Leo paced back and forth in front of the door to the room Cora had been giving birth in, nervous and flinching every time her voice rose to a scream of pain, cry, or calling out his name. Anne had told him to stay outside, but Leo honestly didn't think he could do it any more. Cora was in pain and he couldn't consciously do that and stay away from her knowing she needed him, needed comforting.
"Father," he turned to Edgar.
"If you're looking for my permission, you are a fool," he declared. "When you were born, I was right there to catch you."
Leo didn't answer him, no, he simply kicked the door open and entered the room, ignoring the looks from the ladies around and striding to Cora, who was on her feet by the end of the bed, with her hands grasping thick pieces of fabric to support herself.
"Just get behind her," his lady grandmother-in-law commanded him, apparently giving up on keeping him away. "She needs support for her squatting, to keep herself on her feet."
He nodded, following her instructions and holding Cora, making sure to support her as Anne had told him.
"Leo," his wife whined softly.
"You're doing so well, my love," he whispered. "I'm so proud of you."
Cora just sobbed, squeezing his hands and he helped her get into the right position.
He still remembered every step of her pregnancy. The strange cravings that sent their servers into the kitchen to try and summon the insanities she had requested day after day, and Leo was happy to provide. By the time she reached the middle of her pregnancy, his was very hungry. And not just for food. Every morning and night he had to satisfy her with his mouth or his cock, and he had actually just pulled out from inside her when her water broke, the night before, which made him sure to clean her up while they still had time.
Leo would be very embarrassed if the ladies caught something out of the norm during his wife's labour thanks to him.
He was excited to be a father. Every time he saw a child running around, he wondered what his own kid would look like. Maybe they would have Cora's bright blue eyes, or his light blonde hair. He hoped she didn't have his nose, because he wasn't much of a fan of it. No, he wanted his baby to have their families best features.
Their child was active, always kicking his hand when he spoke to his wife's stomach, and everyone said they would be as big as his father. If the size of Cora's belly meant anything, he wasn't so sure of that. She hadn't grown to big, but his wife was a tall lady, so the pregnancy wouldn't be so uncomfortable, thank goodness.
"The baby is crowning," Anne announced. "They have your hair, Leo."
Cora smiled largely before releasing a cry, and Leo did his best to keep her up as Cora breathed in deep.
"On the count to three," Lady Dunch instructed. "Leonard?"
He nodded, and pressed a kiss to his wife's cheek.
"You can do it, my love," he whispered. "Count with me."
Cora nodded.
"One, two, three," he instructed.
She pushed, closing her eyes and squeezing Leo's fingers, and the room filled up with a strong sound of a cry.
Anne pulled the baby gently, and he could see the cord connecting them to Cora's insides.
"Sit down a bit," his lady grandmother-in-law instructed. "The placenta will come out in a minute."
Leo nodded, helping Cora back on the bed and kneeling by her side, eyes growing wide when Anne placed the crying baby onto his wife's arms.
"It's a girl," she exclaimed, looking at him. "You have a daughter."
Leo's heart was racing in his chest and tears falling on his face.
A daughter. He had a daughter.
"Leo," she whispered. "Leo we have a baby!"
"We do," he spoke, unable to tear his eyes away from her.
His daughter was so beautiful. Her hair was lighter than even Cora's, and her little face was just so adorable.
She was his, his baby.
"She's so beautiful," he whispered. "Cora, look at her."
His wife cried, sniffing as she held their baby close, just as unable to look away from her as Leo himself.
"She's so big," Cora laughed. "Leo she looks just like you."
Leo nodded, drying his face with the back of his hand when his eyes became too blurry to look at his daughter properly.
"Do you have a name?" Anne questioned, making him look at her, a little confused. "For the baby."
Leonard turned to Cora, confused, unsure. They hadn't discussed names. Well, they had, but they talked about so many different names but never settles on any of them.
"Florence," his wife affirmed.
Leo's eyes moved so her so quickly that he almost hurt his neck.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
Leo loved his mother and missed her dearly, but he couldn't expect Cora to take her name and give it to their baby. If anything, he expected her to suggest giving her own mother's name to their first daughter, after everything Lady Anya had gone through to preserve her life, even dying for Cora – something they had recently found out through investigating her parents' deaths.
"She will be named after an amazing queen who did everything for her son and her country, to make sure they had a fair monarch on the throne again," she affirmed, staring at his face, and then down at their baby, sweat mixing with the tears falling from her eyes. "And the only thing I can do to thank her for the man that I love and for my family is to honour her."
Leo sniffed, crying even more. The man she loved. She loved him.
"I love you too," he chocked out through his sobs. "I love you so much."
Cora nodded, smiling through her tears.
"I know," she confirmed. "I love you too, Leo."
Leo kissed her forehead, and moved away when Cora groaned in pain.
"The placenta," Anne announced. "Hold the baby, Leo. This is going to be quick."
He nodded, taking his daughter in his arm carefully, and Lady Rosamund ran to his side, helping him supporting Florence in his arms by Cora's side.
His wife was already in bed and the ladies had cleaned up the room and their daughter when Edgar finally came in, looking curious, thought clearly trying not to show.
"Cora," he swallowed down. "Leo."
"It's a girl, dad," Leo affirmed, lips practically hurting from how much he was smiling.
His father's lips curled in a surprised smile, and Cora exposed the baby girl to her grandfather.
"Florence," his wife declared. "Her name's Florence. After her grandmother."
Edgar's eyes flew to the Queen's face in shock, and Leo just smiled more.
"It's a beautiful name," he whispered, swallowing down and clearly trying to hold himself back from crying. "Congratulations, son. She's beautiful."
Leo looked down at his daughter, where little Florence was sleeping in her mother's arms, peaceful, at last.
His daughter.
"Thank you, dad."