So guys! I'm back. As you might have noticed I took down all of my M-rated stories. They now reside at Archive of Our Own. See my profile for details.

Anyway, this is another attempt at writing something that's not heartbreaking. I was inspired by the drawings that m7angela creates in Tumblr. They are my go to (to deflate) when I write the horrors I usually write in my stories. She's a very talented artist! Just search for her Tumblr name and follow her. You won't regret it!

I hope that this story is not boring to you all. I wanted to capture the essence of what it is to wait for a little one to arrive into the world. It's a long, arduous and stressful process for all involved.

Enjoy!

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Lamb Stew

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Ingredients:

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1 1/2 lbs (675 g) stewing lamb, cut in bite size pieces

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp (10 mL) salt

1 tsp (5 mL) celery seeds

1 tsp (5 mL) dried rosemary

3 cups (750 mL) water

6 medium carrots, peeled and quartered

4 potatoes, peeled and quartered

3 medium onions, peeled and quartered

1/4 cup (60 mL) all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups (310 mL) Milk

1 tsp (5 mL) Worcestershire sauce

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Directions:

Edward poured the equivalent of three cups of water into the old saucepan. He brought the pan with him and placed it on the large burner, turning the knob to the right so the gas could flow freely while he looked for the matches. He looked everywhere and couldn't find the accursed sticks. Any spectator looking into this particular scene would think that Edward had lost his marbles because the poor frenetic man couldn't see the box of matches sitting pretty on the wooden shelf directly above the stove, just to the right of the spices.

"Brother, the matches are right in front of you." Alphonse stated the obvious from the breakfast table. He even guided Edward with his eyes by pointing the location to his frazzled older brother.

The younger Elric shook his head as he watched his brother grab the box from the shelf, and offered him a sympathetic smile. It wasn't Edward's fault that he was so out of control, after all; roughly forty feet away —or the distance between the master bedroom and the kitchen— laid his wife on bed, screaming at the top of her lungs every time she had a contraction as she moved from active labor to transition labor.

Edward quickly took out a matchstick from the box and struck it against the side with the coarse surface, and after four pitiful attempts, he managed to finally light the fifth matchstick and—

"Shit!"

The small combustion caused by the gas that had become saturated around the burner almost singed away Edward's long bangs.

"Edward!" Alphonse reprimanded, shaking a chastising head at his older brother. "You can't be cursing like this around the baby!"

"I see you don't care that I almost burnt my face off!"

Alphonse's expressionless stare made the older sibling grumble and pout.

Right now Edward couldn't control that sailor mouth of his. Winry's water had broke around ten in the morning and the ballad of her pained cries had slowly but steadily frayed his nerves. He was about to shoot a snarky comeback at the expecting sibling when Winry's pained moan shoved his words down his throat.

The soon-to-be-dad couldn't help the shudder that followed. Out of nowhere, Edward threw his hands in the air.

"H-how can't I not cuss?" Edward groused while pointing an agitated finger towards the hallway, enforcing his point. "She's in pain, dammit, and I can't do squat! Don't you get it?"

'Just great.'Edward's irrational behavior made Alphonse huff in exasperation as he realized that Edward was taking his calm demeanor the wrong way.

Of course he cared! Winry was her dear friend and sister-in-law —heck— she's the sister he always wanted to have, and to hear her pained cries was as just hard on him as it was on Edward. He was only trying to stay calm so he could be the pillar that Edward so desperately needed… at least this is what Mei had drilled into his head before heading into the master bedroom.

He stood up and approached Edward.

"Brother, of course I care," he reiterated. "But that's how nature is." He placed a reassuring hand on his brother's stiff shoulder. "Besides, Winry is in excellent hands. Granny is guiding her through labor and Mei is applying alkahestry techniques that help ease the pain."

Alphonse's calming influence didn't quell Edward's distress. All the older Elric could think about was how utterly useless he was at this type of situation, just like that stormy day at Dominick's house…

"I'm as useless as that Bastard is on rainy days…" He groused, petulantly.

Alphonse gave Edward a puzzled look, and he was going to ask him what he meant by the odd comment, but the angry splashing and sizzling of boiling water caught his attention.

"Brother, the saucepan." Edward looked at the stove and saw that the water was rolling wildly.

"Oh, sh—oot!" Edward half cursed as he lowered the flame.

He immediately turned towards his brother and grinned at him like a child caught doing a prank.

Alphonse humph before offering a smile of his own. He crossed his arms in front of his chest, opting to disregard Edward's sailor mouth this time around, and decided to take a look around the kitchen.

Vegetables were set on the counter next to the chopping block and a huge chunk of meat was also sitting nearby, still wrapped in butcher's paper.

"Ed, what possessed you to cook at a time like this?" Alphonse asked in bewilderment, not understanding what was going on through his brother's head.

"Winry asked me to," Edward simply stated. He glanced at the ingredients waiting to be prepped before returning his attention back to his younger brother. "She requested this from me ever since we found out she was pregnant."

"Oh!" Alphonse was quite surprised with the answer and immediately wondered why Winry would make such odd request, because as far as he remembered, Winry had complained in the past about Edward's lack of talent for the culinary arts—

His expression turned impish.

"It's a miracle that she's still alive," he taunted, knowing well that type of teasing always set Edward ablaze.

"Ha—ha!" Edward snapped. He then turned up his nose at his brother.

"I had plenty of practice just you know," Edward added with shallow pride.

"Of course you did! Alphonse sniggered, his playful expression was full of sarcasm, but Edward had enough of his quips, and sucker punched him in the arm.

"Ow!"Alphonse cried out. "Geez, I was only joking!"

"Yeah-yeah," Edward deadpanned.

"So? Are you going to stand there sulking like a child or are you going to help me out with the stew?"

The younger blonde nodded, still rubbing his arm.

"Can you peel and cut the vegetables?" Edward asked.

"Sure, Ed."

Alphonse went over to the sink to wash his hands. He chanced a glance at Edward and noticed that his tension had diminished considerably and he smiled at that. His goofiness had paid off.

'But he owes me one for the punch.'He mused as he closed the tap.

"Oh, no. This won't do." The elder Elric complained.

Alphonse looked over his shoulder. "What's the matter, Brother?"

"The chunks are still too big," he pinched a chunk of meat between his fingers. "See?"

"Is that lamb?" Alphonse went off the tangent, making Edward roll his eyes at him.

"Of course it's lamb! What else can it be?"

"Beef?" Alphonse offered sheepishly.

Edward couldn't counter that answer.

"Well, Winry was craving lamb, ok?" He said flatly.

Golden eyes now stared at the meat. "I'm going to cut them into bite size pieces."

Alphonse shook his head.

"Whatever makes you happy, Brother." He commented, almost rolling his eyes at Edward's manic compulsion.

He grabbed a potato and the potato peeler then started the tedious task of skinning the tuber.

"Um—"

Alphonse looked at Edward. "Yes, Brother?"

"Can you mince the garlic first?" Edward asked with a sugary smile.

Alphonse nodded. He set the potato and the peeler apart then grabbed the two garlic cloves. He also grabbed a smaller knife from the knife block then begun cutting the first clove into tiny pieces.

"Al…?"

Alphonse looked up. "Yes, Brother?"

"Try to be careful when using that knife," he said pointing at his brother with the knife he was holding. "I don't want you to cut yourself."

This time Alphonse did roll his eyes at Edward. "Geez, Ed. I'm not a baby," he sulked in frustration while cutting the clove. "I know what I'm—"

Alphonse dug the knife into his left index finger. Edward turned around to look at his brother when the chopping stopped.

"Dammit, Al!"Edward hissed when he saw the blood. "I told you to be careful!"

Alphonse was sucking on the wounded finger. "I was being careful, Ed!" He sucked on the finger some more. "You just had to go and jinx me."

"Hey!" Edward shouted in his big brother tone. He left the meat and the knife behind so he could assist his brother.

"Lemme see."

"Edward!" The younger blonde whined when his brother grabbed his wrist.

Edward looked at the wound thoroughly. "It's not that bad," he said and he let go of the hand.

"Of course it's not that bad, mother hen." Alphonse scoffed while looking at the wound. "Nothing that a little alkahestry can't cure."

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The meat had been cut to Edward's standards, and was simmering along with garlic, salt, celery seeds and rosemary for about hour and a half. Edward added small amounts of water to the pan whenever the broth lost too much water. Alphonse had finished peeling and cutting the vegetables. The task had been a cinch with the freshly healed finger.

At this point both brothers were sitting on the breakfast table waiting for the moment to add the vegetables. Winry's grunts and howls had become more frequent and Alphonse noticed that Edward was becoming tense once again.

"It's ok, Ed." Alphonse offered with a pat to the back and an open smile. "She's progressing."

Yet once again Alphonse's words didn't provide the desired effect. Instead of calming down, a baffled Edward looked at his brother in mild annoyance.

"How is it that you can remain so calm?" Edward let his thoughts be known.

Alphonse felt the frustration in his brother's words. He leaned back on his chair and offered Edward another sympathetic smile.

"That's because I've helped Mei with lots of births back in Xing." Alphonse explained, immediately noticing Edward's astonished reaction to the confession.

"It was part of my alkahestry training," he continued. "After all, alkahestry is geared towards the medical use."

"Wow, lil' bro… that's amazing!" Edward expressed with the proudest smile.

He offered his younger brother the most loving look, one that made Alphonse blush brightly in return.

There was a short pause between their brotherly exchange in which both siblings heard another of Winry's pained cries.

"Do you remember how scared we were when Mrs. LeCoulte was giving birth to her son?" Edward mentioned after the cry died out.

Alphonse nodded. "Yeah, I remember."

"We were a mess…" Edward added as he talked about the memory.

Alphonse noticed that Edward's countenance had relaxed some yet there was some gloominess lingering behind his seemingly serene expression.

"So the stew," he asked, trying to capture Edward's attention. "How many times have you made it for Winry?"

Edward glanced at Alphonse. His golden eyes looked slightly upwards and to the right as he mentally counted the times he had to make the tedious dish for his loving wife.

"About thirty times… roughly once a week since the day she asked me to cook the dish for her."

"Wow!" Alphonse spurted in amazement. "That's some food craving she had going…"

"You're telling me!" Edward snorted.

"And she was very picky too!" Edward now rested his back on the seat, relaxing his posture.

"Winry almost threw a wrench at me one time, when she accused me of burning the stew," Edward recalled. "How can you even burn stew—"

A louder howl echoed from the back of the house and made Alphonse sit straight on his chair.

"What is it?" Edward asked with utter worry, noticing his brother's change in behavior.

"The contractions are becoming more frequent," Alphonse mumbled. "She must be at ten centimeters now," he added, now directing stern olive eyes at Edward.

"What!" Edward cried out, jolting away from the chair as his nerves revved up.

"Calm down, Brother!" Alphonse said but Edward wasn't listening.

"Oh, cr—ud!" Edward yelled as his blanched face met with the simmering saucepan.

"What is it?" Alphonse asked, alarmed.

"The stew!"Edward rushed into the kitchen. "The vegetables need to be cooked!" He was becoming frantic again.

Alphonse grumbled to himself, wondering if he was going to behave like his brother the day that Mei went into labor…

'Most likely.'He gave out a small chuckle before standing up.

The younger blonde followed his brother into the kitchen, after all, it was his job was to keep Edward from injuring himself as they waited for the baby to be born.

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Edward set the timer for thirty minutes and placed it next to the stove. He had built the small contraption from scratch just a few months ago as a way to practice engineering while he awaited the arrival of his first-born.

During the three years he spent in the West he fell in love with the mechanics of the flying machines of Milos. He made a contract with the government of the fledgling nation and trained with the best mechanical engineers that Milos had to offer. He, in an act of Equivalent Exchange, taught his alchemic knowledge at the local university. During his apprenticeship he dabbled a little in automail mechanics but decided to leave the work to Winry. He knew very well that his wife would divorce him if he ever tried to tamper with her glorious masterpiece.

"It's starting to smell delicious, Ed," Alphonse offered, bringing said blonde back to the present.

Edward placed his hands on his hips.

"I just hope it taste good," he answered before glancing at the hallway. "She deserves the best." A tender smile followed his words.

"Of course it will taste good," Alphonse replied, also looking at the long hallway. He returned his attention to his brother.

"You should have gotten the hang of it by now," he added with a mischievous smirk. "I mean with thirty-something attempts under your belt, you should be a master chef by now—"

"Ow!"The younger blonde got struck on the back of the head as Edward walked past him.

"Remind me to pester you when you're in my shoes," Edward retorted as he opened the fridge. He took from it the Worcestershire sauce and the milk.

Alphonse noticed the look of disgust that his brother had while carrying the items with him. He kept watching with mild amusement as Edward placed the items on the counter. He could have sworn that his brother gave a death stare to the milk carton after setting it on the wooden surface.

"Al, can you hand me the flour?"

"Sure thing, Ed!" Alphonse opened the shelf behind him and took the small bag of flour from it. He walked over to Edward and handed him the bag.

"Thanks…" Edward opened the nearby drawer and took a sifter from it. He took the bag in one hand and the sifter in the other then placed them above the simmering saucepan. He begun adding flour to the sifter and shook it so the milled powder would fall evenly inside the bubbling stock.

Edward put down the flour and the sifter then grabbed the large wooden spoon he had been using to stir the stew and smoothly mixed in the flour before it had a chance to clump.

"Al, can you hand me the vile secretion?" Edward extended a hand at Alphonse's way. He didn't take his eyes away from the pot as he asked for the favor.

An amused younger brother grabbed the milk carton and placed it on his brother's hand.

"It's for Winry, remember?" Edward snapped before Alphonse had the chance to get all smart aleck on him.

"I know, I know, but you like it too." Alphonse taunted.

Edward decided to ignore the tongue-in-cheek remark as he concentrated on adding one and a quarter cup of the disgusting milk, not a drop more nor a drop less.

He really despised the ghastly liquid but he knew that it made the stew taste better.

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By the time the stew had thicken, Winry gave out the most horrible howl that both brother's have ever heard. Silence followed but quickly dissipated as the frantic cries of a tiny human were heard.

Both brothers stood still, Edward wide-eye and with spoon in hand, and Alphonse standing still with his mouth agape.

It was the younger Elric who reacted first.

He tried to unclench his jaw but failed to do so, then he saw tears running down his brother's cheeks.

It was a rare sight to see Edward Elric crying because "Edward Elric didn't do crying".

Edward noticed Alphonse staring at him and shed more happy tears.

"Al… I'm a dad…"

He lowered the spoon, almost letting it slip from his grasp as a tidal wave of emotions hit his mind and body.

Alphonse, who hadn't shed a tear yet, felt his olive eyes suddenly drown with them. He also felt a lump in his throat, a sensation that usually hated, but this time around he welcomed it with delight. His quivering lips finally were able to form words.

"You're a dad!" He cried out from utter joy, and his body moved on his own accord, holding Edward in a tight, loving embrace.

The last time they held each other like this was when Alphonse recovered his body.

"I want to see them," Edward said as he parted from Alphonse's comforting arms.

"You can't just yet," Alphonse said sympathetically. "Mei will come for us when mother and child are ready to see you, us."

It was clear that Edward didn't like what he heard.

"You still need to serve Winry a big bowl of lamb stew." Alphonse reminded his brother as he himself searched through the cabinets for a bowl large enough to feed the new mom.

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Edward hated feeling this emotional. He just didn't do emotional, yet… that's what he had been doing ever since he found out he was going to be a father.

At first he felt scared, because he could only see himself failing Winry and the baby, just like his father failed him and his mother. He even had a nasty fight with Winry because of this, but a "chat" with Pinako helped him clear the cobwebs from his mind.

Some time after Edward regained his confidence, Winry asked him to cook a special dish for her. The odd request about making lamb stew took him completely by surprise. He had never been a good cook to begin with but he wasn't going to say "no" to the woman that was carrying his child.

As Edward followed his sister-in-law down the hallway, he felt his heart beating faster. The little bean didn't want to tell him nor Alphonse if the baby was a boy or a girl. She didn't want to divulge the information, saying that it was "unlucky" to do so.

The surroundings begun to feel muted as each stride brought him closer to the master bedroom. He swallowed deeply, trying to ease the dryness he was beginning to feel in his throat. He absently licked his lips too, just before Mei turned the doorknob. Thank the heavens that Alphonse was the one carrying the tray with the lamb stew because he would've dropped it on the floor from the nervousness he had been experiencing ever since Winry's water broke half a day ago.

When the door opened, Edward was welcomed by the yellowish light of incandescent light bulbs. For him it looked like a golden light was enveloping the room, blanketing with its aureate hue everything it touched. He blinked slowly —at least it felt to him this way— studying everything inside the room.

To the right was Pinako, putting away what looked like bloodied cloths inside a wicker basket. To the left was Alphonse, who was setting the food tray on the table, and Mei, who was looking at Winry with loving eyes. Her flickering gaze guided him to connect with the love of his life.

Golden orbs touched sapphire, and they widened as they took in the breathless sight before him.

Winry was sitting on bed, with a few pillows helping to keep her erect. Her tired smile quickly connected with Edward, pinning him in place as he felt his heart swell. With a minute shift of the eyes, Edward's golden orbs clung to the tiny figure nestled in his wife's arms.

The sleeping baby was nuzzling comfortably on the soft bosom, sleeping contentedly after having bonded with his momma. Edward found that he still couldn't move, paralyzed from the surge of emotions that were coursing through his body.

Happiness and elation…

…fear and uncertainty—

"Ed, come near." Winry's sweet voice helped him get a grip of himself.

He walked slowly towards his beloved wife, and when he was standing next to her she gave him the most beautiful smile he had ever seen.

"Sit down, silly man," Winry said tenderly to him as she pulled him to sit down on the bed with her free hand.

Edward obeyed and sat with outmost care on the bed. He didn't want Winry to hurt from the shifting since she must've be very sore by the burden of labor.

Once Edward sat on the bed, Winry guided him with her celestial eyes towards the newborn.

"Ed, this is your son," she said with the proudest smile a mother can have.

Edward swallowed down the lump in his throat. He wanted to touch that tiny human Winry was holding in her arms but didn't know how to.

She offered Edward the baby but he backed away from it in fear.

"I don't know, Winry—" He whined, his voice full of insecurity, but Winry was having none of it.

"Don't be such a baby, Ed! He won't break!" Winry groused as she pushed her son on Edward's arms.

The fearful father had to choice but to quickly adapt to holding his son. Suddenly, the tiny body molded to his arms.

Golden orbs took in the beauty of the tiny life as it flailed his arms before settling back in peaceful slumber. A sob escaped from the ex-alchemist as his forehead met with his son's thus bonding for the first time with the new life that he had helped to create.

"Welcome home, my son," he said in the gentlest tone that he had ever used.

All of Edward's fears dissipated when the baby cooed in response to the sound of his words.

"Know that I will always be there for you, my boy," Edward continued. "I will protect you and love you with all my heart, heh, I already do… ever since I found out that you were on the way."

He kissed the newborn's soft forehead. "Thanks for being in our lives… I love you."

Edward now looked at Winry who had been silently crying over his heart-felt speech. New tears begun falling from his eyes.

"I love you, Win," he leaned over and kissed her tenderly on the lips.

Edward handed his son back to Winry.

Mei's loud sobbing interrupted the precious moment. The new parents looked at the newlyweds and smiled. Alphonse was lovingly holding Mei in his arms as they both dried their tears.

Winry gave out a tired giggle.

"Al," she directed her full attention to her brother-in-law. "Do you want to hold your nephew?"

Alphonse's face lit like the sun. Words failed him again, so he avidly nodded a "yes". He stepped forward and extended his arms as Winry handed him the baby boy.

Alphonse tenderly held his nephew in his arms as he brought him over to Mei.

"He looks like, Ed!" He exclaimed with tear-laden eyes.

His comment made Winry pout and Edward grin.

"He—ck yeah!" The new father boasted, minding again that he couldn't swear as he did before.

Everybody inside the room, with the exception of Alphonse, laughed at Edward's attempt of being polite.

"Where's the stew?" Winry asked, breaking the mirth of magical moment with her inquiry.

"The stew!" Both brothers said in unison.

Edward gently stood up from the bed and took the food tray from the table. He brought the tray to his wife and gingerly placed it on her lap.

Winry took the spoon in her hand and dipped it inside the bowl. She took a small sip at first, as manners dictated, but her manners left her the moment she swallowed the broth down her throat. The new mother wolfed down the contents of the large bowl in mere seconds.

Everyone, except Pinako, looked at Winry in disbelief.

"Ah! That was a godsend," Winry exclaimed as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

She grabbed the empty bowl and handed it to Edward.

"More please!" Winry said with a grin.

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Everyone inside the master bedroom ate stew in silence but it was Winry who broke the quiet moment.

"This was your the best stew, Ed. Thank you." Her words made Edward blush.

"Yeah, Brother," Alphonse chipped in. "This actually tastes good."

"I second that!" Mei chirped.

"Hey!" Edward pouted. "Of course it tastes awesome!" He added pointing a proud finger to his chest.

"Oh shush, micro-dad." Pinako interjected. "This is just slightly better than the lousy crud you've been serving."

"No one asked, old hag!" Edward countered, not before sending daggers Pinako's way.

"Keep it down," Winry shushed. "Edwin's sleeping."

Everyone looked at Winry in surprise.

"Ed-Edwin?" Edward gawked.

"Yes, Ed. His name is Edwin." Winry replied, confidently.

Edward stared at his wife for a moment as he thought about the name.

"I like it!" He said with a toothy grin. "It's a badass name… now I need to have it embroidered on the dragon onesie I got him back in Central—"

"No, Ed!" Winry cut off. "Eddie will not be wearing gaudy outfits."

"But it's a rad design!" He complained petulantly.

"Of course it is, Ed," Winry rolled her eyes at him. "Only a blind person would agree with you!"

Alphonse, Mei and Pinako stared impassively at the young parents, who at this point were heavily engaged in their usual petty arguments.

"C'mon you two," Pinako said to the newlyweds. "Let's leave these two alone while we take care of the dishes."

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Pinako was transferring the leftovers of the stew into a smaller container while Alphonse and Mei took care of the dishes. Alphonse could clearly see the exhaustion marked on the women's faces. He told them that he would take care of tidying up the kitchen.

It was close to midnight when Alphonse finished cleaning the area. He now joined his beloved wife and foster-grandmother in the living room.

"Hey, Granny?" Alphonse asked as plopped into the sofa. "Winry must be exhausted."

Granny considered Alphonse's statement as she rocked herself on the chair.

"Winry is just fine," she replied, confidently. "That stew revitalized her body. She was fighting with Ed, wasn't she?"

"I guess so…" Alphonse mused. "Is that why Winry asked Ed to make her the stew?" He added, wanting to know more about the history behind the strange request.

Pinako cackled. "That recipe has been passed down the Rockbell women for generations. I asked George —bless his soul— to make it for me when I was with child, so did Sarah when she was pregnant with Winry—"

"And now Winry did the same with Ed." Alphonse concluded.

"That is a sweet tradition," Mei interjected. She looked at Alphonse with shiny eyes. "Will you cook it for me when I'm with child?"

Alphonse coughed in nervous reaction to Mei's words, yet he immediately begun thinking how amazing it was going to be to cook the delicious dish for his beloved wife.

"Well, I hope that is soon, dear, because I want lots of great-grandchildren playing around this house."

Pinako cackled again when her comment flustered the young couple. She stood up, slowly, feeling the exhaustion of the day.

"I'm going to bed," she announced and left the bashful couple behind.

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"Isn't he beautiful?" Winry cooed as she fed her son.

"M… yes he is…" Edward said while he tucked some of Winry's locks behind her ear.

"After all he's our littlest man." He added, saying out loud the words his mother would've said regarding Edwin.

Sometime after, the new family rested comfortably in the large bed, awaiting the new sun to mark the new chapter of their young lives.

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End note:

Please let me know how I did because I'm not good at writing happy stories. Your feedback will definitely help me into creating more stories that have happy endings.

Also let me know if you would like so see more stories like this one. I can create drabbles around food recipes just like I did for Lamb Stew.

I had Ed waiting outside the room instead of being next to Winry as she gave birth. Yes, I know that this is contrary to what you guys are used to but I wanted to follow what was common 100 years ago (at least for Earth). Hopefully this translated as I intended to. I wrote this for Father's Day (in the USA). I wanted to do a Mother's Day piece but ran out of time, so this story is to celebrate both festivities.

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Thank you for reading!

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Reference

Dairy Goodness is where I got the recipe for the story.