Hello, all! This is my very first Not Going Out fanfic, and it's the first fanfic I've written in a long, long time. I'm an American, so I apologize for any anachronisms in advance! Thank you for reading, and I sincerely hope you enjoy!
The shafts of sunlight peeking through the window threw their rays across Lucy's sleeping form. She stirred, but kept her eyes closed. Her first few seconds of consciousness told her that she was alone; the warm form of her husband's body, normally pressing against her backside, was strangely absent. The noxious fumes from his bedtime farts had dissipated as well, leaving her free to breathe deeply in peace. She hugged the comforter more tightly around herself, relishing a few more minutes of solitude.
The bedroom door slowly creaked open. Lee peered around the door and surveyed the scene. He looked over his shoulder and put a finger to his lips before nudging the door open the rest of the way. Carrying a breakfast tray, he led his trio of tiptoeing children into the room. "Wait there," he whispered, pointing to the foot of the bed. They lined up obediently, each clutching a parcel and trying desperately not to giggle. Lee hastily steadied a wobbling glass on his tray and looked down at his still-sleeping wife. A few seconds of silence passed.
Without opening her eyes, Lucy mumbled, "Lee, what's going on?"
He pointed to the children. "Now!"
Charlie, Benji, and Molly burst into a rousing rendition of "Happy Birthday," causing Lucy to startle upright in bed. Her look of surprise melted into a delighted smile. As they finished and threw their arms wide, Benji accidentally flung his present across the room. Lee sat down on the edge of the bed next to her and positioned the breakfast tray over her lap. He leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Happy Mother's Day, Luce."
"A lie-in and breakfast in bed?" She turned her laughing eyes up at her husband. "What did I do to deserve two presents?"
"It's a bit more than two," Lee retorted, his brow furrowed mockingly. "You're forgetting that I also got the kids up this morning. And I dressed them. And I fed them. And I organized all this while keeping them quiet. And," he leaned close, nudging her with his elbow, "I'm going to wash and hoover the car this morning."
"My, you're absolutely spoiling me!" She reached out and clasped his hand, squeezing it appreciatively. "Thanks, Lee. This is really thoughtful."
"Open mine first!"
Lucy hastily stabilized her tray as Charlie leapt onto the bed, shoving his parcel in her face. Molly followed suit, trying to bat his away with hers. "No, Mummy, open mine!"
She quickly took them both to prevent her juice being knocked to the floor, while Lee got up to help Benji retrieve his present from behind a chest of drawers. "Settle down, darlings, or I won't open either of them." When they quieted, she set one aside and began opening Charlie's.
"Ha! Mine was first!" He gave his sister a triumphant look. She stuck her tongue out in return.
Lucy lifted the paper to reveal a framed poem in her son's penmanship, topped with a crayon drawing of the two of them together. "Oh, Charlie! Did you make this in your class?"
He looked down at the duvet and nodded. "You like it?" He murmured a little bashfully.
"Of course I do!" Lucy read the lines in silence, chuckling at Charlie's creative turns of phrase. It called to mind the silly poems Lee used to write her when they began properly going out. She wiped away a tear and smiled. "It's very special."
"I made mine at school, too!" Molly cried happily. "Open it now, Mummy!"
Lucy laughed as she pulled the paper away from a white rabbit made of pompoms. A paper collar around its neck read 'I Love You Mummy' in Molly's uneven scrawl. "How sweet! You made this all by yourself?" Her daughter beamed and nodded proudly.
Lucy glanced over at Benji, who was inspecting his present in its torn-away wrapper. "Did you make a rabbit as well?"
He shook his head, handing it over ruefully. "Mine's a dog. But I think it lost an ear when I throwed it."
Lucy took the broken craft and set it aside gently. "Don't worry, I'll paste it back on and it'll be as good as new."
"The kids have one more present for you." Lee came up behind them and tapped his daughter on the shoulder. "Molly has it, right?"
She looked up at him with a puzzled frown. "No, I don't!"
"Yes, you do! See?" Lee reached down the back of her collar and came back up with a slip of paper. The magic made her gasp in awe. "You had it hiding down your shirt!"
"Well, what is it?" Lucy asked.
Lee handed the paper to Benji, who promptly passed it to his mother. She unfolded it and drew her head back in surprise. "A gift certificate for a spa package at the salon?" She arched an eyebrow at Lee. "That's a very grown-up present for the children to think of."
Lee shrugged and clapped a hand on Charlie's shoulder. "It was all their idea. They specifically reminded me to pick it up the last time I went for a haircut. Isn't that right, Charlie?" The boy looked up and nodded at his father's encouragement.
"They were really thinking ahead. That must have been a month or more ago," Lucy teased. Lee rolled his eyes.
She carefully pushed her breakfast tray to one side and held her arms open to the children. "Come here, darlings."
Charlie, Benji and Molly crowded into Lucy's embrace, where she held them tight. "Thank you for my lovely presents," she murmured, kissing each child on the top of the head.
"Did we give you a nice Mother's Day, Mummy?" came Benji's muffled voice from against her shirt.
"A very nice Mother's Day." Lucy held them for a moment longer, her heart full. She released them and smiled tearfully.
"Come on," Lee herded the children towards the door, giving her a wink, "let's leave Mummy to eat her breakfast in peace."
"You'd better remember to eat something, too, if you're planning to wash the car today."
"Don't worry about me." Lee paused in the doorway. "I left a chunky Kit Kat sitting on the counter, so I think-,"
The kids suddenly peeled off for the kitchen, shoving each other out of the way. "Hey!" Lee called, hurriedly chasing after them. Lucy's delighted laughter followed them down the stairs.