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The evening was well underway and the Belmont mansion had a fire crackling in the fireplace. Trevor was seated on the couch, staring into the dancing flames. He looked away at the sound of familiar footsteps and watched as Sypha entered the room with a very drowsy baby snuggled against her chest. Trevor smiled softly at the pair.
“How’s our girl doing?” Trevor asked, a tinge of fatherly pride in his voice.
“Sonia is a very happy baby,” Sypha said with a smile as she sat next to her husband “She’s been fed, burped, and changed. In other words, she’s at her best right now.”
The baby sleepily looked around her and spotted her father. Her lips began to curl upward and she reached a hand in Trevor’s direction. Trevor was only too happy to take his daughter and place her so that she was laying comfortably on his chest.
“A full stomach and a good shit are enough to make me happy as well,” Trevor replied as he held his daughter close. “Good job, Sunny.”
Sypha rolled her eyes but nestled into her husband’s side. She admired the baby who was starting to fall asleep on Trevor’s chest. Sypha took one finger and gently stroked her daughter’s cheek.
“She really takes after you, you know,” Sypha began. “She has your hair and your nose. She has your smile too.”
Trevor hummed. “You know that’s the first thing Alucard’ll comment on when he meets her. ‘How unfortunate that such a young child should be cursed with your looks, Belmont.’” Trevor ended with his best impression of the dhampir.
Sypha giggled in response. “Of course he’ll make a few smart remarks. I wouldn’t expect anything less from Alucard. But he’s Sonia’s honorary uncle. He’s going to fall in love with her.”
Trevor looked into Sonia’s eyes, which were blinking slowly. “Perhaps. But he’ll also say that Sonia’s only redeeming physical trait is her mother’s eyes. And honestly, that’s something I can agree with.”
Trevor and Sypha sat in companionable silence staring at their baby, completely entranced by this little human they had made together. Sonia shifted so she could nuzzle further into Trevor’s chest as sleep grew closer to claiming her. Trevor felt his heart swell.
“It’s amazing. I think she actually loves me.” Trevor said, sounding slightly surprised. Sypha raised an eyebrow.
“You’re her papa, of course she loves you!” Sypha responded incredulously, surprised at Trevor’s surprise. “Did you really doubt that our daughter loved you?”
Trevor took a deep breath and sighed. He had been reflecting on his life frequently over the past few months, and he finally decided to share his thoughts with Sypha.
“I mean, before I met you, I was an asshole.” Trevor explained. Sypha snickered.
“Oh believe me, I was well aware of that,” she replied with a smirk. “When we first met, I tried to tell you my name and you said ‘I don’t care’ before I finished. But what does that have to do with now?”
Trevor took a few seconds to think about how he was going to word his thoughts.
“After my family was killed and I was on my own, I honestly never expected to have a child or start my own family. I was convinced the Belmont line would die with me. I drifted from bar to bar without a purpose in life, starting fights and getting drunk every chance I got. Didn’t care about anything or anybody, especially not myself. I wasted years of my life doing that shit. I wasted years of my life being a shitty person. I never expected to be here, married with a kid, living in the rebuilt mansion of my ancestors. I sometimes wonder if I deserve any of this. I wonder how anybody could love me after how horrible I was.”
Sypha listened carefully (as Speakers tend to do.) She sat up and gently placed her hands on Trevor’s face.
“Trevor,” Sypha started. “We’ve known each other for several years now. We’ve travelled across the country together and now we have a child. I would like to think we know each other pretty well. Do you honestly think I would have stayed with you for all of that time if you were as horrible as you’re making yourself out to be?”
Trevor hummed in thought and glanced down, unsure how to respond. Sypha looked down at the baby on Trevor’s chest and smiled again.
“You know, when Sonia was still in my belly, Alucard let me read some of his mother’s research on child development,” Sypha started. “When Dr. Tepes was still alive, she cared for quite a few pregnant women. After their babies were born, she would care for both mother and child, making sure they were safe and healthy. But there was one thing she wrote about that really stood out to me, and it wasn’t even related to medical care. Do you know what she discovered?”
Sypha had Trevor’s attention. “What’s that?”
“Dr. Tepes discovered that babies were very sensitive to the emotions of others. They can sense when someone’s happy, sad, or nervous very easily. And this sensitivity makes babies very good judges of character. They know the difference between a good person and a bad person. Look at our daughter, Trevor.”
Trevor obeyed and he looked at baby Sonia, who was laying comfortably on her father’s chest fast asleep. She looked like the safest baby in the world.
“If what Dr. Tepes wrote is true, if babies can really tell the difference between good and bad, do you think our Sonia would be so comfortable right now?” Sypha asked. “Your past doesn’t define you, Trevor. Your past doesn’t define the kind of person you are. You were in so much pain when I met you. You were sad all the time. And you wanted that sadness to go away. When people are so desperate to get rid of that pain, they do bad things. But that doesn’t mean they are bad people. You have always been a good man, Trevor Belmont. You’re a good man who has been through horrible things. Now you have a daughter who adores you and feels safe with you. And you also have me. Never doubt that you’re deserving of happiness because of your past.”
In spite of himself, Trevor felt a few tears prickle in his eyes when Sypha finished speaking. He took his free hand to wipe them away.
“Shit, Sypha, you’re gonna make me cry if you keep talking like that,” Trevor sniffed. “You’ve always had such a way with words.”
“Well that tends to happen when you’re raised as a Speaker,” Sypha replied with a yawn as she nuzzled back into Trevor’s side. “I’m sleepy now. And like Sonia, I also feel safe when I snuggle against you. So you’re going to be my pillow tonight, ok?”
Trevor chuckled and wrapped his free arm around Sypha, bringing him closer to her. “Anything you want, Sypha. Thank you for… everything. Thank you for what you said. I don’t say this enough, but I’m thankful that we found each other when we did. I love you.”
“Mmm, love you too.” Sypha mumbled as she made herself comfortable on Trevor and fell asleep.
Trevor sat still and smiled. His wife and daughter, the two most important people in his life, were cuddled against him. Years ago, he never would have imagined himself in a place like this, sitting by the fireplace with his loving family around him. But maybe Sypha was right; maybe he was deserving of happiness. Maybe he was a good man. Trevor thought that it would still take time to fully convince himself of this, but for tonight, he decided to take Sypha’s words to heart. And those positive thoughts and the overall serenity of the night eventually lulled him to sleep as well.