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July, 2018
Alexandria, Virginia
"General Jazz"
It seemed as if it had been ages since she had seen Holly Daniels, but despite the distance between them, Jennifer Gibbs had done an excellent job of keeping in touch, and staying very close. She was delighted that she was able to see Holly in person this year – and when Holly came dashing through the airport to meet her, hauling a chic designer bag and squealing a little, Jenny was amused to see how little she had changed.
"Jenny!" cried Holly, dropping her bag at their feet and leaning forward to hug her old friend – gently, of course, but still affectionate and firm.
She kissed her on both cheeks and then grinned wryly.
"I learned to do that in Paris," she said breathlessly. "Did I tell you I went to Paris over the summer?"
Jenny laughed and nodded, holding Holly's hands and stepping back. She surveyed her old friend and bit her lip, wondering what Holly thought of her. The ex-Dallas Cowboys cheerleader still looked like a cheerleader, and Jenny was considerably into her second pregnancy.
Holly squeezed Jenny's hands and then released them, bending to pick up her little carry-on bag.
"You look so good," Holly said, studying Jenny. She stepped forward and held up her hands wickedly. "Can I touch it?" she asked, darting a hand threateningly towards Jenny's middle.
Jenny smacked her hand away good-naturedly and gave her a look.
"Off-limits."
"Do people really just reach out and – "
"Yes; it's unbelievable."
"Ew," Holly said, turning up her nose. "The audacity – do you let anyone touch it?"
Jenny gave her a funny look.
"Well, Jethro," she said, arching a brow.
Holly nodded – obviously. She stepped up and gestured for Jenny to lead the way.
"Checked bag?" Jenny asked.
"No," Holly drawled smugly. "You'd be so impressed – I only brought a carry on."
Jenny put a hand to her heart.
"Have mercy."
"Very Uncle Jesse of you," Holly said smugly. "Marathons of Full House re-runs?"
"Hardly," Jenny said dryly. "Between law school, work, and Anna I don't ever watch TV – but you wouldn't believe the crap they claim is for kids these days; I bought a bunch of old television DVD sets from Amazon and I put them on for Anna when I have to study."
Holly groaned sympathetically.
"I can't believe you offered to let me stay with you," she said warily. "Are you sure you don't want me to stay in a hotel?"
"You're only here for two days; that's a silly expense," Jenny said airily, waving her hand. "We have a guestroom," she added logically.
Holly smiled at her, pushing her hair back.
"And Jedediah is totally fine with this?"
"Jethro is fine with anything as long as it doesn't involve Anna being either out of his sight or upset in any way," Jenny answered, rolling his eyes.
"Ooh, I get to see Gibbs as a daddy," Holly trilled, wrinkling her nose. "I mean obviously you've told me about him, but an eyewitness experience is going to be so good – he's such a dork, Jenny, is he good at it - ?"
"He's very good."
"Oh my god – and I get to see you with a kid? I haven't even met your baby and you're having another one – god, this is so grown up – and what am I doing?" Holly laughed, and trailed off.
Jenny shook her head and laughed, steering Holly firmly towards her car. Holly took one look at it and gasped, dropping her bag dramatically and putting her hands to her head.
"No, oh Jenny – the Mustang, where's the Mustang?!" she cried.
Jenny held up her keys and smirked, unlocking and starting the car with the push of a high tech button.
"This is Betsy," she introduced. "The SUV."
It took Holly the entire drive from the airport to Alexandria to emotionally deal with the disappearance of the red Mustang – she kept bringing it back up; she was still distraught when Jenny parked next to the Dodge Charger in the driveway.
"What the hell is this?" Holly demanded, slamming the door of the SUV and darting to Gibbs' car. "He got to keep his?" she asked loudly.
"He built his," Jenny pointed out, laughing. "Hell, I helped build that – oh come on, Holly, logically there was no way we'd sell a car he built and restored rather than the Mustang."
"You could definitely get more for a hand-restored charger!" Holly whined. "And what the – he has two cars? Whose sedan is this?"
"That's the federal car, he brings it home sometimes," Jenny muttered, distracted. She frowned at the car parked behind it in the drive, an impeccably polished white BMW. "This is Dad's," she added, preempting any of Holly's outrage.
"The Colonel's here?"
"I wasn't expecting him," Jenny remarked mildly.
Holly grinned, and sighed, eyeing the house as Jenny locked up the car and grabbed a few things from the back seat.
"You lost the car battle, then," Holly lamented dramatically. "Jenny, you worked your teenage years away paying for that car."
"Yeah, and I took the money I got when I sold it and bought the luxury kid-friendly car I wanted," she emphasized, giving Holly a slightly reprimanding look. "Don't bring this up around Jethro."
"Is it a sore subject?" Holly asked, sobering a little.
"No for me," Jenny said sincerely. "He thinks I resent him because I had to get rid of my car; he wanted to just buy a third – which was completely impractical," she said, beckoning Holly down a sidewalk to the back. "It wasn't hard decision."
Holly snorted.
"Was your old man mad?"
"He was actually more enraged that for a good year I drove my daughter around in a ragtop."
Holly giggled.
"I bet that was a sight to see!"
Jenny grinned – she had enjoyed the looks she'd gotten from other mothers at the time, but she was comfortable with her new car, and she really hadn't minded selling the Mustang. She had decided that ultimately, there may come another time in her and Gibbs' lives when a sacrifice needed to be made for the kid – kids, now—and it would be his turn to take a bullet.
"What's that?" Holly asked, following Jenny up the perfectly laid concrete walk to the back door. She pointed to a hutch near a flower garden in the back.
"Sunflowers," Jenny said. "Jethro planted them for Anna."
"No, Jenny," Holly retorted. "The – "
"Oh, that's Duffy," Jenny said, opening the back door.
"Is that a Macbeth thing?"
"MacDuff," Jenny confirmed. "He's Anna's rabbit. Eh – well, Gibbs takes care of him, but Anna snuggles him."
"Jenny, why didn't you just get a dog?"
"It's kind of an inside joke," Jenny muttered sheepishly. "I'm home!" she called into the house. "Gibbs wanted a dog, but I got pregnant again and I'm not comfortable training a puppy around small children."
"They have this thing called birth control – "
"Literally never heard of it."
"I'm home, too!" Holly called.
"Jen," Gibbs said, appearing a second later. He was wiping his hands off on an oily, dirty looking rag, and he gave her a wary look. "Stop shoutin'; Anna's asleep."
"It's four p.m.," Jenny said in disbelief, shutting the door behind her. She gave him a look. "Nap time is – "
"Your Dad came over right at nap time; she wanted to play."
"Oh, god, Jethro, put your foot down."
"She wouldn't have slept anyway!"
"Then she's your responsibility when she's up until nine o'clock tonight," Jenny retorted tiredly – that wasn't exactly great news since Holly would be here, but it was manageable. "Say hi to Holly," she instructed, dipping between them and placing her purse and one of the stuffed animals she'd grabbed from the car on the table.
"Hey, Holly," Gibbs said obediently.
"That's it?" Holly asked.
She leaned forward and hugged him warmly, pressing kisses to his cheeks, as well. She grinned at him widely and looked around, taking in the house and smiling brightly.
"This house is beautiful," she complimented. "I saw Jenny's pictures – wow, though, I'm impressed."
"Thanks. Built it myself."
Jenny snorted, and Holly gave Gibbs a look. The redhead came over and kissed him on the corner of the mouth, squeezing his elbow affectionately in greeting. He put his arm around her in a light side hug.
"Where's Dad?" Jenny asked pointedly. "His car's here."
"Yeah, I know," Gibbs said, annoyed. "He showed up with new toys, wore her out – "
"Where is he, though?"
"He's asleep with her."
"What?"
"He said he'd put her down for her nap when she started throwin' tantrums, and when I went to check on him, he was asleep on the toddler bed."
"Where's Anna?!"
"In the rocking chair," Gibbs said with a shrug. "I took a picture – "
Jenny was already storming past him, and Holly wiggled her eyebrows at Gibbs, smirking.
"You're an idiot," she guessed smugly, placing her bag down in an out of the way place and folding her arms. "You took a picture?"
"You sayin' you'd pass up her dad in a toddler bed?" Gibbs challenged.
Holly opened her mouth to protest, and snapped it shut – he had a good point. A few moments later, Jenny's father appeared, being unceremoniously shoved into the room by his slightly annoyed daughter. He looked sheepish and disheveled. Gibbs turned and gave him a smug look.
Jenny marched around him, shaking her head.
"You cheated a toddler out of her bed."
"S'not what happened," groused Jasper Shepard moodily. "She wouldn't lay down, so I laid on the bed and tried to bribe her with a book," he explained. "She was more interested in her dolls, though – "
"So you fell asleep while my daughter played unsupervised – "
"She went to sleep eventually!"
"In the rocking chair, Dad!" Jenny snapped, exasperated. "Her little neck is going to be sore!"
"She'll be fine, Jen, she was curled up like a kitten," Gibbs placated.
Jenny gave him a withering look and shook her head – idiots, the both of them; the things they thought were cute baffled her sometimes – Anna wasn't even two years old yet! She looked at the two of them for a moment – her husband and her father, and then she let it go – the picture probably was cute.
She gestured to the two of them and gave Holly a sharp look.
"They're on the same team now," she stated ominously.
Holly grinned cheekily.
"I never thought I'd see the day," she lifted her hand, wiggling her fingers flirtatiously at the Colonel. "Hey there Colonel Jazz, remember me?"
He seemed to just notice her, and he glared at Jenny before glaring at Holly.
"General," he corrected pointedly.
"General Jazz – why how absolutely darling!" Holly trilled, stepping forward and holding her hand out.
"Christ, Miss Daniels, it's Jasper," he began, blustering, and she forced him to shake her hand and giggled, leaning forward to kiss his cheek.
"I'm perfectly old enough to call you Jazz to my heart's desire these days, Colonel," she said snarkily.
Jasper gave her a stony look.
"I do not think so."
"I'm the same age as your beloved daughter," Holly reminded him, placing a hand on her hip.
"You aren't old enough," retorted the Colonel, deadpan. "My daughter is seventeen."
Holly arched her brows at him, and then turned, looking between Gibbs and Jenny.
"Dementia?" she whispered in a soft, wry whisper.
"Extreme denial," Jenny corrected, giving her father a look.
She pushed her hair back and looked at the three of them, and she decided she wasn't feeling like cooking for that many people, and Gibbs probably didn't have anything ready to grill. She bit her lip and tilted her head at him a moment.
"You think Stephen is available to babysit?" she asked.
Gibbs gave her a dark look.
"He's in Maine with his girlfriend," he retorted, with grim pleasure.
"Stephen?"
"He's Anna's babysitter; he lives up the street – great kid, he's got four little sisters," Jenny explained to Holly. "Dad and Jethro hate him."
"Male babysitters," grumbled Jasper, and Gibbs made an annoyed noise of agreement.
Jenny ignored them.
"Right – okay, Dad, Holly – pizza, or Chinese?"
"Oh, I don't mind if your little girl comes out to eat with us," Holly said quickly, picking up on what was being decided. "I can't wait to meet her in person!"
Holly had seen pictures and heard stories, and seen Anna once or twice on Skype sessions with Jenny, but the last time she had seen Jenny in person had been before she was even pregnant with Anna.
"You're a better woman than I am," Jenny said dryly. "Anna isn't old enough for restaurants," she stated firmly, ignoring the moody glare Gibbs gave her – they disagreed – and arching a brow, "and when I go out to a nice place, I don't want to have to drag a diaper bag and a car seat with me."
Holly grinned, but she knew she should have expected that – Jenny was always practical, even when they were kids. The strawberry blonde looked about and considered the options.
"Pizza or Chinese food, Pizza or Chinese food," she muttered. "What's Anna's favorite?"
Gibbs and Jasper chimed in immediately –
"Pizza."
In order to make sure there was enough room at the dining room table, Jenny scrapped Anna's high chair and held the baby on her lap. To her relief, Anna wasn't in a cuddly mood; she sat forward and actively tried to help feed herself – these days, Anna's cuddle moods usually meant she was jealous, as she considered her mother's abdomen to be in the way.
"She's precious," Holly gushed, still going on about Anna – she'd been going on about her since the little girl had woken up and come dashing into the living room for her mother. "She's absolutely stunning, Jenny!"
Jenny flushed, smiling demurely at Holly, but Gibbs smirked at her arrogantly, nodding his head.
"She's smart," he bragged. "She walked at ten months – and she's got more words than most kids her age."
"Mmm-hmm," Jenny placated diplomatically. She looked up at Holly and grinned wryly. "I prefer to withhold comment on her smarts until she's much older," she admitted.
Jasper rolled his eyes, waving at Anna across the table.
"How is she going to take the new one, though?" Holly asked. "Does she know about it?"
"Vaguely," Jenny said.
"We tell 'er," Gibbs piped up. "She gets it sometimes. Mostly just ignores it," he snorted. "Figure she'll catch on better come November."
"Is that when you're due?"
"Officially," Jenny confirmed. "The, uh," she paused.
"Sixteenth," Gibbs grunted.
Jenny nodded, waving her hand. For some reason, she kept forgetting her due date.
"Wait, so is it a boy or a girl?" Holly asked eagerly. "It's July, you can find that out by now, right? Nina found out her baby was a boy at like … nineteen weeks," Holly recited smugly, proud of herself for remembering.
Jenny shrugged.
"I don't know," she said calmly. "I don't want to know."
She felt her father and her husband glaring at her, and she grinned wickedly, looking up at them. Holly looked around, settling her gaze on Anna.
"Uh-oh," she spoke to the baby girl. "It seems I salted a wound."
Anna raised her hand and waved.
"Hawksy," she said clearly.
"Holly," Jenny corrected. "Hol-lee," she repeated slowly, bending her head a little.
"I like hers," Holly laughed. "Hawksy," she repeated. "It's edgy. Why don't you want to know?"
Jenny shrugged again. Her father and Gibbs were quick to answer that one for her.
"She's bein' stubborn," growled Jasper. "I want to know, so she decides she doesn't."
"I said I didn't want to put a boy in a girls' nursery, so she's pissed at me," Gibbs supplied, glaring at Jenny.
"God forbid a male sleep in a purple nursery," Jenny retorted, rolling her eyes. "It's not like I'd dress your son in sequined gowns, Jethro." She laughed and turned to Holly with nonchalance. "I found out Anna was a girl on accident. I never intended to know."
Holly shrugged, tilting her head.
"It makes it more exciting!" she said. "You probably get more unique things, too," she added thoughtfully. "If people think they can't definitely buy blue or pink."
"Yes, we get lots of jungle or circus themed baby gifts," Jenny said with a laugh.
"Mama," Anna piped up. "Duffy."
The little girl held up some of the carrots Jenny had cut up for her – she may be allowing a cut up piece of cheese pizza, but she wasn't enough of a slacker yet to allow her kid to subsist on junk food.
"You and Daddy can feed Duffy after dinner," Jenny soothed, kissing the top of Anna's head.
"She looks just like you," Holly said to Gibbs. "I mean – well, she's pretty, she doesn't look like a man – but she looks just like you!"
Jasper glared at Holly, and Jenny laughed at the smug look on Gibbs' face.
"Dad hates that," she said. "He swears she's got a Shepard nose."
"Mmm, no," Holly said decisively. "But how does she look when she's mad?" she asked.
Gibbs pointed a fork at Jenny definitely, and Jenny lifted Anna into a standing position on her lap, kissing her cheek fondly – the baby did look like her mother when she was angry or frustrated.
Holly held out her hand, gesturing between them.
"This is so surreal," she said with a laugh. "You're like – a little fairytale, except there's no godmother making it happen, you did it all by yourselves!" she squealed.
Jenny hugged Anna and glanced at Gibbs, rolling her eyes a little at Holly's sentiment. He grinned at her, winked, and then jerked his thumb at Jasper.
"No fairy godmother, just the old washed up Colonel," he mocked.
Jasper Shepard's protest that he was a general was drowned out by Holly's laughter, and Jenny was relieved her old friend's short visit was going so well; Holly was still the same carefree breath of fresh air she'd always been.
Jenny shook her head a little as she handed Holly a glass of red wine and sat down next to her on the couch, balancing her own wine glass on her knee.
"I could never figure out if you liked kids or not," Jenny mused, looking down at her daughter, who'd fallen asleep adorably in Holly's lap.
"Aw, I like kids," Holly said warmly, scrunching her nose and resting her hand on Anna's head. "I don't want any, but they're funny."
Jenny nodded – fair enough.
"I always thought you didn't want kids," Holly said. She shrugged. "I was wrong – hey, can you have wine?"
"I refrain in the first trimester, but my obstetrician is of the more relaxed set. Once in a while, I indulge," Jenny said, moving on to the next statement. "My mind was never on kids," she shrugged. "I mean, I never seriously considered it until I got married."
"Was it easy to know?" Holly asked curiously.
Jenny tilted her head back and forth.
"Yes," she decided. She shrugged. "I love Jethro."
Holly nodded, satisfied. She sighed, and tilted her head back, stroking Anna's little auburn curls.
"It's so crazy," she murmured. "You, Nina – I'm the only one who didn't settle down," she laughed. "Um, even Kensi Blye settled down."
"I heard. Twins?"
"Yuck," Holly confirmed brightly. "Hey, guess who I ran into at a Steelers game?
Jenny arched her brows.
"Mark."
"Your Mark?"
"My Mark!"
Jenny opened her mouth in shock.
"What's old Mark up to?"
"Well, he's married," Holly said conversationally. "His pro career lasted a whopping one season, because he sustained a spinal injury in a playoff game," she explained. "But it seems he married the physical therapist who nursed him – "
"Kids?"
"Nope, but he works for her father, who's some fancy-shmancy CEO. They belong to a country club," Holly said, turning up her nose.
Jenny giggled, and Holly shrugged.
"He's happy," she stated good-naturedly.
"You still seeing that oil guy?" Jenny asked.
"No, Feras and I broke up after Paris," Holly said lightly. "I've actually gotten close to one of the Cowboys, which is why I'm looking for a new job," she admitted.
"Vixen."
"What can I say?"
Jenny grinned and set her wine glass down, leaning forward and taking Anna off Holly and shifting her to her own lap, looking down at her protectively for a moment.
"Jethro will take her to bed in a minute," she assured Holly, and Holly shrugged. Jenny tilted her head. "You think you'll get the job with the Redskins?"
"Oh, there's a good chance," Holly said. "I have a good resume with publicity, and they are going to need a hell of a team once they change the name officially – and it would mean less moving around. I thought I'd love being sent all over the country at the drop of a hat, but I hate it. And, if Washington doesn't work out, I think the New York job is a good bet."
Jenny smiled, happy for her.
"I'd love to have you back in D.C.," she said sincerely. "It would be nice to have a friend who doesn't have kids."
"So you're not one of those moms whose whole life is kids, kids, kids – "
"God, no," Jenny laughed. "I have a good balance going. I have to, if I want to finish law school. I might be more panicky about leaving Anna if Gibbs wasn't as competent as he is."
"I like hearing that," Holly said. She looked down at the baby, and sipped her wine. She leaned forward. "So, what's it like?" she asked.
Jenny gave her a look.
"All of it," Holly encouraged quietly. "You're about to have another baby – is that … is it crazy? You really don't want to know if it's a boy or a girl?"
"I'm glad they're close together," Jenny said calmly. "I don't – I don't care, Holly," she smirked, "and it's fun to watch Gibbs pout about it," she laughed.
"What about, like – sex?"
"Holly."
"Okay, please do not act like you thought I wasn't going to ask."
Jenny groaned good-naturedly, and pointed to Anna. Holly made a motion to indicate the baby was obviously asleep, and Jenny glanced around, making sure Gibbs wasn't around – he was in the basement.
"We have sex all the time."
"Even when you're pregnant?"
Jenny nodded. Holly opened her mouth to ask more, but Gibbs came up the stairs, and she zipped her lips, winking at Jenny. He strolled over to the couch and looked down, smirking a little.
"Want a glass of wine, Padre?"
He shook his head. Jenny indicated to Anna, and he came around the couch and picked her up, snuggling her against his chest and quietly turning to carry her to bed. He said a swift goodnight to Holly, and placed his hand on Anna's head as he carried her to bed.
Holly gave a low whistle when he'd disappeared up the stairs.
"Don't take this the wrong way, Jenny, I have no designs – but damn, that is so sexy."
Jenny gave her a prim look, sipping on her wine.
"I know."
"Is he ready for another one?" Holly asked.
Jenny nodded.
"I think he wants a boy," she said.
"Names?"
Jenny shook her head.
"We only know we'll be using Kelly for the middle name if it's a girl," she said firmly. "Male names – God, what a disaster – Dad and Gibbs fight like animals over it," she said grudgingly. "I feel like it will be less of a struggle if we don't know the sex, and it's a boy, and we have to decide in the moment."
"I'm still rooting for a girl named Mackenzie Beth."
"You aren't suggesting Holly Kelly?"
"That sounds like a porn star," growled Gibbs, coming back into the room.
He picked up the bottle of wine Jenny had sitting on the table and replaced it in the refrigerator, turning on some water in the kitchen, presumably to do the dishes. Holly giggled and leaned her head back, sticking her tongue out at him.
"What do you want to name it, Jethro?" she called.
He grunted.
"She won't tell me what it is," he growled petulantly.
Jenny rolled her eyes.
"He thinks I know, and won't tell him," she said, rolling her eyes.
Holly gave Jenny a critical look.
"Do you?" she asked.
Jenny lifted her shoulders innocently, and gave her friend an unreadable look.
Gibbs shut off the light in the bathroom and dragged his feet across the floor to bed, throwing himself down next to Jenny.
"She's exhausting," he complained.
Jenny elbowed his ribs lightly. Gibbs' insistence on complaining about Holly was tradition rather than actual irritation. He was glad Jenny had gotten to see her, and he didn't mind at all putting her up.
He watched Jenny studying her law books intently, and rolled onto his side, propping his head up on his palm. He studied her intent profile, her hair tucked messily behind her ears, the healthy curve of her – he reached over and brushed his knuckles against her arm.
"Put the books away," he muttered.
She sighed as if he was asking the world of her, but did so, stretching out and turning over. He moved closer and touched her feet with his, taking a deep breath.
"Feel okay?"
She shrugged, and nodded. She hadn't appreciated how easy her pregnancy with Anna had been, because this one was much more run-of-the-mill when it came to persistent nausea, aches, pains, discomfort – et cetera.
"Did Anna wake up when you took her to bed?"
"Little," he grunted. "Know what she said?"
"Hmm?"
"'Fishies, Dada!'" He quoted. He snorted. "Must've been dreaming." He was quiet for a moment. "I'm gonna buy her a fish."
"Jethro," Jenny sighed, laughing. "You want to focus on the fact that we do have another baby coming?" she asked.
He nodded, moving his hands down over her.
"It's keeping me up," Jenny murmured, shifting a little uncomfortably. She yawned, letting Gibbs run his hands over her soothingly, and half-closed her eyes.
"Jen, you really don't want to know?"
She swallowed and rolled her eyes beneath her lids.
"I think health is a more important quality to care about."
"Yeah," Gibbs muttered, "but what if you get disappointed if you want one and it's the other, and it ruins the moment?"
"Jethro," she said, her eyes opening quickly. "You know – judging by my experience with Anna, it doesn't matter … there's no way I could be upset."
"You knew Anna was a girl."
"It doesn't matter; I'm talking about feeling like a mother, not the sex of the baby."
He nodded, flicking his eyes down.
"You want a boy or a girl?" she asked quietly.
He shrugged, and said nothing. She was completely convinced he wanted a boy. She poked him in the chest with a finger.
"I don't think another little girl could compete with Anna," she said warily.
Gibbs shook his head and gave her a kiss; he didn't feel that way, that much he knew, and he didn't want her to worry that he wouldn't have the capacity to love another kid as much. He pulled back and gave her a suspicious look.
"You swear you don't know what it is?"
She laughed, kicking him a little. She shook her head.
"No, Jethro, God – I wouldn't actually do that. I just tease you when I act like I do," she snorted. "This is a compromise," she told him. "We found out with Anna, and you wanted to know. We don't find out with this one."
He made a discontent, grumbling noise, and pulled her closer, yanking some covers up around them despite the summer – he kept it cool in the house to make it more conducive to cuddling. He pressed his lips to her neck and breathed her in.
"You mind if I keep you up?" he asked huskily.
Jenny smirked, running her hand through his hair.
"Holly asked what our sex life's like now," she mused.
"What'd you tell her?" Gibbs murmured.
"Oh, that you're repulsed by me and you never touch me anymore – you find comfort in the wives of your former Marines, and I watch Lifetime movies in an attempt to – "
He punched the back of her thigh, and she squealed softly.
"I told her we're at it like rabbits," she amended.
"Mmhmm," he mumbled. "Wouldn't want to make a liar out of you."
She grinned, and kissed him, her nose pressing into his cheek. He splayed his hand over the small of her back, bunching her cotton t-shirt in his hands, and she thought for a moment about how nice it was that they were still like this, when so many couples experienced immeasurable struggle with their first baby – and here they were on a second, and pretty damn confident about it – regardless of what it turned out to be.
July, 2018
Alexandria, Virginia
-alexandra
