She lies next him, toes tracing patterns on his leg while her fingers slowly turn the hair on his chest into tangled wisps. Her hair falls in sweaty tendrils around her face.

"MOMMY! DADDY!"

"Duty calls." She gives his check a quick peck and slips on one of his t-shirts, the soft, worn fabric skimming her thighs. She throws him some flannel pants, which he catches and pulls on, barely opening his eyes.

"What time is it?" he asks sleepily.

"No idea." She yawns back, stretching her arms as she goes to the door. She lifts their daughter, who is clutching a fluffy stuffed hanar for dear life, onto her hip. "Baby, what happened? Bad dream?" Lili nods, cuddling as close as she can in her mother's arms, pressing the pink figure to her chest. "Shh, it's okay, mama's here." She says, rocking her gently as pulls back the covers with one hand, settling them both against the pillows.

"Did you ever have bad dreams, Mama?"

"I did. Sometimes I still do."

A furrow appears on the tiny brow: "You do?"

"I do." she says, lying down and pulling the blankets over them, still warm.

"You get afraid too? What do you do then?"

She touches her nose to the little pink one: "Daddy holds me and makes it better."

The tiny green eyes widen. "Really?"

"Really."

"Daddy hold Lili?"

"You bet I will." He says, maneuvering her toward him. The fluffy hanar lies forgotten as little pajama arms fold themselves on his chest, a sigh of contentment escaping from the mouth of their owner.