Buffy swiveled on the antique vanity stool, giving me a look of horror. Her hands flew up to pat her French twist. She fingered the gold clip holding it secure, her eyes full of misplaced panic. I regretted opening my mouth.
"Really? You don't like this style? You always liked this style!"
I shrugged and tried to recant, but Buffy was already pulling the clip out of her hair and letting the golden mass tumble over her shoulders. It was longer than it had been when we first moved to Sunnydale, almost 15 years ago. As I watched my daughter frantically run a hairbrush through her hair, I smiled. She was nervous, running on high octane.
"Everything will be just fine, sweetheart," I said, as I gently removed the brush from her hand and proceeded to finish the job myself.
"What if I can't do this, Mom? What if I fail miserably? What if Riley can't handle it? What if... "
She was babbling, that nervous energy rearing its ugly head again. I lay my hands on her shoulders, squeezing slightly. "You will be *fine*. Riley will be fine. You've wanted this day for years and now that it's here, you're falling apart."
Buffy met my eyes in the mirror, their wide hazel depths shimmering with tears. "I just want everything to be perfect. And, I'm *so* scared."
Leaning forward, I pulled my daughter into my arms, pressing my cheek against hers. Buffy gripped my arms and hung on, looking for all the world like the five-year-old she once was, after nightmares had woken her from a sound sleep. We stayed like that for several minutes, just soaking in the quiet mother-child moment that we so seldom had anymore.
I miss my little girl sometimes. Oh, I see her all the time, talk to her every day on the telephone, but it isn't the same. She's been married to Riley for almost eight years and I adore my son-in-law. How could I not love the man who looks at my daughter with such worship in his eyes? Their union has not been without its share of heartbreak -- the miscarriage and stillbirth of five children, Buffy's near nervous breakdown, Angel's reappearance in her life. I feared for Riley then, he was so distraught, so full of despair of losing Buffy to the vampire.
But, Buffy and Riley found a reserve of strength, of love, deep inside and rekindled their romance and now it burned hotter than ever before. They could hardly bear to be apart for more than a few minutes at a time without a touch or glance for reassurance. It was a mature love that seemed older than either of them, the kind of love that comes after fifty or sixty years together.
Buffy was rocking in my arms, her eyes closed and a sweet smile curving her lips. I could feel the tension easing out of her body and the shaking subside. "Are you feeling better?"
"Much. Thank you. You always know what to do," she whispered as she opened her eyes and looked at me.
"I'm a mother. It comes from years of practice."
"Will I ever learn?" she said as she pulled away and stood up. A cursory glance at herself and a shake of her head and she was ready.
"You will. You'll be wonderful."
Before Buffy could answer, a shriek from downstairs made us both smile with renewed anxiety.
"They're here!" Willow cried, her voice mirroring her excitement.
Rupert's muffled reply reached our ears, then Riley's soft call upstairs.
"Buffy baby? Mrs. Sanders is here."
Buffy reached out and grasped my hand. "Are you ready?"
I smiled. "As ready as I'll ever be."
Riley was waiting at the foot of the stairs, his gaze full of enthusiasm and a little bit of fear. As soon as Buffy reached the bottom, he gathered her into his arms, his face nuzzling her shiny hair. I walked on by them and into the living room, where Willow and Rupert waited. Willow was peering out the front window, watching the couple coming up the walk. She was almost bouncing in excitement.
I went straight into Rupert's embrace, letting his familiar smell soothe me. "She's a nervous wreck."
"She'll be fine. They'll both be fine." I could feel his smile against my hair.
"It's been so long and no one I know deserves this more than they do," I whispered.
"Indeed."
The doorbell sounded, sending us all into silence. I looked at Buffy and Riley and they were clinging to each other like frightened children. Willow climbed off the couch and went to the door when it became obvious that the simple act of opening it was beyond the couple's ability.
"Hi!" she chirped at the man and woman standing on the stoop. "I'm Willow Rosenberg, Buffy's best friend. We went to high school together and... "
Ah, another babbler. Riley must've noticed too, because he stepped forward and touched Willow's shoulder. Her mouth snapped shut and she smiled in apology.
"Mrs. Sanders, Mr. Meade, please come in."
I didn't realize I was holding my breath until they came into view.
Then, it came out in a rush, a sob, when I saw the tiny pink blanketed bundle in Suzanne Sanders' arms. She was smiling like she was the stork itself.
Buffy burst into tears.
"So, Joyce, how does it feel to be a grandmother?" Rupert asked, sipping his tea.
I leaned back against his chest and watched Buffy and Riley as they stared at the baby in Buffy's arms. The adoption officials and Willow had left hours ago, so the couple could have some uninterrupted bonding time with their new child. Rupert and I had retreated to the kitchen for tea.
"I love it. I love it more than I ever thought I would. Look at them, Rupert. Have you ever seen a picture more perfect?" I asked as we watched the new family.
"Never. They've been given a precious gift."
Buffy was sitting within the circle of Riley's arms, her face full of wonderment. She was tracing her fingers over the newborn's tiny features, as if she were memorizing them by touch alone.
And, Riley. Well, I knew he would be an immediate pushover and it was easy to see that this big, imposing man was enslaved by the two women in his life. He would be a wonderful, doting father.
"Think we should go? Give them some privacy?" Rupert whispered near my ear.
I nodded. Just as I had told Buffy, everything would be just fine.
The End