Disclaimer: Not mine
Thanks Beth!

May – Mother's Day

The first days of May saw the children all involved in different projects, at different times, as they created gifts for Mac for Mother's Day. Lily wanted to scrapbook a small album incorporating her favourite photos of mother and daughter. Deciding that it was a bit beyond his talents, he gave Mattie the money for supplies and photos for the album and set the girls to work on that one. Harry's potted plant and handmade card was more his speed, as too was Rosie's card and picture she wanted to paint. Frankie, too young to come up with his own ideas, happily painted along with Rosie, getting more paint on the table and himself than the canvas Harm had purchased the day before.

Still, it was all for a good cause and by the time the special day came around, everything was in place to ensure Mac had a great day.

First there was breakfast in bed; bacon, eggs, mushrooms and tomato served on toast, with orange juice and coffee on a tray. Harm had carried it up for them and then had to make another trip downstairs to get everyone else's breakfast when the kids decided eating mommy's food in bed with her was a much better option than eating downstairs without her.

More than happy to spend the morning curled up with her loved ones, Mac didn't mind the crumbs or small spills, all which could be fixed. What couldn't be replaced were these precious moments with her growing family. Once the breakfast provisions were cleared away, Mac was inundated with cards, gifts, hugs, kisses and greetings.

With the youngest allowed the honour of going first, Harm helped Frankie deliver his gift.
"Happy Mother's Day, mommy," Harm said for him as he lifted the child across the bed to his mother.
"Mama!" he said clapping before kissing her.
"Frankie made these for you," Harm said, picking up the gift and card.
"Thank you, darling boy," Mac said, kissing his cheeks. Frankie giggled and squirmed in her arms. "Mommy loves you very much."
"Love mama," he said before grabbing her around the neck and squeezing. Harm knew the tears in her eyes weren't from the hold but from their darling baby's words.

Helping Mac unwrap her present, he played with the paper as Mac looked at the picture.
"I...ah, think it goes this way," Harm said, rotating the picture according to where the string on the back was. "Frankie did it himself."
"It's just precious," Mac said, taking in the tiny, multicoloured hand and fingerprints adorning the once white canvas.
"So are you, gorgeous," Harm whispered, leaning over and kissing her head as Mac turned her attention to the card.
Frankie's card had been completed with the same level of talent and enthusiasm as the painting. There were lots of squiggles and scribbles and Harm's writing over the top in black marker. 'Dear Mommy,' he had written. 'Happy Mother's Day. I love you very much, Frankie xox'
"Thank you, Frankie," she said kissing him once more. "You..." Anything else she was going to say disappeared when Rosie decided she was done waiting.

"Me!" she said pushing past Harm and thrusting her gift and card at her mother before clambering up on the bed and claiming her hugs and kisses. "Happy Mother's Day, mommy!" she said before throwing herself at her mother, ignoring the just given gift which was getting squashed between them.
"Thank you, Rosie Rose," Mac said, hugging and kissing her.
"I did painting too," she said, pulling back and ripping the paper from the canvas. Mac laughed; knowing it would be a few years yet before she'd get to open another present on her own.
"Wow!" she said, turning it the right way up.
"That's you," Rosie said, tapping the half green blob, half person in the middle. "And daddy, and me and Harry and Frankie and Lily and Mattie and Colin..." she continued, pointing at the family she had painted.
"It's beautiful," Mac said tearfully, "And you are beautiful," she added, kissing her daughter once more.

Harry's enthusiasm for gift giving resulted in some of the pot plant's soil tipping into the bed.
"Oops," Mac said, righting the pot. "It's lovely, Harry, thank you."
"It's a rose...just like Rosie," he said, pointing to the nearly opened yellow rosebud. "Your favourite."
"They are my favourite," she agreed, they'd been her favourite since they were the first flowers Harm had ever given her; yellow roses with a red tip. Its meaning had been lost at her in the moment but, after that first date, she had Googled the meaning; friendship falling in love, she had absolutely adored them, and him, ever since.

After cuddles with Harry, it was Lily's turn. First, there was a big hug and kiss, then there was the card.
"Now, mommy," she said, still holding onto the gift. "I made this for you with Mattie's help ... and we worked really hard on it."
"Well, I can't wait to see it," Mac said, putting out her hand for it.
"Yeah, but just so you know, I worked really, really hard and some of it didn't turn out quite right but I did try," she said in her own defence.
"I'm sure I'll love it," she replied, "I love anything you make me."
Lily drew a deep breath and handed it across. "Happy Mother's Day"

Mac was in tears the moment she took off the wrapping. The cover was titled 'Mommy and Me' and had the first ever photo taken of Mac and Lily in the delivery suite. Lily was pink and swaddled in white, while Mac's face was a picture of pure bliss; the tears down her cheeks were of joy.
"Don't you like it?" Lily asked nervously, stepping closer to her dad.
"Oh, Lily, I think this is the best thing I've ever seen," she said, wiping at her tears.
"You haven't even opened it," she said, turning the cover for Mac.

For five long minutes Mac flicked through the ten page album, taking in the thirty two photos of herself and Lily. Smiling as she looked at the decorations and embellishments Lily had added. Closing the album, she placed it on the bed beside her before calling Lily over.
"This is one of the best Mother's Day gifts I have ever received," she said, kissing her head and pulling her onto the bed with her.
"What was the best one?" she asked, climbing into her lap.
"Having you," Mac whispered before kissing her again.
"But I wasn't born on Mother's Day," she said, turning to look at her mother.
"No, but you were the first one to make me a mother, something I thought would never happen, and since then, every day has been Mother's Day," she said, kissing her daughter. "Thank you."

When Mac was finally allowed out of bed, she showered, dressed and spent a lazy morning playing with the kids as Harm prepared lunch. Colin and Mattie arrived around noon and Colin was soon working alongside his father-in-law.
"Harm, did you get Mac something the Mother's Day she was pregnant with Lily?" he asked quietly as he worked on the salad.
"Yes," he replied. "I bought her a heart pendant with a single diamond, representing our unborn child."
"And was Mac happy to receive it?" he questioned, his eyes never far from the door, hoping they wouldn't be interrupted.
"She loved it and cried she was so happy," he said, a smile coming to his face. "Then she was upset and cried about that too."
"Why was she upset?" he probed, tossing the chopped tomatoes into the bowl.
"Because she was worried the gift would jinx things," he replied. "It had taken us so long to get to that point, she was six months pregnant and thought maybe things would go wrong if we celebrated too early."
"So, what happened to the pendant?" he asked, facing a similar dilemma of his own.
"I took it back, at her insistence, and held onto it for her until Lil was born and gave it back then, when she knew that everything was okay," he reported. "What's the problem?"
"I got Mattie something and have tried to give it to her a few times this morning, but every time I try she gets very emotional and changes the topic," he whispered as Harry raced through the room. "I don't know if she's upset because she thinks I've bought her something or upset because she thinks I haven't."

Meanwhile, Mattie had spent her time sitting with Mac in the living room, not really engaging in conversation. At first, Mac hadn't really noticed as she'd been sitting on the floor with Frankie while Mattie sat behind her and chatting away about the wonderful morning she'd had with her children and their gifts. It wasn't until she moved to sit on the sofa she realised Mattie wasn't just being quiet, she was quite distressed.
"Hey, hey, what is it?" Mac asked, wrapping her arms around Mattie.
"Nothing," she said with a sniffle, leaning her head on Mac's shoulder.
"Try again, honey," Mac said, caressing her face.
"I'm just feeling really overwhelmed today," she admitted quietly.
"Why do you think that is?" she questioned, though she had a fair idea.
"Well, it's Mother's Day," she started slowly, and Mac nodded. "And I'm going to be a mom in a few months." Mac nodded again. "And...and...I'm really missing my mom today," she said as her tears fell.
"Hey, ssh," Mac whispered, pulling her close once more. "It's okay, it's okay."
"I love you, Mac, I think of you as my mom. You know that, don't you?" she asked, pulling back, concerned that Mac would take offence.
"I know, sweetheart, I know," she reassured her. "It's only natural you'd miss your mom, it's a special day."
"I just wish she was here, you know," she cried, sinking into Mac's arms once more.
"I know," she replied, kissing Mattie's head. "She would be so proud of you."
"She would," Mattie said with a nod. "Wouldn't she?"
"Of course she would," she said, rubbing her back. "She would think she had done a great job raising a little girl into a lovely young lady."
"And Harm and you did the rest," she said, sitting up once more.

Mac caressed her face and dried her tears.
"Oh, shit!" Mattie said before remembering there were children in the room. "I left your Mother's Day present at home. I'm so stupid," she admonished herself. "You'd think I'd remember as it was the only thing I had to bring."
"It's okay, Mattie," Mac said, standing up when Mattie did so. "You've been a little preoccupied today."
"I'll go get it now," she said heading for the door.
"I'll come with you," Mac replied, not really wanting Mattie to be by herself. "I think I need some exercise before lunch."

One look at his wife's face told Colin things weren't well and he took a few steps in their direction before Mac shook her head.
"We'll be back in a couple of minutes," she said. "Just stretching our legs."
"Everything alright, Mats?" he asked and she glared at him.
"Just how many times are you going to ask me that today?" she challenged, her hands moving to her hips.

Colin shrugged; not knowing which answer would be the best way to go.
"Come on, Mattie," Mac said, wrapping her arm around her. "Let's go get my present."
"Any ideas?" Colin said turning to Harm once the ladies were out of earshot.
Harm nodded; it was the same look on Mattie's face in the hours before her wedding. The same one she had worn for the first few months he knew her. "She's missing her mom."
"God," he said with a sigh. "I hadn't even thought about that. It all makes sense now."

Ten minutes later they returned, Harm was in the kitchen alone. Mattie walked up to him and looked around once more.
"Colin's gone to the bathroom," he said, drying his hands before turning to face her.
"Oh, okay," she said, smiling sadly as Harm wrapped his arms around her before kissing her head.
"You're having a rough day, aren't you, honey?" he said, pulling her closer.
"Aha," she replied, resting her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry."
"Don't apologise," he whispered, rubbing her back. "We understand."
"You understand what, dad?" she questioned. She had asked him if she could call him dad during the father–daughter dance during her wedding, to which he had readily agreed. While she faltered every now and then, she frequently called Mac and Harm mom and dad, and while she had no problems calling Harm dad, she was struggling calling Mac mom, especially today.
"That you're missing your mom today," he said in a whisper as Mac disappeared from the room.
"How'd you know?" she asked, snuggling in closer.
"Because I know you," he said, kissing her head. "And because the year Mac was pregnant on Mother's Day, we had lots of tears too. Most of them were because of her mom. It's an emotional time for you, we get that."
"Does Colin get that too?" she asked pulling back and raking her fingers through her hair.
"I get it," he said from behind, more than happy when she wrapped her arms around him and held tight.
"Thank you," she whispered as he kissed her head.
"Now," he said, dipping one hand into his pocket. "I know you are already very emotional and that you've changed the topic every time I've mentioned Mother's Day today and that you are very sensitive to the topic of your mom, but this is your first Mother's Day and, while our little one is not here yet, I do think you deserve a memento of today."
"You didn't have to," Mattie said as her tears fell.
"I know," he replied. "I did it because I love you and you deserve it."

Opening his hand he revealed a black square box, he handed it to her and gently kissed her lips.
"Happy Mother's Day, babe," he whispered, kissing her.

Slowly, Mattie opened the box and the floodgates opened and for a few moments Colin wasn't sure if he had done very, very good or terribly, terribly bad. Panicked, he looked to Harm who just shrugged before leaning over to inspect the gift.
"Oh, Colin," he said, realising what the younger man had done.
"What?" he questioned, his panic escalating.
"This is just like the bracelet Mattie's mom had, isn't it?" he asked and Colin nodded.
"Ages ago we were talking about her and Mattie showed me her mom's jewellery that she has and then showed me a photo of her mom wearing something like this," he said, pointing to the box, as Mattie sniffled and listened in on the conversation. "And she said how much her mom had loved it but how it had been lost in the accident that claimed her life and how she wished she had it still. I just thought it would be a perfect first Mother's Day gift."

Mattie's arms wound around his neck and she held tighter.
"I think you did very well, son," Harm said, patting the younger man's back as he left the room.
"Mattie, babe," he said trying to pull back slightly but her grip was tight. "Hey, hey," he soothed kissing her head repeatedly and getting as close as her bump would allow. "I just wanted you to have something that reminded you of your mom as you become one. I know you love her and miss her and I thought it was just perfect timing."
"It is," she mumbled, trying to take a deep breath and control her emotions, hating that her hormones were making everything much worse at the moment. "It's an amazing gift...Thank you so much!" she said, her lips moving to claim his.
"Love you so much," he whispered between kisses. "So much."
"And I love you too," she replied, before resting her head on his shoulder and sighing deeply.

By the time everyone was sitting down to the barbecue lunch Harm and Colin had cooked, the mood was much brighter and lighter. The food was great, the atmosphere was great and Mac and Mattie enjoyed an afternoon of leisure as the men worked to clean up and look after the children.

With Frankie down for a nap, the men took the other children off horse riding for a couple of hours. While it was custom for all the children to spend Mother's Day with their mother, Harm felt that, on this particular day, Mattie deserved some special mom time and the person to give it to her was Mac.

After watching them ride off, Mac sat alongside Mattie and placed a mug of hot chocolate in her hands. For a while there was a gentle silence until Mattie decided to make good use of the time.
"Can you help me with something?" she asked Mac and Mac nodded. "I've been trying to decide what names this little one," she said, rubbing her belly. "Will call you and Ha...dad..."
"What have you come up with, honey?" she asked, not too sure of what she wanted to be called. She was still a little lost in dealing with the idea of having a grandchild and a one year old herself.
"Well, I always thought of grandad and grandpa," she started and Mac nodded. "But they are what the kids call Frank and Harm Sr. So I was thinking of Pappy...I know that was his nickname when he went back to flying...or maybe just Pa. What do you think?"
"I think he'll love Pappy," she said with a smile. "It will be a link to those days...and to the future. Ask him when he gets back."
Mattie nodded before sighing. "Colin's parents are Gran and Pop...that's what the other grandkids call them so we'll do the same – less confusing."
"Sounds the right way to go," Mac agreed.
"What would you like to be called?" she asked, this being the thing she needed help with but not sure how to raise it.
"What would you like the baby to call me?" she countered, seeing the concern on the younger woman's face.
"Well..." she started slowly. "Trish is Grandma and Grams was...well, Grams...Colin's mom is Gran..." she said, ruling out the names as she went.
"Did you have something in mind?" Mac asked, not quite able to get a read on Mattie's train of thought.
"Tell me if you hate it...okay?" she said, prefacing her coming comments. Mac nodded. "Well, my mom wanted to be called GiGi when she became a grandmother."
"GiGi," Mac repeated, that wasn't so bad. "When did you talk about it?" she questioned, knowing Mattie was a young teen when her mother passed.
"I was about 12 – 13," she said. "Two ladies she knew from church had just become grandmothers, one wanted to be called Grandmother, and mom thought that was too formal and stuffy, the other one wanted to be called Grandmama, but she thought it was too close to Grandma and wanted something different and trendy...she'd heard of someone being called GiGi, you know, G for grandmother, and she liked it...so I said my kids could call her that so long as she was prepared to babysit. We made a deal."
Mac laughed.
"So, I was kind of thinking...well, hoping, that maybe you would like to be called GiGi..." she said slowly.
"I would love it," Mac said taking Mattie's hand. "But wouldn't you like to keep it for your mom?"
"I thought about that too," she said. "I know Harm Sr is grandad and the kids never met him...and that we could call my mom GiGi and you something different, but I think she'd be okay with it. She just wanted her grandkids to have a hip, trendy grandmother...and that's you."

By the time the others returned, Mattie was asleep with her head on Mac's lap, the emotions of the day catching up with her.
"Everything alright," Harm asked as he approached with Harry on his hip.
"Yeah," Mac replied in a whisper. "Mattie's just having a tough day."
"And you too?" he asked, noting the tells on her face that told him she'd been crying.
"I'm good," she replied, and she was. Her tears had been for Mattie and the younger woman's distress at missing her mother. She knew that feeling; despite everything her mother had done, she had missed her at momentous milestones. Not for the person she had been but for the sole reason she was her mother.

Once all the children were tucked up in bed for the night and Mattie and Colin had gone home, Harm secured the house before moving to the bathroom and stripping off.
"You've decided to join me?" Mac asked as she reclined in the luxurious bubble bath he had drawn for her while she had read to the children.
"I have," he said as he pulled off his boxers. "Offer still open?"
"Ohhh, I think it's good for another 30 seconds," she replied moving forward.
"In that case, I'd better hurry up," he said stepping in and slipping in behind her. Soon, his arms were around her waist as she reclined on him, his mouth placing gentle kisses on her shoulder and neck.
"Aww, that feels so good," she said, tilting her head to give him more access.

Being very skilled, he used his mouth and hands in unison to create all sort of sensual sensations within his wife.
"God, Harm," she moaned arching backwards.
"Good?" he asked as she managed to nod. "Love you."

As things progressed in the tub, Mac turned herself around and claimed Harm's mouth with hers and very soon, the calm, relaxing bathtub became a frenzied freshwater encounter as two became one. It wasn't long before Mac was slumped against him trying to catch her breath. Once she did, she peered over the side of the bathtub.
"Oops," she said with a grin, looking out at the amount of water now outside the tub.
"Looks like we made a mess," Harm said, looking over the side.
"Wanna clean up things in here and get messy in the bedroom?" she questioned and Harm readily agreed.

Within a few minutes, Mac was lying naked in her bed as Harm dropped the water soaked towels in the laundry. When she saw him reappear in the doorway, she couldn't help but smile – he had a tray with two tall glasses of milk and two big pieces of chocolate cake.
"I figured we could use the break and the energy," he said, handing her the tray as he slipped of his robe and climbed naked into bed, "We're not as young as we used to be."
"Speak for yourself," she said with mock indignation. "I'm just hitting my sexual peak."
"And I'm very grateful," he said, leaning over and stealing a kiss.

With Mac preoccupied with the rather large slice of cake Harm had given her, Harm reached into his side drawer and pulled out a small gift bag. Sensing his movement, Mac glanced over and stopped mid-munch.
"For me?" she mumbled around her mouthful of cake.
"Happy Mother's Day," he said, leaning in to kiss her as he handed over the bag.
"Thank you for making me a mother," she said, kissing him.
"Oh, believe me, it was my pleasure," he said with a grin as he took the tray away and placed it on the floor. "Care for a re-enactment of the event?"
"Which particular event?" she asked sliding down in the bed and pulling him to her,
"It's Mother's Day, your choice," he replied, as he started trailing kisses along her jaw.
"The twins," she replied and Harm laughed. The twins had been conceived on a weekend away before Harm's four month deployment. While he couldn't remember every encounter specifically, he knew they saw very little outside their door, they had minimal need for clothes and they had one particular encounter which, according to Mac, was the reason they ended up with twins.
"Well, if I recall..." he said, tumbling backwards with her. "It went something like this..."

There were no more words, aside from a few muted exclamations and devout declarations of love into the early hours.

It would be morning before Mac would open her present to find five beautiful new spacers for her Pandora bracelet, the first four had one of their precious children's names on each, the fifth had Mattie & Colin. She would go on to find a second box; it would contain one plain spacer and an otherwise empty bracelet. When she asked, Harm would explain that the blank spacer was for the name of their first grandchild, the new bracelet ready for the next phase of her life. And Mac would be happy with this, with preparing for the future. However, righht now, on this particular Mother's Day night, she was more than content to celebrate everything that had got her to this point in her life...this point of achieving her dream to be a mother...and the man who had made it possible.