Anna couldn't stifle the gentle sigh of adoration that escaped her as she was comfortable upon the settee in the sitting room of the quaint little cottage that she shared alongside her husband and their beautiful two-year-old daughter Aoife, her midnight blue eyes holding nothing but complete love and devotion for her little girl who seemed quite content to sit and play with the rag doll that John had bought her for her birthday the month before. Aoife was the spitting image of her father, Anna couldn't deny that, from her silky dark brown hair that she adored running her fingers through when she rocked her to sleep every evening down to her deep hazel brown eyes which she used to her own advantage whenever she wanted something off of her parents. John had murmured into his wife's ear, when the two of them had been comfortable on Lady Mary's bed together on the evening of Aoife's birth and he'd held Anna's exhausted frame in his arms, that he had hoped she would look a little more like her instead of him. She had shaken her head at that, her stormy blue eyes that had been holding both love and the discomfort that accompanied childbirth glistening with adoration for him as she had told him that their new-born was the most precious thing that she had ever set eyes on. Two incredible years had gone by since that evening, and both Anna and John were still unashamedly besotted with the beautiful baby girl that they had been blessed with.
Reclining back against the soft cushions of the settee with a gentle hum of slight discomfort as her back twinged, Anna lay her hand tenderly upon the round swell of her belly through the thin fabric of her nightgown and allowed her gaze to fall momentarily to the proof of the passionate love that she and her husband still shared after nine incredible years of marriage. It had now been a little over seven months since she'd been informed that she was once again with child, the news coming just three months after she had handed in her notice at Downton in order to become a full-time housewife and mother, and it had been a little over a month since she and John had told their beautiful little girl that she was to be a big sister at the end of April, Anna's heart racing as she had seen Aoife's deep brown eyes light up when her tiny hand had been pressed against the swell of her belly in order for her to feel her baby brother or sister move and kick from within her. 'Mummy?' Anna looked up from her swollen belly at the sound of her daughter's soft voice, a warm smile appearing upon her lips when she gave a gentle hum in response. 'Can I come and cuddle with you, please?' She cocked her head slightly to one side, making her mother fall all the more in love with her as her beautiful brown ringlets bounced.
'Oh, sweet pea, you don't have to ask. Come here.' Anna smiled as she readjusted herself carefully against the cushions into a position which would enable her to hold her little girl lovingly in her arms, her heart swelling with pride for her as she watched Aoife push herself to her feet and rather unsteadily begin to waddle up to her with a radiant smile upon her lips. 'You're growing up far too quickly, Misses.' She pressed a warm kiss into her soft brown hair as she lifted her into her lap and slipped her arms warmly around her small waist. 'Where's Mummy's baby gone, hmm?' Aoife's only response was a gentle giggle as her head came to lay on her chest and she grasped the thin fabric of her mother's nightgown in her tiny hand before Anna nuzzled her nose gently into the adorable ringlets atop her head. 'Your Daddy is going to be home from Downton soon and then the two of you can have a snuggle together whilst Mummy draws you your bath, can't you?' She smiled as she breathed in her daughter's scent, a perfect combination of lavender shampoo and baby powder, her eyes falling closed in contentment as the heavenly scent invaded her senses and caused her to sigh deeply. 'Your Daddy might even tell you a story if you're lucky.' Aoife pulled away from her chest then as her brown eyes glistened.
'Africa? Lions?!' Aoife let out a gasp as her soft rosebud lips curled up into a smile of pure hope and excitement, Anna giggling lovingly at the perfect little being in her arms. Aoife, ever since she had first leaned to crawl, had always had an incredibly adventurous streak about her and she was undoubtedly going to grow up to be an animal fanatic, another trait that she had gained from the perfect man that was her father.
'Oh, I think he might.' Anna nodded with a gentle kiss to her daughter's warm forehead, a soft smirk upon her lips as she pulled away. 'If you give him plenty of kisses and cuddles when he gets here.'
Aoife nodded eagerly in agreement.
It was a short while later when Anna and Aoife were snuggled up on the settee together as they flipped through the pages of her animal picture book, infectious giggles leaving the two of them as they continued to make the sounds of the animals that were on each page. A gentle gasp escaped Aoife's lips when she heard the unmistakeable click of her father's key in the front door and she wriggled in her mother's arms, Anna shaking her head with an affectionate giggle as she set her down upon the floor and she started to waddle out of the sitting room as fast as her little legs could manage with her hazel brown ringlets bouncing behind her. 'There's my Princess.' John chuckled as he leaned his cane against the wall and bent down slightly in order to lift his daughter up onto his hip, Aoife's arms winding loosely around his neck before she buried her tiny face lovingly into the side of it. 'Is Daddy allowed a kiss?' He teased as he stroked her hair lightly with the palm of his hand, an endearing giggle escaping her when she pulled away from his neck before pressing her rosy lips briefly to his.
'Good kiss, Daddy?' She cocked her head to one side, her soft brown ringlets bouncing softly.
'Perfect kiss.' John chuckled before kissing her hairline lingeringly and allowing her to lay her head down upon his shoulder as he took hold of his cane once more. He began to make his way into the sitting room then, his beautiful little girl balanced safely on his hip as her perfectly small hand lay upon his chest and he smiled when his miraculous wife came into view whilst she put the last of their daughter's toys into her toy-box. 'You get more beautiful every time I see you, you know that?' Anna sighed gently with a loving smile as she placed her hand upon the large swell of her belly through her nightgown as she straightened herself back up, her gentle blue eyes sparkling beautifully as she began to make her way over to him and he lay his cane down upon the settee in order to wrap his arm around her and bring her into his embrace. 'Mmm, hello you.' His deep brown eyes glistened lovingly as he gazed down at her and she wrapped her arms warmly around her waist as she murmured a soft "Hello" before rising up onto her tiptoes and capturing his lips with her own in a long and soft kiss, his strong arm tightening its hold around her waist as their lips caressed slowly and he brushed his thumb softly against the curve of her belly through the thin material of her nightgown as she let out a perfect sigh.
The two of them parted with a gentle smack just minutes later before he allowed his forehead to kiss her own and she grazed the tip of her nose against his own whilst Aoife watched on. 'I've missed you so much today.' She sighed when he drew her closer and she lay her head down upon his free shoulder, bringing his strong hand to cup the swell of her belly protectively in his large palm. 'All three of us have missed you today.' She let out a soft hum of satisfaction as he pressed a tender kiss to the side of her head. 'How about a cup of tea?' She lifted a perfectly sculpted brow at him when she gazed up at him from where her head lay on his shoulder, his lips curling up into a loving smile. 'You can sit and have a snuggle with Aoife then and I can get her bath ready whilst she sits with you and you get chance to relax after the day you've had.' She snuggled close to him.
'You're amazing.' He left a delicate kiss to the tip of her nose.
'No,' She shook her head before brushing a soft kiss against his warm cheek. 'I'm a wife.' She then swept her hand affectionately through Aoife's hair before happily making her way out of the room.
'Would you hand me Aoife's nightgown off of the armchair?' Anna smiled lovingly over at her husband as she was knelt on the floor in front of their daughter later that evening whilst she continued to slowly massage the baby powder into her skin, Aoife whimpering softly as she chewed upon her tiny fist as her cloth was now pinned into place and her hazel brown eyes sparkled as she gazed up at her mother whilst laying upon her towel. 'I know you're hungry, sweet pea, Mummy will give you your feed in just a second.' Anna reassured her with a tender sweep of her hand through her damp brown hair as the fire continued to crackle gently in the hearth. 'Thank you, darling.' She smiled lovingly up at her husband as he passed her their daughter's nightgown, John reciprocating her gentle smile as he stroked the backs of his fingers down the side of her face before making his way over to the settee and lowering himself down onto it and watching on as she continued to get their little girl ready for bed. 'Oh dear, it looks like Mummy and Aoife are going to have to make a trip into town soon to buy you a new nightgown.' Anna giggled as she carefully slipped the article of clothing over her daughter's head. 'You grow far too quickly, sweetie, it's unbelievable.' John's gaze was filled with deep love and pride for his wife as he watched her lean down in order to press her warm lips against Aoife's smooth temple in a soft kiss.
It wasn't too long until Anna was slipping the last of the buttons on Aoife's nightgown through its hole and was cradling her safely in her arms as she made to sit next to her husband on the settee, John wrapping his arm securely around her shoulders as she pulled the straps of her nightgown and slip carefully down one arm before guiding their daughter towards her breast and allowing her to latch onto her. Ever since Anna had given up work at Downton in order for her to spend more time bonding with Aoife and being a proper Mum to her instead of leaving it all to Nanny Smith up at Downton, she had chosen to abandon her corset unless she had to go out in public. John had admitted to her, back when she had been expecting Aoife, that he didn't like her wearing a corset during her pregnancy due to the size of her belly. She'd brushed his concerns to one side though, until it had been impossible for her to breathe easily with it on. She had given up wearing her corset for the final three months of her first pregnancy but had been slightly anxious that those up at Downton would be able to tell. Thankfully, she hadn't been caught out. Now, though, she had almost abandoned it completely and had admitted to John on a number of occasions that she felt so much better without the strain of it on her body.
Anna lay her head down sleepily upon her husband's strong shoulder as she watched their little girl take her feed from her, Aoife's small hand cupping the warm swell of her breast in its palm as she sucked sleepily upon her nipple and her eyelashes fluttered delicately against her porcelain cheeks. 'I love the bond you two have.' John hummed against her forehead a few moments later, a loving hum escaping her as a smile spread across her lips and she snuggled further into his embrace upon the settee. 'She adores the bones of you, my darling.' He kissed her brow-bone lingeringly as he ran his strong hand tenderly along the perfect curve of her spine.
'She's the most important thing in the world to me aside from you, John.' She told him gently as she patted Aoife's lower back affectionately. 'I think that one of the main reasons why I love her so much is because she's the first one of our babies that I didn't end up losing.' A loving nod came from him as he brushed his thumb against the small area of her back between her shoulder-blades. 'She's our firstborn and I spend ever moment of every day trying to create memories with her that I know are going to last, because one day she isn't going to need me anymore and I'm not going to be able to just cradle her in my arms and watch her sleep or take her milk from me. I know that we've got this little one on the way.' She admitted as she slipped one arm out from underneath her daughter in order to run her hand across the expanse of her rounded belly. 'And I know that I'm going to love it just as much as I do her, but this is the only time that everything I experience with any of our children are "Firsts".' John stroked her soft blonde hair soothingly as he rested his chin warmly upon her shoulder. 'First steps, first smile; first giggle, I'll never get to have those firsts again because it won't be new to me with our next baby or the one after. There's just something so incredibly perfect about having firsts with her, John, I love it so much.'
'I know, my angel.' He nuzzled a kiss into the side of her neck. 'And, for the record,' He hooked his finger beneath her chin before directing her loving gaze to his. 'Aoife is always going to need you to be there for her, no matter how old she gets.' He reassured her. 'She's going to need you to support her on her first day of school when she's too scared to go in, she's going to need you to be there for her when she has friendship problems and she's going to need you when she starts courting, because - as much as I hate to think of anyone hurting her - she's going to get her heart broken a few times before she finds the right person.' She nodded with the softest of sighs as he traced the sharpness of her jaw with the pad of his thumb. 'Things aren't going to be new for you when this little one arrives,' He ran his hand tenderly across her swollen belly, letting out a chuckle when he felt the jab of an appendage against his palm. 'You're right about that, sweetheart, but that's a good thing because it's going to be easier for you to know what our baby wants when it cries. It also means that I still get to hold you in my arms like this when it needs feeding, so there's a bonus.'
'I love you so much.' She admitted tearfully, her stormy blue eyes glistening with tears of love for him as he drew her closer and she smiled down at their beautiful baby girl as she continued to suck gently on her breast. 'I mean that with all my heart, John.'
'I know, my darling.' He murmured into her ear before pressing a slow kiss to the creamy skin of her neck just below her earlobe. 'I love you too.'
It was later that evening when John was quietly pacing his bedroom with his perfect little girl cradled securely in his arms whilst Anna soaked in the bath for a while, a gentle smile upon his lips as Aoife's tiny hand rested upon the soft skin of his chest and she gazed up at him through half-lidded brown eyes as she sucked sleepily upon her pacifier. 'Love Daddy.' She managed to get out as her pacifier remained in her mouth, John dipping his head to brush a soft kiss against her warm forehead as he felt his heart swell with deep love for her.
'Daddy loves you too, Princess.' He reassured her as he continued to pace slowly, Aoife nuzzling her face into the coarse dark curls upon his chest before she let out a gentle sigh of contentment. It wasn't long until John heard soft snores coming from his daughter as her gentle grip upon his chest hair had slackened, a loving smile spreading across his lips as he began to quietly carry her over to the cot which stood on Anna's side of the bed. 'Shh, sweetheart.' He shushed as Aoife began to whimper as he brought her away from the safety of his chest, his little girl beginning to suck slowly upon her pacifier once again after he'd lowered her down into her cot and covered her small body with the soft blanket that Mrs. Hughes had given to he and Anna just a week after her birth. The bedroom door squeaked softly upon its hinges as Anna entered the bedroom a short while later, her soft blonde hair still damp as it hung down her back and the silk dressing gown that she had been given as a hand-me-down from Lady Mary covered the fresh nightgown that she'd changed into.
'Is she asleep?.' She whispered with a smile as she hung the towel that she had used for her hair over the back of the chair at her vanity before making her way up to her husband and resting her hand upon his back.
'Out like a light.' John chuckled softly as he pressed his lips to the side of her head several times. 'Now, let me braid your hair and then I think it's time for you to get some rest too.'
'I don't even know why you bother braiding it.' She admitted as she allowed him to lead her by the hand towards her vanity before she lowered herself down onto the stool. 'You only take it out again when we're in bed.'
'Mmm, yes,' He pressed a lingering kiss to the top of her head as she drew slow circles into the large swell of her belly with her palm. 'But that's all part of the fun.'
'Is it now?' She rolled her eyes teasingly. 'Well you had better get a move on, Mr. Bates, before all I want to do is sleep. I've been quite tired this afternoon.'
No more convincing was needed.
John couldn't help but sigh softly against the side of his wife's neck as he brushed a final open-mouthed kiss against the creamy skin there before pushing himself up onto his forearms, Anna smiling sleepily up at him as she lay beneath him and her hand remained upon the back of her neck as he ran his strong hands lovingly along the curves of her sides through her nightgown. 'I am sorry that I can't make love, but I just don't want to risk-' She whimpered softly as he brushed a long and gentle kiss against her lips, her eyes fluttering closed of their own accord as their lips caressed tenderly for several minutes. 'Rupturing the stitch.' She giggled softly.
'If I have told you once then I have told you a thousand times, Mrs. Bates.' He spoke softly to her as he nuzzled the tip of his nose against the bridge of hers. 'Never apologise to me about something like that.' A radiant smile crossed her lips as he moved from over her and lay down beside her before enveloping her in his arms, her head coming to settle upon the creamy skin of his chest as she curled up into his side. 'I know you worry about what could happen to the stitch if we were to make love, my darling, and I respect that.' He reassured her. 'I respect every decision that you make, sweetheart, I always have and I always will I promise you that.'
'Mmm, I know.' She brushed a slow kiss against his collarbone before tilting her head back and accepting the languid kiss that he blessed her with. 'We're so lucky, John, aren't we? To have such a gorgeous little girl and to have what so many people only dream of having.' She slipped her small hand into his large one before bringing them to rest upon her belly. 'The life that we have together will never be as perfect as we want it to be, because we're two imperfect people. But I wouldn't change anything that we've built together for the world, my love, you and our children mean the whole world to me and more.' Her midnight blue eyes sparkled gently.
'And you and our children mean everything to me, sweetheart.' He kissed her brow several times before running his strong hand along the curve of her spine through her nightgown. 'Now, I want you to close your eyes and at least try to get a little bit of sleep because if tonight is anything like last night then you're going to be up again in an hour because a certain baby Bates finds it funny to press down on your bladder.' He chuckled.
'I love you.' She giggled as she draped her arm over his stomach, anchoring herself to him. 'More than all the diamonds and jewels in the world.'
'And I love you.' He sighed before leaving a slow kiss to her bottom lip and allowing her to bury her head beneath his chin as he stretched slightly to turn out the lamp on his bedside table. 'More than I could ever say.'
No words had ever been more true than those.
Author's Note: Please Review!