It was a brief thought that Tessa had-very brief. But the thought consumed her entire body for a brief moment (I cannot stress how brief this had been) and she felt the warmth in her heart. Her own children have been dead for a long, long time. And of course she didn't have any others-how could she when the only men she could ever love always have been and always will be William and Jem.
Though seeing Emma certainly made Tessa miss being a mother.
"You know," Tessa had said to Jem afterwards, "Emma...seems like the kind of girl I'd like to have as a daughter." Tessa immediately felt a consuming guilt after saying it. Lucie's face lingered in her mind more than usual after that. Lucie and James couldn't ever be replaced. Jem told her that he understood what she had meant with the Emma comment though it couldn't calm Tessa's nerves.
And the discussion of having babies didn't really arise between her and Jem-they'd been so caught up with the adventures of the new Herondales and Fairchilds, their marriage, and catching one another up with their own selves. Most of that was Jem inquiring as to Tessa's life after her old one-she hadn't realized there were so many things their hour meetings at Blackfriar's Bridge could cover.
So yes, babies and children hadn't been a topic. Not until now, after brave, young Emma made Tessa yearn for motherhood once more.
She and Jem laid in the bed where Tessa rested her head over Jem's heart. It beat so steadily and healthily that it made it hard to believe there was a time everyone feared Jem couldn't survive another month. The two sat in comfortable silence while Church battled Tessa for affection. Jem chuckled at the blue cat. "Tessa," he said while patting Church's head, "do you remember when we first brought Church home?"
Tessa felt herself smile through her drowsy lips. "Yes. I am so glad Jace and Alec and Isabelle took such good care of him," she said in a pleasant voice, sitting up and stroking Church, who purred happily.
Jem looked at her for a moment before looking away.
"What is it?" Tessa asked, positioning herself so that they both sat against the headboard, shoulders and thighs touching. "William would have wanted you-me-us to be happy, you know," Jem said in a soft voice. Tessa leaned her head against the wall, closing her eyes. "I know."
"Lucie and James as well," he added.
"I'll never forget them," Tessa said quickly, opening her eyes again.
"As you shouldn't. They were important to you. Your children...your children aren't people you should attempt to replace just as I am not a replacement for William."
Tessa sent him a worried look. "You don't think that's what I think of you, is it?" Jem shook his head. "Of course not. We'd be having a much different conversation if that were the case." Church made a sound when Jem stopped petting him.
Tessa folded her hands in her lap, suddenly aware of the muscles in her body. "I-Jem. You are...the one and only person I want to be with. Want to have a life with. A mundane one."
Jem sighed. "We couldn't have a mundane life." Tessa put her hand over his. "I'm sorry," she said in a low voice. "I shouldn't be expecting you to leave the world-our world-behind. It's too selfish. And I'm not sure I could leave it behind myself." Jem smiled at her, that smile that could make her feel calm no matter what. "It's alright to feel selfish. I'm selfish. I'm selfish with you, I was selfish with Will. It's something that is apart of loving somebody."
"Then I am selfish with you," Tessa sang with a wide smile. Jem had to look away and he laughed. Tessa saw the happy flush in his cheeks. "Theresa, will you have a baby with me?" he asked.
Tessa had been expecting the question for a few days now. Even so, she couldn't hold back the unplanned excitement in her eyes. "Okay."
"Really?"
Tessa laughed. "Do you take it back already?"
"No, no. I just figured it would take more convincing," he said with a pleasant smile.
Church had now climbed over Jem's lap, standing with his paws on Jem's chest. Tessa reached out to grab him and cradled Church close to her chest. "Ssh, just accept my love," she whispered in the cat's ear. Jem 'tsk'ed and took Church away. "You're just scarring the poor thing," he said to Tessa in a mockingly disapproving voice. "Did the mean woman scare you?" he asked Church while running his hands through the thick, blue coat. "Don't be deceived by her beauty," Jem added, casting Tessa a humourous look. "And for the record; Emma would make a wonderful daughter."
Bonus:
"Let's just adopt Emma then!"