by until you settled back into sleep. He padded over to the kitchen, starting to brew a small pot of coffee for himself. While you were no longer allowed to drink your normal 2-3 cups a day, the smell still usually managed to drag you out of sleep slowly and pleasantly. He always pretended not to notice when you stole a sip or two from his mug every morning. 

Sure enough, he heard you stumble out of bed after a minute and shuffle around the bedroom to collect your outfit for the morning. He knew you had a presentation with a client today, so you were probably going to wear one of your pencil skirts, and if he was lucky, that burgundy silk blouse that drove him crazy. It felt like heaven, and you’d told him once that you picked it to match his devil suit. It was his favorite item from your work wardrobe.

However, instead of the confident step that normally accompanied you when you put on your best outfit, you emerged from the bedroom with a slower shuffle, your hands smoothing repetitively over the fabric of your pencil skirt. Matt’s brow furrowed in concentration as he focused on your form, noticing the way your teeth scraped over your lower lip. He placed his hands on the counter in front of him, his fingers firmly gripping the lip of it in worry. “Everything okay?” He asked, instead of his normal ‘good morning, sweetie’.

You head lifted towards him, and you gave him a hesitant smile. “I think we should tell Foggy and Karen today,” you admit softly, eyes flicking over his face for any sign of rejection at your idea.

Instead, you’re met with more confusion. “I’m okay with that…” he replied slowly, his head tilting slightly as he seemed to be processing his thoughts. You’d both agreed to wait until you were out of the first trimester to tell anyone else about the baby, cautious until the risks of complications died down as time passed. He’d figured you’d want to tell them soon, but a random Wednesday seemed like an odd time to do it. “Any reason why today in particular?”

Your feet shuffled around the island as you came to meet him. Your hands were still rubbing over your skirt, gliding over the woven fabric almost anxiously. Instead of a verbal answer, you took his hand from the counter and guide it to your stomach, his hand coming to rest over where your fingers kept smoothing the fabric.

The world slowed as he suddenly realized why you’d been touching your skirt so much. Under his hand, your stomach curved out into a small bump, more prominently than ever before. The high waist of your skirt hugged the bump, accentuating it. He swallowed hard, his thumb caressing the lower curve with reverence. “It’s… can you see it?” It wasn’t often he asked about the visual of something. He’d gone so long without sight that he was used to having to imagine things, or send his senses out to form a mental map of what something looked like. He knew your body had been changing to accommodate the baby growing inside of you, had even felt the bump start growing a few days ago, but today it felt much more… noticeable.

You nodded, a smile gracing your lips. “It might have been a struggle to get the skirt to zip,” you admitted with a soft laugh.

Matt gave you a lopsided smile, pressing his hand more firmly to your stomach, really trying to map out exactly what had changed. He swore when he was holding you last night, it didn’t feel like this. Had the baby really been growing that rapidly? “You know, that audiobook I was listening to yesterday said that the baby was the size of a plum,” he said, his voice warm, full of adoration. He still could hardly believe God had given him this opportunity, this miracle for him to take care of, to love. He couldn’t figure out what he did to deserve it. Hell, he didn’t feel like he even deserved you.

You hummed, looking down at your bump. “Looks like that’s about accurate. I was going to bring you, Karen, and Foggy dinner at the office today since I know you have to work late tonight. But between me avoiding Josie’s the past few weeks, and now this… I don’t think we can keep him a secret anymore.”

Matt’s eyebrows shot up, a playful smirk on his lips. “Him?” He echoed. “You have something you want to share with me? How do you know it’s a boy?”

You rolled your eyes, reaching over casually to grab Matt’s mug of coffee, taking a careful sip. “Call it a mother’s intuition.”

He chuckled, reaching up to grab the mug from you, although his hands were reluctant to leave your belly. Had he really grown attached to that little bump so quickly? “Well, regardless of our little one’s gender, I think you’re right. We have to tell Foggy and Karen. Foggy’s been suspicious of me lately, and I can’t keep making up excuses.”

Your brows furrowed and you pouted as you stared longingly at the mug in his hands. “Foggy knows you too well,” you mumbled, moving your gaze up to his face. “What’s he been saying?”

Matt shrugged, bringing up the mug to his lips and taking a sip. “Nothing directly to me, but he’s been asking Karen if she knows why I’ve been smiling more often recently,” he admitted a little sheepishly, the tips of his ears flushing pink. “He also keeps complaining that you’ve been missing from Josie’s. He wants his pool partner back. Without you, we can’t play teams.”

That earns a laugh from you. “Then it’s settled. I’ll bring dinner to your office today after I get out of work, and we’ll tell them. Then maybe Karen and I can go back to kicking your asses at pool.”

He smiled at you, one of those wide toothy grins reserved specially for you. “You know I let you win, right?”

“Hush, Murdock. Be nice to me, I’m carrying your baby.”

“Oh, you’re playing that card now, huh?”

-

Matt was antsy all day at the office, more fidgety and on-edge than normal, and Foggy had noticed. He’d tried to ask what was bothering him multiple times, but Matt had brushed off the question every time. Karen seemed to have noticed too, but she was less overt about her curiosity, instead texting you a “is Matt okay?” message in the afternoon, which you didn’t bother replying to. 

When you showed up for dinner, you’d been careful to wear  your jacket into the office, plopping all of the Chinese food onto the conference room table. Karen furrowed her brow at you from behind the table, her eyes narrowing. “I texted you earlier, did you get it?”

You hummed thoughtfully, giving her a halfhearted shrug. “I haven’t really been checking my messages today,” you replied, grateful Karen didn’t have Matt’s ability to detect a lie. “Where are the boys?” 

Karen cocked her head pointedly at Matt’s office door. “They should be finishing up a call with Mahoney in a minute. Turns out one of our clients wasn’t exactly forthcoming when we asked about his priors, which complicates things quite a bit.”

Sure enough, after a minute of you and Karen setting out plates and chopsticks in front of the designated chairs, Matt and Foggy emerged from their office, looking a little weathered and disheveled. But Foggy smiled brightly when he saw you, throwing his arms up in the air. “My savior! I was starting to feel like dinner was never going to come!”

You rolled your eyes, stepping forward into Foggy’s warm embrace, grateful for the extra padding your jacket provided in between your bodies. “Got it from your favorite place down the street too.”

He groaned in delight, pulling back to look over your shoulder at the array of dishes. “Extra egg rolls?”

“Extra egg rolls,” you confirmed, smiling up at him. 

Matt came forward to embrace you next, enveloping you against his chest, his hands rubbing your back in slow, firm motions. He tilted his head, clearly listening for something, but you weren’t sure what. “Hey sweetheart. How was your presentation?”

You shrugged. “Client wants a few changes, but nothing we can’t handle.”

Matt hummed and moved his hands up to your shoulders, his fingertips pulling at the collar. There was a glint in his eye behind the red lenses of his glasses. “Let me take your jacket, get you more comfortable.”

You give him a pointed look, but allow him to slide the zipper of the garment down. You knew he was probably too anxious to hold off on your announcement any longer. He’d been holding back the news for weeks now, and you knew he’d been nervous about sharing it with others. You knew eventually you would need backup in managing Matt’s anxious feelings about becoming a father, and Foggy and Karen were usually good at keeping Matt’s head on straight.

Matt removed your jacket and perched it on the back of your chair. Your hands nervously smoothed over your blouse and skirt, and you glanced between Foggy and Karen to see who noticed first. Your heartbeat was loud in your own ears, and you wondered if it was the same for Matt.

Karen handed a container of noodles to Foggy, and then glanced over at the kitchenette. “I’ll grab the scotch and some beers.”

“I’ll just take a water, if you don’t mind,” you interrupted as she started towards the fridge. When Karen turned around to give you a quizzical look, you gave her a small smile and rested your hand over the slight curve of your lower stomach. 

The recognition was instant, and Karen’s hand flew up to her mouth. “Oh my god!” She exclaimed, and you could see her lips pull into a smile behind her fingers. 

“What?” Foggy asked, confused, as he looked from Karen, to you, then back again. He did a double take as it finally dawned on him once he registered the hand on your belly. “What?!” He asked, this time more rhetorical, and his gaze shifted to Matt. “Are you gonna be a dad?!”

“Well I hope so, or she’s got some explaining to do,” Matt said sarcastically, his mouth tilted in his signature half smile as he wrapped an arm around your waist. 

You laughed and playfully smacked his shoulder. “We’ll be having baby Murdock in early October this year,” you confirmed, reaching for Matt’s hand and giving it a squeeze. 

You let out a quiet ‘oof’ as Foggy slammed into you, pulling you into a tight bear hug. “Congratulations! I mean, I’m assuming it’s a congrats, since you both are all smiles. You know, I heard Franklin is a great name for a boy.”

Matt laughed, tilting his head back, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “We’re not naming the baby after you, Foggy.”

The blonde man pulled back from you, feigning offense as he stared at Matt. “Can I at least be the Godfather?” 

“We’ll think about it,” Matt conceded, smiling as Karen rushed to give him a hug. 

“I’m so happy for you both!” She said, reaching over to pull you into the hug as well. “You’re going to be great parents,” she added sincerely. 

You felt overwhelmed with emotion at the warm reception to your news. Not that you expected anything different from Matt’s closest friends, but it was nice to hear regardless. “Thank you,” you murmured, your throat a little tight with the tears you were trying to hold back. 

It might not have been a traditional little family, but it was yours and Matt’s, and that’s all that mattered. With them, you could handle any changes that happened, for better or for worse.