Maybe even worse.
Emily checked her watch as she rolled her desk chair back. Fifteen minutes until her first parent was supposed to come in for their confrence; just enough time for her to run to the bathroom and call her girlfriend to see how the kids were doing.
Her brown eyes flickered over to her phone as it began to ring, and she quickly picked it up and placed it against her ear, leaning back in her chair and closing her eyes for a much needed rest. "Emily Prentiss."
"Hey Em."
Emily's eyes popped open at the gentle voice at the other end of the phone. "Jennifer?"
The blond on the other end smiled gently at the sound of her ex's voice. "Yeah hi. How are you?"
The older woman leaned foreward and placed her free hand on her desk, her pointer finger circling around one of the dates on the calender laying on her desk. That day's date. "I'm fine, how are you?"
Jennifer nodded her head. "I'm good, thanks. I wanted to wish you a happy birthday."
Emily felt her heart skip a beat as she listened to the blond on the other end quietly begin to sing her 'Happy Birthday'. The older woman let out a small laugh as her ex sang the ending notes off key, smiling at the memory of her first birthday celebrated with the blond and having her sing that as they lay in bed. "That was sweet. Made my ears bleed, but sweet."
Jennifer laughed, sitting herself down on the couch in her new home; a home that never quite felt complete. "Well I didn't have the chance to really buy you anything, so..."
"Oh no, there's no need to do that."
"Well I've kind of done it for five years straight, Em. Its kind of hard to break that kind of tradition."
Emily bit her lip, absently nodding her head as she listened to her ex's breathing on the other end. "Yeah. I just realized this morning that I wasn't gonna get that famous Jennifer Jean breakfast or that massage you'd do your best to give me before bed."
The younger woman nodded, her eyes casting down to her lap. "Or that special bath." She did her best to smile at the laugh on the other end. She swiped her tongue across her bottom lip much like the brunette always did, imagining just what the older woman was doing at that moment. "I miss you, Em."
Emily felt tears well in her eyes and she gently nodded her head, doing her best to stop her quivering lips. "I know you do." She took a deep breath, looking up to the ceiling to blink her tears away. "I miss you too, Jen."
~Flashback~
Emily slowly awoke from her peaceful sleep, groggily opening up her eyes and looking to the source of the movement on her bed. She frowned at the blurry blond figure kneeling beside her and feebily pushed her away. "Too early."
The younger woman laughed before gently straddling the tired woman. She bent down and wiped the hair from the brunette's eyes, pressing small kisses to her forehead. "Come on, its time to wake up, baby."
Emily tiredly fought against the hands trying to shake at her shoulders. She abruptly turned her body, throwing the blond woman off of her and back onto the mattress. "Go away. Too early."
Jennifer huffed, getting up off of the bed and making her way to the closet. She hushed the small boys who came bustling out and helped them both onto the bed.
Henry helped his almost two year old brother to lay down just beside their brunette, him cuddled into her chest as Henry nuzzled his nose against the birthday girl's. "Morning mommy!"
Emily's eyes popped open at the sudden loud noise, a tired smile spreading over her face at the sight of her blond son. She cupped her eldest's cheek before looking down to the brunette boy resting his head against her chest. "Good morning you guys."
Conner looked up to his mother and swiped his small fingers against her chin. "Mommy."
Jennifer smiled to the small family cuddled up on the bed, taking a step forward and reluctantly pulled Henry up off of the bed and up onto her hip. "As beautiful as this moment is, I'm gonna have to break it up."
Emily looked up to her wife with a pout, taking the toddler against her and settling his small body on her chest. "Aww why?"
"Doesn't someone want their birthday present?"
Emily immediately shot up from her spot on the bed, cradling her son against her as she shuffled out of the bedroom, following the younger woman through the hall. "I'm coming!" She smiled when she saw a bow sitting on a manilla folder, and her dark eyes quickly shot over to her wife. "What is it? Did I win a vacation or something?"
The blond scoffed as the family sat down at the kitchen table. "I hope you think this is better than that."
The birthday girl stuck out her tongue before opening the folder, sliding the papers out and into her hands. Her eyes slowly scanned over the words written there before widening, looking up to her wife with her jaw dropped. "Are you serious?"
Jennifer bit her lip, nodding to the papers in the brunette's hand. "I am. I hope you'll accept."
Emily felt tears welling up in her eyes. "These are adoption papers. You want me to adopt Henry?"
The blond smiled wide. "We'll be a real family, Em."
Emily let out a small cry before jumping from her seat, pulling her wife up out of her chair so she could wrap her arms around her. She pressed a warm kiss to the younger woman's cheek, smiling into her shoulder when she felt strong arms wrap around her waist. "The best birthday present, Jen. The best."
~End of Flashback~
Emily covered her mouth with a shaking hand. "I couldn't of asked for anything more, Jen."
"Well I already had adopted Conner, and I knew you always thought of Henry as a son."
Emily bit her lip. "He is my son. He's our son."
Jennifer smiled at the passionate crack in her ex's voice. "They both are." She flicked her tongue over her teeth. "So I have to go, but tell the boys I love them ok?"
"Of course, Jennifer."
"...I love you. Happy Birthday."
Emily didn't even try to fight the tears as the younger woman hung up the phone. She felt her confused heart break in two and she immediately broke down, her elbows resting on the desk so she could put her head in her hands and cry.
"Ms. Prentiss?"
The brunette quickly started wiping at her tears, looking to the classroom doorway to see one of her smartest students standing there with their mother. "Charlotte hi." She stood from her seat, putting on her best smile as she stuck out her hand to the redheaded woman before her. "Mrs. Zimmer, please come sit."
