She wakes slowly, safe in the knowledge that it's Sunday and she has nowhere to be. The bed is soft, the house is quiet and there's a warm presence beside her, which is a surprise. Aubrey almost never sleeps late and Chloe almost always wakes up in an empty bed. Cracking an eye open, Chloe smiles at the sight of her wife's back, golden hair, tousled and wild spills over the pillow. She reaches out and runs her fingers through the ends, careful not to tug and disturb Aubrey's uncharacteristic slumber. If Aubrey wants to sleep late, Chloe's definitely not going to complain.
She slides closer, ready to take the rare opportunity to be the big spoon, when she realises they're not alone. Curled up on Aubrey's other side is their three year old daughter, Riley. As gently as she can, Chloe reaches over and sweeps some hair away from Riley's face. When she's awake, with her big blue eyes, there's no denying her Beale heritage, but everything else comes from her Posen side. So asleep, she looks like a mini version of Aubrey and Chloe loves moments where she just gets to observe them like this and she barely contains a noise of adoration.
Conception had proved challenging for Aubrey and Chloe, and after various tests and endless discussions about options, they finally settled on using Aubrey's egg and Chloe's brothers' sperm. All three of them had donated and had agreed to never find out whose little swimmers had been successful. Dan once used the term 'milkshake' to describe the situation and Chloe had been sure Aubrey was going to throw up. Chloe had carried the baby and the couple was thrilled to welcome a beautiful baby girl into the world. A baby girl who's growing up far too fast for Chloe's liking.
Riley shifts, drawing her out of her musings, one of her little hands shoots out and ends up pretty much in Aubrey's eye. Chloe bites her lip, but her wife doesn't stir. Unable to take the cuteness any longer, Chloe turns and stretches to reach her phone on the nightstand. She flicks to the camera and tries to find the best angle to take a snap of them from, but nothing quite works from where she's lying.
Deciding to take a chance, Chloe lifts the covers and slips out from underneath them, moving first to her knees and then to her feet. She carefully steps over Aubrey's hip, so that she's standing over them. Lining up the shot, she once again is overcome by how beautiful they are together. She takes a few photos, then moves back a step to get a slightly different angle. Unfortunately, on the uneven surface, she stumbles a little and rights herself, but it's enough to wake Aubrey, who turns to look up and lets out a screech of fright.
They both freeze, waiting to see if Riley has been disturbed by the noise. But the only change is that Riley starts to snore lightly. Chloe releases her breath.
"Chloe, what in the living hell are you doing ?" Aubrey whispers, turning onto her back, rubbing at one eye as the other blinks up at Chloe. Chloe snaps another picture and receives a smack to her calf, so she lowers herself down so that she's sitting on Aubrey's stomach.
"You just both looked so cute, I couldn't help it," Chloe whispers back, tossing her phone behind her on the bed and leaning down to press her lips against Aubrey's. "Good morning, by the way."
"Morning," Aubrey yawns, bringing her hands up to rest on Chloe's thighs as she sits back up, thumbs stroking softly.
"How did this one end up in here anyway?" Chloe looks over at their still slumbering child and smiles. "I'm pretty sure I remember putting in her in her own bed last night."
Aubrey sighs, but there's more affection than irritation in the sound. She turns her head to look at her daughter and a soft smile makes an appearance. "She came in at about two thirty and shook me awake."
"Bad dream?" Chloe asks.
"No," Aubrey says, turning back to face her wife, an eyebrow creeping up her forehead. "She couldn't sleep because she's so excited about Disney World."
"Oh," Chloe's lips twist into an apologetic smile. "Oops." Aubrey had suggested they not tell Riley about the trip until the day before. Or possibly the day of. But Chloe, more than a little excited about it herself, had been unable to keep it in and had told the youngster. And now they have a month and a half of excited questions and suggestions.
"Uh huh," Aubrey shakes her head. "I had half a mind to wake you up and make you answer her questions."
"Why didn't you?" Chloe catches Aubrey's hand and laces their fingers together, watching Aubrey roll her eyes.
"Because you were asleep and it was late and it was pointless for us both to be awake."
Chloe grins her thanks, bringing Aubrey's hand up to her lips for a quick kiss. "So, what was the topic of conversation this time?"
"Well, we started off discussing the outfits we all should wear," Aubrey says, with a sigh. "You and I are to go dressed as Anna and Elsa, by the way. Riley will be choosing nearer the time, but at the moment, she's thinking Flounder, Stitch or one of the Dalmatian puppies."
"Hmmm, I'm not sure us dressing up as a pair of sisters is a great idea," Chloe muses. "I wouldn't want make out with you and mentally scar some innocent child." She puts a hand over her heart. "We'd get banished from the Magic Kingdom and I don't think I could cope with that."
"Well, you've got six weeks to convince your daughter otherwise," Aubrey says, yawning. "I was too tired to argue so I just agreed to whatever she said."
"You could be the Kristoff to my Anna?" Chloe suggests with a wink.
Before Aubrey can respond, movement draws their attention to where their daughter is stretching. Watching Riley wake up has been a favourite pastime of Chloe's since she was a tiny baby. From that first time those blue eyes opened and looked up at her, she's been smitten, and it only grows stronger with every new day. Slowly, Riley's eyes open, and she blinks a few times before her eyes focus on Chloe and she smiles.
"Hi Mommy," she says, her voice a little croaky with sleep. She turns her head and smiles wider. "Hi Mama."
"Hey, baby!" Chloe coos, leaning down to press a kiss against a soft cheek, ignoring Aubrey's slight protest at being squished. "I hear you and Mama had a big talk last night."
"Mmmhmmm," Riley yawns, rubbing her fist into her eye just like Aubrey had done, moments before. "We whispered 'cause we didn't wanna wake you up."
"That was so sweet of you both! Thank you," Chloe says.
"Did you tell Mommy about the dressing up?" Riley asks, twirling her fingers into Aubrey's hair.
"I did," Aubrey says with a nod. "Mommy thinks I should be Kristoff instead of Elsa."
Riley's face indicates her displeasure at this suggestion. "But Mommy! Mama doesn't have Kristoff hair."
"Well, he wears a little hat, right?" Chloe says, biting her lip as Aubrey scowls at her. "We could hide Mama's hair under a hat and she could be Kristoff."
Riley shakes her head. "No. Mama is really pretty like Elsa. She doesn't look like a dumb boy."
"Thank you, sweetie," Aubrey says.
Chloe decides that she's not going to win the argument today, and she's not about to explain the incestuous undertones of the outfits to her little girl. "Fine, Anna and Elsa it is."
Chloe shifts off Aubrey, lying back down in her previous spot. Riley quickly clambers over Aubrey so that she's snuggled between them. They both automatically turn inwards, Aubrey's arm draping across Chloe's waist in a move that reminds Chloe of when she was pregnant and they'd face each other like this, her bump between them, safe in Aubrey's arms.
"I'm gonna go on the Dumbo ride first and then the tea-cups and then the magic carpets and then th-"
Chloe smiles as she listens to her daughter's rambling list, biting her lip to stop from laughing at the exhaustion on Aubrey's face just from thinking about this vacation.