Disclaimer: This so isn't mine.
Story Summary: Tom and Lynette celebrate their first anniversary. Perhaps the fluffiest fluff I've ever written. We're talking cotton candy levels here. Enjoy!
Anniversary
A story by Ryeloza
Tom's walk was nothing short of jaunty as he made his way toward his front door one quiet Sunday evening. He had a bottle of wine in one hand, a DVD rental in the other, a bag of diapers under his arm, and the unflagging optimism of a man who had everything he'd ever wanted in life. Lynette had only sent him out for the diapers, but Tom had used the outing as the perfect excuse to snatch a little moment of romance for them. They might have been the parents of week-old twins who were, rightfully, taking up most of their time and attention, but it was also their first anniversary and it was an occasion Tom couldn't let pass unmarked.
"Honey?" he called as he shut the front door behind him. Almost instantly he was hushed with a sharp shushing sound, but that only made his smile grow as he wandered into the kitchen. He dropped the diapers on the kitchen table next to the infant carrier where Porter slept and glanced at his wife. For some strange reason, Lynette sat on the floor with her back against the refrigerator, nursing Preston. "What are you doing?" he asked.
If Lynette had been less tired, she might have come up with a less literal response. As it was, she could barely acknowledge that a little sarcasm might have been fun as she said, "Breastfeeding."
"I can see that."
"Then why did you ask?"
Tom brushed off her unembellished explanation and waved his treats for the evening in the air excitedly. "Look what I got," he said in a sing-song voice. "Wine and a DVD. One Fine Day, starring George Clooney for you and Michelle Pfeiffer for me. Good compromise, right?"
"I can't drink."
"Babe, the doctor said one glass of wine won't hurt. Maybe it'll help you relax…loosen up a little…"
Lynette watched her husband with suspicious eyes as he shrugged off his jacket and attempted to look casual. She thought she could hear an ulterior motive in his voice but she desperately wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. After all, the man couldn't seriously be suggesting sex just one week after she'd given birth to twins. Had he not listened to the doctor at all? "We'll see," she said a little tersely.
Setting the wine and movie back on the table, Tom took the long way around to come over and slouch down next to Lynette against the fridge. He draped an arm over her shoulders, pulling her to rest against him, and instantly she seemed to relax.
"What does that feel like?" he asked with a curious nod toward their son.
"Weird. Kind of like this tugging sensation. But it gets rid of the pressure."
Tom kissed her temple. "You look really sexy."
Lynette guffawed loudly and rolled her eyes. She'd been wearing the same pajama pants for three days now and a tank-top that was already stained in three places and her hair was a haphazard mess thrown up. The fact that her boob was hanging out was negated by the tiny baby sucking on it. "You are such a liar," she said.
"No, I'm pretty sure I'm just blinded by love."
"Yeah. Blinded might be the right term." She leaned her head back, letting her eyes show that she was more grateful for the less-than-truthful compliment than she acted, and Tom gave her a quick smooch. At the same moment, Preston suddenly became restless, apparently having had his fill; he turned his head away, waving his little hands in the air. Smiling, Tom reached out and gently took him from Lynette, propping him up against his shoulder and rubbing his back.
"Here," she said, pulling a towel down from the counter above them. She handed it to Tom as she tugged her tank top back up, ignoring the flicker of disappointment in her husband's eyes. With a sigh, she nuzzled into Tom's side and shut her eyes. "I am so tired I think I could sleep for a month."
"Like Sleeping Beauty."
"Lucky bitch. She didn't have two newborns to take care of."
Tom chuckled and Lynette smiled as the sound reverberated through her. In the week since the twins had been born, he'd been walking in the clouds; she'd never seen him so happy. Of course, tomorrow he went back to work and she was going to be on her own to figure out some semblance of normalcy. This little bubble of familial bliss they'd been in would pop, but Lynette was determined to enjoy it while it lasted. She sighed contentedly and murmured, "I am really happy right now."
"No more worries then?" asked Tom teasingly. Lynette had been a bundle of nerves for the past nine months—panicking about everything, flip-flopping over whether or not she should really quit her job, and doing an absurd amount of research about pregnancy and newborns. He was fairly certain that actually having the kids had only opened a whole new can of worms, but so far she'd been handling them like a pro.
"Well, not tonight." Lynette yawned. "I don't think I'm going to make it through a movie."
"It was just a thought. I didn't want you to think I forgot."
"Forgot what?"
Tom's eyes widened and unconsciously his hand stilled on Preston's back. She hadn't mentioned their anniversary once today, but he'd never even suspected that it was because she'd forgotten. "Our anniversary," he said slowly. "One year today."
"No!" Lynette sat up, a little aghast. Craning her neck, she glanced at the calendar and frowned at the little hearts she'd drawn on the eighth. "How could I forget?"
"Well you were a little busy."
"I didn't get you anything."
With a sincerity that couldn't be argued, Tom gazed at his wife, putting a hand against her cheek and rubbing her skin with his thumb. "Hey, they may have been a little early, but I think our boys are the best present you could have given me."
Lynette's eyes dampened a little, her emotions besting her, and she leaned forward to kiss Tom. It had been a crazy year—one that had not gone a single minute as she'd expected it to, but one that she wouldn't change one bit of if someone gave her the choice. She had the whole world right here in her kitchen and it was only because of her husband.
"And you," she said, kissing his lips and then his stubbly cheek and then his neck, "gave me George Clooney." She pulled back, grinning merrily. "What a great husband."
Tom laughed and pulled her toward him until once again she snuggled back against him. Lightly, he kissed the top of Preston's head and then Lynette's. "Happy anniversary," he said quietly.
