Shelagh couldn't help but sigh lovingly as she combed her fingers slowly through Timothy's dark brown hair one evening and she settled back against the headboard of his bed, his arm draped lightly over her middle as his head was cushioned upon her chest and she pressed countless kisses against his crown. He had been confined to his bed for the last week, considering he had come down with a head cold, both Patrick and Shelagh agreeing that he wasn't fit enough to attend Grammar School. Shelagh had been unable to assist Patrick at work since Timothy had become bed-bound; her time being spent at Timothy's bedside as she had held his sweaty hand in her own and brushed her thumb over the warm skin at the back of it as he had slept, along with trying to care for Angela throughout the day. However, it would be a lie if she said that she didn't enjoy the cuddles that Timothy craved. Whenever he woke up with a pounding head, she would allow him to drink some water before he would ask her to get into bed with him.
He would then snuggle into her warmth after she had gotten beneath the sheets and her arm had wrapped lovingly around his waist, his head laying upon her shoulder as he would drape his arm loosely over her waist and anchor himself to her as her lips pressed to his hairline. Both Patrick and Shelagh knew that he would deny it if any of his friends asked him about it, but he was definitely a Mummy's boy, there was no doubt about that. Even when he was of perfect health, he would still curl up into Shelagh's side whenever she and his father returned home from work, allowing her to stroke her fingertips through his hair as she nuzzled against his crown. It had taken her quite some time to gain Timothy's trust when she had first become his stepmother, and he had been cautious of getting too close to her in case it made him forget his first mother, but he had soon warmed up to her after she had reassured him that nothing was going to change and that she didn't want to replace Marie, Timothy finally addressing her as Mum.
As she lay with Timothy settled in her arms now, though, she felt a rush of love course through her when he gave a gentle groan in his sleep and tightened his hold around her waist. Patrick would soon make his way through the front door when he arrived home from work, Shelagh knowing that he would come straight upstairs and tell her to go to bed, even though she would refuse and he would leave a soft kiss to her cheek before telling her that she was the perfect mother. She knew how much he adored Timothy, even though he didn't always say it with words, feeling her heart swell with love for him as she would stand in the doorway to their son's bedroom every morning and watch her husband sit by his side. It didn't surprise her in the least that he had more of a bond with Timothy than he did with Angela, knowing that their son was the last living thing that Patrick had to remind him of his first wife. It was quite heartwarming to witness, honestly. A few minutes passed before Shelagh felt him stir, shushing him sweetly.
There was a gentle knock upon Timothy's bedroom door once he had buried his head into the side of her neck and Shelagh had allowed her cheek to rest against the side of it, her hand running along his side through his nightshirt when she looked up to see her husband quietly entering the bedroom. The two of them shared a loving smile as he made his way slowly over to the bed and stooped slightly to press his lips to the crown of his wife's head, the backs of his fingers stroking against the warmth of her cheek when he knelt down beside the bed and her beautiful blue eyes sparkled enchantingly. 'I missed you.' Her voice was soft and gentle when she allowed him to take her hand affectionately in his own and he laced their fingers together, his thumb brushing slowly over her wedding ring before he pressed his mouth to the warm skin at the back of her hand. 'We missed you.' She couldn't find it within herself to stop her husband from catching her in a long and slowly passionate kiss, then, permitting him to gently deepen it.
They parted with a soft smack a few moments later as he had his hand buried in her warm brown hair and he found himself sat on the edge of their son's bed, Shelagh's eyes glistening as they fluttered open to meet with his own and a beautiful smile tugged upon the corners of her lips as her hand lay upon his strong chest. 'How is he?' Patrick allowed himself to stroke a loose strand of Timothy's dark hair behind his ear as his son's head was once again settled upon Shelagh's torso, his dark eyelashes fluttering delicately as his lips were slightly parted and his arm was draped over her middle. 'Has he eaten anything?' She shook her head with a disheartened sigh before nuzzling the tip of her nose against their son's hairline, Timothy shifting slightly further into her embrace as he tightened his hold upon the yellow fabric of her nightgown. 'Shelagh, darling, you're exhausted.' He pointed out as he cupped the warmth of her cheek in his palm and brushed his thumb against her smooth skin. 'Why don't you get yourself off to bed?'
She shook her head slowly, knowing that Timothy would wake if she tried to prise his arm from around her, a loving smile forming upon her soft pink lips when she felt the tender kiss that he brushed against her cheek. Oh, did she know her husband. He then murmured lovingly into her ear that she was the most perfect mother in the whole of Poplar, before standing from the bed and telling her that she had until he had changed into his pyjamas and then he would insist she say goodnight to their son. She always seemed to obey his command when he worded it as more as a compromise than an order, and he wore a loving smile as he looked over his shoulder at her from the bedroom door. 'I love you too.' Her words came out softly as she knew exactly what his gaze was telling her. Then he was gone. Allowing herself to snuggle slightly further beneath the quilt with Timothy, she stroked her fingertips lightly against the back of his palm, something that she knew made him release her from his embrace and turn himself over.
Once he had nuzzled into the softness of his pillow and his hand was resting neatly beneath it, Shelagh lay down next to him and pressed a tender kiss to the crown of his head as she allowed her palm to run along his arm through his sleeve. She had realized, over the past three years of becoming his mother, that Timothy was much more clingy and child-like when he was under the weather. He didn't attempt to shock his father with his medical knowledge, and he wouldn't have the imagination needed to keep Angela entertained whilst his mother went about cleaning up the flat. He was constantly fatigued and would only lay on the settee with Shelagh holding him close to her, singing Gaelic songs softly into his ear as he drifted off against her and he could feel her fingers gliding through his hair. He cherished his mother. 'Alright then, you.' Patrick's voice made Shelagh start slightly as it brought her sharply back to the present, her eyes opening as she gasped gently since she too was staring to fall asleep. 'Time for bed, my love.'
She knew that he was right this time, knowing that in order for her to care for Timothy again in the morning she would need to get some rest, leaving a tender kiss to the back of his head before allowing a gentle yawn to escape her when she turned onto her back. 'Come on, Mrs. Turner,' Patrick chuckled lovingly as he gazed down at her and she smiled beautifully up at him, a gentle giggle leaving her at the extended hand that he offered to her before she took it in her own and he helped her up from the bed. 'A cuddle in bed is what you need, I think.' He admitted as he held her waist in his hands and brought her close until their chests touched, his forehead resting against her own as she ran her hands slowly along his chest and allowed her body to relax slightly for the first time since she had woken. 'That's the doctor's expert opinion.' She shook her head with a smirk before rising upon her tiptoes and kissing his lips sweetly, feeling him cradle the back of her head before she dropped back to her mediocre height.
It was a short time later when Patrick and Shelagh were finally comfortable beneath the covers of their bed as her head lay upon his chest and he continued to stroke his fingers soothingly through her soft brown hair, her arm draped over his abdomen as she trailed her fingertips along the warm skin of his side and tangled her leg slowly with his own as he kissed her crown lingeringly. 'Are you sure you don't want me to take tomorrow off and look after the children so that you can get some sleep, my love?' He whispered into her ear a few moments later as his hand settled upon her hip and he warmly caressed his thumb over it through her nightgown. 'You're going to make yourself sick if you don't allow yourself to get some rest during the day, Shelagh, and I can't watch you putting yourself at risk, sweetheart.'
'Mmm.' She hummed as she nuzzled her nose into the crook of his neck and breathed in his natural scent as she snuggled up against him, her hand moving to settle on the dark hair upon his torso. 'I think that might be best, darling, if you wouldn't mind.' Her Scottish brogue never failed to make him fall all the more in love with her, especially when it was coated with fatigue. 'I wouldn't usually ask it of you, but I've started sniffling a little today, and I feel a little stuffy myself, if I'm honest. I don't want Angela to get sick, so it might be best if you sat with Timothy tomorrow and she comes in here for a cuddle. She's been feeling a little neglected over the past few days, I can tell she has, and I feel awful for her.' She admitted as she combed her fingers through his chest hair. 'I think she thinks I've forgotten her.'
'Well we can't have that.' Patrick smiled lovingly into his wife's hair as he ran his hand along the curve of her side and Shelagh giggled gently as she cuddled closer to him beneath the quilt, allowing Patrick to turn out the lamp that stood upon his bedside table before the room was plunged into darkness. 'I love you, Mrs. Turner.' He murmured against her hairline when he turned his head to press a warm kiss to it, feeling her slide her arm slowly over his torso before she tilted her head back to meet his lips with her own in a tender kiss. 'So much, my darling.' She let out a delicate sigh of complete contentment.
'I love you too, Patrick.' She whispered as she slowly began to drift off in his embrace. 'More than I ever thought was possible.'
Author's Note: Thank you for reading; please review!