Right Within Your Heart - Chapter Nine
December 2020
"Mommy, come pway!"
Kate shifts on the couch, holding out a hand to beckon Lily over. Her daughter bounds to her, holding Wonder Woman's sword in one hand and Captain America's shield in the other.
"What're you playing?" she asks, rubbing Lily's side.
"Pwincess! Wanna play too?"
Kate smiles. "I'd love to, Little Flower, but I can't run around and jump with you right now. I can watch you, though."
Lily pouts, just as she's pouted every day for the last week and a half when Kate has had to say no. Beckett sighs, understanding her frustration. Bed rest sucks, and she's never been known for being a particularly good patient, but there's no way she's going to go against her doctor this time. There's too much at stake.
"I know, baby," she murmurs, taking the sword from Lily's hand and pressing a kiss to the center of her palm. "I wish I could, but do you remember before Thanksgiving when your tummy wasn't feeling well, and you needed to rest instead of running around so you would feel better?"
Lily nods. Kate nods, too, continuing, "That's what I have to do for a little while, honey. I need to rest so I can feel better, too."
"Oh." Lily looks to her stomach. "'Cause of my babies?"
Kate stares; they haven't told anyone about that part, especially not Lily, who's infamous for not being able to keep secrets. How on earth does she know that?
Lily doesn't resist when Kate reaches out and eases the shield out of her hand, pulling her onto the couch with her. Kate uses the time it takes to find a spot they're both comfortable with to gather her thoughts, brushing a hand over Lily's hair once they're settled.
"What makes you say that?" she asks.
The girl plays with the chenille throw Kate had draped over them to keep the chill away, lifting a shoulder. "I wistened."
Beckett nods. "You listened? When Daddy and I were talking?"
Lily nods, looking up at Kate with wide eyes. Kate returns the nod, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
"Well, it was supposed to be a secret," she says, keeping her voice light so her daughter doesn't think she's in trouble for knowing.
"Why?"
Looking around the room, Kate's eyes settle on the Christmas tree, standing proudly in the corner by the bookshelf (its new home given Lily's climbing stunt last year). She tilts her head, choosing her words carefully. There's no easy way to explain the concept of high-risk pregnancy to a three-year-old, or that their caution is due to a miscarriage earlier in the year and a couple of scares already in the nearly sixteen weeks of this pregnancy.
"Because Daddy and I wanted to tell everybody that we're having two babies in a special way. Because it's Christmas," she says after a moment.
It's not entirely a lie. Seven wrapped gifts are already tucked under its branches, one for each person they'd planned to tell at their family Christmas dinner, if they have it this year. Given that she's confined to the couch again due to her blood pressure, they're not even sure they'll be having that dinner. She goes back to the doctor in two days to find out if she's off house arrest.
"Even me?"
Kate taps her nose. "Even you, Little Flower. Especially you. You're the big sister, you deserve to know in the most special way."
The girl giggles, squirming closer. Kate wraps her up tighter, brushing a soft hand over her hair. "But you're right, I do have to rest because of the babies."
"My babies," Lily says, her tone leaving no room for arguments.
Kate smiles into her hair. "Your babies, yes. And I know it's hard, because you want me to be able to play like always – I do too – but is it okay if we find something else that I can do with you for now? And you can take Daddy on a princess quest later?"
Her daughter considers the bargain, giving a slow nod after a moment.
"Kay, Mommy."
"Okay," she repeats, cupping Lily's cheek. "Thank you for being so patient the last few days. I love you."
Lily beams, smacking a kiss to her lips. "Luff you, Mama."
Kate grins, rubbing her back. "So, what should we do instead? Should we sleep?"
Her girl giggles, squirming away. "No!"
She pretends to think. "Okay, we won't nap this time. Should we watch a movie?"
Lily shakes her head, though it's less emphatic than the idea of a nap. That may be their next activity. They can watch a Christmas movie and coax Rick out of his office. "Le's cowor!" she announces.
"That sounds like a great idea. I love coloring with you," Kate says, releasing her to the floor and easing herself upright. Lily grins over her shoulder, scampering into the office to retrieve her coloring supplies. Kate hears the thump of the cabinet door and the rumble of Rick's questions.
"Coworin' wif Mommy, Daddy. Gotta go now!"
Kate purses her lips, muting her chuckle.
"Your sister is something," she murmurs once the urge to laugh at her child mostly passes, brushing her fingers over the swell of her stomach. She'd started to show sooner than last time – not surprising, her doctor had said, given that it's not her first pregnancy, and that she's carrying twins – but even with the evidence in front of her, it still feels a little unreal.
With Lily she'd been terrified, but excited, about what lay ahead. This entire pregnancy she's terrified by what might not happen, what they might not get to have. It's why they've waited so long to make an official announcement, even though it's probably the worst kept secret in the city by now.
"I'm going to do everything I can to make sure you both get to meet her," she swears to her belly, rubbing a slow circle over her sweater. "Even if it means living on this couch until you're born. But I hope it doesn't come to that, to be honest with you."
She looks up at the clatter and crash of a too-full box of colored pencils hitting the floor and rolling everywhere.
"Shit," Lily mutters, staring down at the mess.
Kate's hand flies to her mouth, but the bark of laughter escapes anyway. She should chastise her daughter, ask Lily where she'd even heard that word – though if she's honest with herself, she knows the answer already – but it's just so damn funny, all she can do is laugh.
She sucks in a breath, only to dissolve into giggles again at the look on Lily's face as she starts to pick up the pencils.
"Here, baby, let me help you," she manages, standing slowly. Her muscles rejoice at the movement, the change in position, and she smooths her sweatshirt down over her hips, making her way to Lily.
Her daughter shakes her head, tossing handfuls of pencils back into the box. "I gots it, Mommy."
Kate brushes Lily's hair away from her face. It's getting so long, but Lily won't let them take her to get it cut, instead asking to keep it like Kate's for now. "I'll help anyway. Since you were rushing back because of me."
Lily nods, crawling across the carpet to retrieve another bunch of wayward colored pencils. Together they take care of the rest and Kate holds onto the box for her daughter once they both get to their feet. Lily grabs the coloring pages she'd picked out, trotting back to the couch.
Kate follows her, shaking her head in amusement. They settle together, using hardcover books from the coffee table as their coloring surfaces. As they work, Lily makes sure to point out how well she's coloring in the lines (mostly), even offering to help Kate when she runs over in a couple places.
"Oh, thank you," Beckett says, wrapping an arm around her daughter, keeping her close. "You're getting so good at this, Lily. Thanks for teaching me."
Lily exhales, knocking her temple against Kate's shoulder. "Fanks, Mommy."
Kate presses a kiss to her forehead. "Are we keeping these pictures, or are we giving them to someone else?"
Lil taps her lips with her pink pencil. "Umm, givin' 'em."
She nods, reaching for a different color. "Who are we giving them to?"
"Gwam." Lily points to the one they're working on together. "And Gwampa," she adds, pointing to her original masterpiece.
"Perfect choices."
"An' den Wexi and Daddy, an' all my people."
Kate nods, allowing a tiny laugh to escape. She looks at the stack of pages. They have a lot of coloring ahead of them if they're doing a picture for everyone Lily considers to be one of her people. "All your people, huh?"
"Uh huh."
"All of them? That's a lot."
Lily giggles, bumping her head against Kate's sternum. "Yesss."
"Well we better get working," Kate says, blowing a noisy raspberry on her daughter's neck. "if we're coloring for all of your people. Where'd you learn that anyway?" she asks, curious whether it's something she picked up from TV or in person.
"Gwam." Lily giggles.
That sounds right. Kate rubs her side. "And what about the other word you said before? When you dropped the pencils. Where'd you hear that?"
Her daughter twists in her loose embrace, patting her chest. "You, Mommy!"
Although he never emerges from the office to confirm it, Kate can swear she hears her husband snickering. Yeah, he better wait until Lily picks up some of his video game trash talk; they'll see who's laughing then.
Okay, it'll probably be both of them, honestly, because despite it being wildly inappropriate, it is really freaking funny.
Kate kisses her daughter's hair, nuzzling her gently. "Just don't say that when you're at school, okay? We can't have you getting kicked out of preschool for having a potty mouth."
"Daddy said dat too," Lily mumbles, heaving a sigh and going back to her coloring, leaving Kate blinking in surprise.
She hears Rick laughing in the office again.
Exactly how often is her child cursing?
A/N: Thank you! Until tomorrow!
