Winette Londo (TWxPG)

[The Broods – Mother and Father]

It was a difficult pregnancy.

He had helped her through it. He was there for her every step of the way.

And in the end, everything turned out alright.

Tinya and Brin welcomed their baby girl into the world on the 6th of March, 3022, and in the remembrance of their mothers, they named her Winette. The child was a sight to behold, the epitome of a bundle of joy. As the newest addition to the next generation of superheroes, Winette was the talk of the galaxy and the heir to the Wazzo line, an elite lineage of politicians, inventors, and dimension-phasers. Her smile and laughter were said to soften the hardest of hearts and bring mirth to the grimmest and bitterest of faces. Indeed, all who saw the child beaming could not help but smile back.

So why were there tears running down Tinya's face?

She quickly wiped them away and sighed softly as Brin held the infant, his back turned to her. She watched in a desperate longing and a twinge of jealousy as his hair gently swung back and forth as he rocked Winette to sleep after a recent bout of crying. Tinya had held her and tried to calm her down, but nothing she did seemed to soothe Winette. But once Brin had her in his arms, her cries soon became soft whimpers and she eventually settled down and drifted off to sleep. As Tinya watched Brin take their baby back to the crib, she couldn't help but worry that she wasn't making the sort of connection that a mother should with her newborn.

The next day Tinya brushed her hair and frowned at the wad of black strands tangled in the comb's teeth. She tossed the comb onto her dressing table and went on the floor to try and do some sit-ups to work off the small wrinkles on her belly, but after a few moments she collapsed in a tired heap on the carpet. She didn't even want to begin to think about her hideous stretch marks, which left ghastly scars over her once flawless and flat abdomen. Tinya stared at the ceiling and closed her eyes, which were ripped open soon after when the baby started wailing again. Tinya groaned and sat up. What on Earth could the baby want now?

"Princess?" Tinya heard a call from the hallway.

"Yeah?" she responded, but Brin came in with a small bottle and began feeding the baby, whose angry cries promptly turned into satisfied suckling.

Winette had been hungry. Of course. Tinya lowered her head and looked away, her black hair falling over her face as she walked out of the room.

How did Brin always know exactly what the baby wanted?

…And why didn't he call her princess anymore?

Tinya went to the kitchen to make another bottle – surely that small one wouldn't be enough. She retrieved the bottle from the microwave and nearly gagged when she caught a whiff of its contents. She poured it down the sink drain and re-read the directions on the package. Did she miss a step? Or two?

"I can take care of that," Brin said, casually walking into the kitchen. Tinya watched as he easily made another bottle without so much as a glance at the instructions.

"So what, you won't even let me make formula now?" Tinya huffed and rolled her eyes. Brin said nothing as he screwed the bottle cap on.

Tinya marched out of the kitchen, but once she was back in her bedroom her anger dissipated and was replaced by sadness. What was wrong with her? She felt exhausted, ugly, and utterly useless. She sighed and forced herself to get dressed. She pulled her ebony hair into a tight bun and held it together with a diamond clip. She put on her white coat and black heels before walking out the door.

As the daughter of a former president, Tinya was expected to look elegant and graceful at all times, even if she felt totally lost on the inside. Ever since Winette was born, Tinya would find herself tearing up for no reason at all, and it was beginning to scare her, this lack of control over her emotions and her sense of self.

"Almost all women experience some degree of postpartum sadness," the doctor explained to Tinya in the clinic. "It's called maternity blues, and it occurs due to the sudden drop in hormones after having the baby. How do you feel right now?"

Tinya gazed out the window, and softly shook her head side to side, a gloved hand slightly covering her mouth as she quietly laughed at herself. She couldn't comprehend how she could feel such an irrational medley of emotions.

"…I can't help but feel a little forgotten," she finally answered, whispering those last words.

That night, Tinya and Brin plopped onto their bed after a long day. Tinya felt guilty and wanted to tell Brin how sorry she was for snapping at him earlier. Brin had nearly pampered her throughout the pregnancy, and she sadly had to admit to herself that she foolishly took it for granted. His attention and energy were now devoted to their new little girl. Winette needed his affection more than Tinya did.

Tinya turned to face Brin, who was laying on his side, back to her.

"Hey," she called gently, touching his back, but Brin was already asleep.

Tinya had only been a mother for about a week, but the days seemed to merge together and stretch, distorting her sense of time.

What day was it today?

Tinya felt dizzy and held onto the edge of a table to steady herself. She sighed and walked on, but the next moment everything went black. Her lids fluttered open a few seconds later to find Brin holding her and smiling down at her.

Tinya smiled back. "I fainted again, didn't I?"

Brin helped her straighten up. "It's to be expected. Don't worry." He hugged her, and kissed her romantically, probably for the first time after Winette was born. When Brin stepped back from her, he was surprised to find tears running down Tinya's face.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Brin asked her gently, holding her cheeks.

"I'm so sorry," she sniffed. "I was so stupid."

Brin looked confused, but waited for her to continue.

"I – I was afraid you didn't think of me as your princess anymore," Tinya admitted.

Brin regarded her for a moment before shrugging his shoulders. "Well, you're right. You are no longer my princess."

Tinya froze, and then lowered her head sadly. She would just have to accept it. She was on the backburner now and would have to be an adult about it –

"You're my queen."

"Huh?" Tinya lifted her head back up to see Brin smiling again at her.

"You've given me the gift of fatherhood, and that also comes with a lot of responsibility. Look, I know all these changes have been stressful for you, but I want you to know we're in this together, alright? Always."

He gave her another tight hug, to which Tinya sank into and closed her eyes.

"Thank you," she whispered.