"Adjustments"
Now that Alex and Peggy are new parents, they must get used to several changes in their personal lives.
Alex and Peggy DeLarge are no longer two. They are, now, four.
Their young son and baby daughter's needs must come first.
Also: Alex and Peggy can still do the things they enjoy doing together – but they must get used to interruptions, and being interrupted, because of their children.
That also includes their romantic 'idylls' will now get changed, a bit.
For example: There's the couple's romantic weekend 'Bath Nights' (Friday and Saturday):
On one particular night: Alex is waiting for his shy wife to join him in the bath (- and she's been married to him – two years!).
Alex – with his eyes closed – emits a breathy sigh… when he receives a soft kiss on his lips.
Alex returns the kiss, while holding Peggy's face with his (wet) hands. Peggy, dressed in her bathrobe, and sitting on the tub's edge, leans over him as they tenderly kiss.
"Come here…", Alex whispers to her, as he draws her closer and starts to slide down one side of her bathrobe. He begins to kiss Peggy's exposed shoulder. Peggy giggles, as this tickles…
…until Auberine's cries are heard from in the nursery.
Alex and Peggy freeze upon hearing her cries. They are stunned.
"I just checked on her and Alex Jr.!", Peggy tells Alex. "She was sleeping!"
"Did you nurse her, already, Peg?", Alex asks her.
Peggy pauses, and thinks. Then gasps:
"No! I forgot!", she admits. "Silly me!"
"I think I have an idea, Peg…", Alex starts to tell Peggy, who quickly plants a kiss on his cheek, rises off the tub's edge, and patters out of the bathroom.
"Peg! PEG!", Alex calls after her. "Wait for me!"
"I'll be back, Alex, love!", Peg's voice cries out of the bathroom as she hastens to the Nursery.
Peggy is gone.
Alex heaves a deep sigh, and sits up in the bath and reflects: It really isn't about him and Peggy, anymore.
He faces reality, and takes up his bathrobe. Alex will still carry out what he has in mind to do.
Later, he and Peggy are back in their bath, relaxing together. The bassinette with Auberine inside is in the bathroom with them. Her diapers, formula, etc. are near the bassinette.
This was Alex's idea. That way, both of them could quickly attend to Auberine whenever she cries.
The relaxing teenaged couple tries to savor their watery peace. Peggy's head rests against her husband's chest. Alex's arm is about her, while the other is folded under his head. His eyes are closed.
"Alex?"
"Mm?"
Silence
"Why do I get the strange feeling… that our 'Bath Night' may soon change?"
Silence
"You know why it may change, Peg, darling. Did you notice the bassinette over by the sink?"
Peggy is amused at her husband's relaxed – yet, truthful – response. She giggles.
Alex chuckles.
"I'm going to miss them, Alex…"
"Don't say that, Leggy, love… You just have to get used to some of the changes, now. We still need to have time for us … don't you think so, my precious?"
Alex opens his eyes, and looks at Peggy's soulful brown eyes gazing at him.
"Savor our 'bath time', love. Enjoy whatever time we can share together… Righty right?"
Alex cuddles Peggy, as she blushes.
Alex releases her as he lays back in the tub, and sinks deeper into the very warm water. A breathy sigh escapes him as he closes his luminous blue eyes.
Peggy marvels at her sensual husband beside her. She lies back in the water, too, with him. She holds his (submerged) hand.
Alex smirks, and emits a sweet chuckle. He tenderly squeezes Peggy's hand enmeshed in his.
The romantic couple tries to enjoy their romantic time sharing their bath.
Suddenly, the bathroom door gets shut – startling the couple, who turn, and hastily sit up in the tub, and look toward the door.
"MUMMY! MUM-MEEEE!", a familiar little voice cries behind the closed door.
There are little scratchings and scufflings as the youngster tries to open it – but apparently doesn't know how as he's unable to reopen it.
"ALEX!", both Alex and Peggy simultaneously cry out, in shock.
"How did he get out of his pen?", Alex asks his wife in a half-whisper.
"I don't know! He climbed out, probably?", Peggy replies, just as nervous and confused.
"But he's only a year-old!"
"Well, he did! He probably took after your cleverness!"
"MUMMY!"
Alex Jr. begins to cry behind the door as he can't come in, and can't see his parents, who are both flustered in the tub.
"What if he sees us? – like this?", Alex asks his wife.
"I don't think he'll understand what's going on with us, love!"
"You messel, Peg?"
"All right. I'll go to him. Stay in the bath, and I'll give you the 'green light' to come out, and get dressed… all right?"
"Righty right!"
"MUM-MEEEE!"
Alex Jr. wails behind the closed door.
Peggy is out of the tub, and putting on her bathrobe.
"I'm coming, love!"
She quickly moves over to the door – and carefully pushes it open. She checks to make sure her young son isn't directly behind it. He isn't – but he sits several feet away from it, crying.
Peggy carefully eases out through the sliver of the door, and comes before her son.
"ALEX!", she whispers, and nods, at her husband, who peers out over the tub's edge.
She closes the door partway to give Alex privacy to get out of the tub, and put on his bathrobe.
Peggy gathers her crying son in her arms, and picks him up.
"All right, love! Mummy's right here! Here I am!", she lovingly tells him, holding Alex Jr. close to her. She cuddles and kisses him repeatedly. Alex Jr. rests his head on his mother's bathrobed shoulder as he sobs.
Alex Sr., covered, soon joins his wife's side and tickles Alex Jr.
Later that evening, the young father and mother retreat with their young ones in the living room – and spend the night there with them.
Alex sleeps on the couch with Alex Jr. Peggy sleeps on the loveseat near the bassinette with Auberine sleeping in it.
Thank goodness this is Bath Night. It's the start of the weekend. Alex and Peggy definitely need it, to sleep in.
Yes, it is a bit of a challenge for Alex and Peggy to adjust to the changes in their lifestyle, to accommodate their children. The couple eventually succeeds. Yet they are both aware, and coming to learn, that adjusting initially doesn't come so easily.
