Will was right on that verge of sleep, the type when you're half awake and half asleep and you're really not sure if what's happening is in your dreams or in real life? He could feel a beautiful warm feeling wrapped all the way down his body and he knew that he felt more comfortable asleep than he had done in an awfully long time… Then there was a kiss – or what he thought was a kiss? It sure as hell fell like a kiss which was far too realistic to be part of a dream - it felt far too wonderful….
He opened his eyes slightly to see two big brown eyes shining back at him…. First he heard a giggle and then felt a gentle kiss to his lips before a soft hand stroked down the side of his face…
"Happy Birthday to you," she sung so very quietly the moment his eyes flickered open…. "Happy Birthday to you…" a pause for another soft kiss… "Happy Birthday Dear Billy…." A pause for a much longer kiss – a kiss that woke him completely… "Happy Birthday to you!"
"mmmm… that is a very nice way to start the day.." Will muttered as he let his hands wander up and down her naked back, relieved that they'd woken and there was no little four year old blonde monster in their room with them…
"Happy birthday darling…" Mac whispered before giggling and rolling over so she was flush on top of him, her naked body teasing his naked body awake…
"What time is it?"
"It's nearly six…" Mac whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him again…
"Mac – Believe me when I say I'm not complaining here – you can wake me up any time you want to like this but why the hell are you waking me up before six am on my birthday? We don't get to sleep in?"
"I'm waking you up to tell you to go back to sleep again Billy!"
That certainly got his attention and caused his eyes to open wide…. "You're what?"
"I had to wake you up to say go back to sleep until I wake you up again!"
"Mackenzie darling – did something happen to you during the night? Did you fall and knock your head or something…?"
Mac giggled and rolled off him reaching down the bed for Will's shirt that they'd ripped off last night… "Listen, Sophie & I have this `thing' planned – I don't want you to walk out in the middle of us getting it ready `cause Soph will be upset… So…. I was just saying – do me a favour and go back to sleep until we wake you!"
"You couldn't have just left me sleeping?"
"I could..." Mac whispered placing another kiss onto his lips... "But I wanted to say Happy Birthday!"
"But you're going to say happy birthday later with the `thing' - the thing with Sophie right?…"
"Yeah…. But I wanted to say Happy Birthday privately – without a four year old watching…." Mac explained her lips finding his again….
"hmmmm" Will replied seeing her point! He chuckled to himself and then pulled her back towards him and let his hands wander anywhere they could …. "No need for this shirt darling..." He whispered… "I think I may need – you know - a little encouraging to make me tired again… something that might wear me out…."
"No chance Billy – Soph will be up any moment and the last thing we need is her walking in on us!" Mac giggled… "There's no way I'm ready to explain what we'd be up to to a four year old girl…"
Mackenzie got out of bed and slipped into some leggings and Will's shirt and then threw some sweat pants and an old Jets t-shirt at Will… "Get dressed darling and go back to sleep for a bit and await your birthday party surprise... And please, please, please remember a four year old has planned this!"
"Hey – what's that supposed to mean?" Will asked as Mac came and perched on the edge of the bed next to him…
"It means my darling, that I know you're not a fan of birthdays – especially your own – but Soph is super excited so please play along okay and don't be a birthday grump!"
Will nodded and leaned into a long kiss just as they heard Sophie's bedroom door creak open…. "Sleep gorgeous… We'll be back soon-ish!" Mac whispered, dropping one last kiss onto Will's lips.
Mackenzie made her way into the kitchen just as Sophie was padding through the lounge looking extremely sleepy – as much as she woke up early every morning the little girl really wasn't a particularly bright morning person!
"Good morning darling…" Mac said brightly, plopping a kiss onto her head and causing a big smile to appear on Sohpie's face….
"Morning Kenzie…" Sophie mumbled sleepily, pulling out the stool in the kitchen and clambering up so she could see what Mac was doing…
"You sleep okay sweetie?" Mac asked, watching Sophie nod yes…. "And I didn't hear any tears tonight from Ginger Bear – that's because you stayed and cuddled him all night long rather than leaving him on his own and going into Uncle Billy's room…"
Sophie giggled and leant her sleepy head in her hands… "Can Ginger bear say happy birthday with us to Uncle Billy?"
"Of course he can darling…. Right... We have to make this cake then?" Mac said pulling out the bag of ingredients from the cupboard she'd hidden them in yesterday…."
"And then we have to blow up balloons…" Sophie added, an excited look appearing on her face…
"Then wrap up the birthday presents we bought yesterday Soph…"
"And draw a birthday picture for Uncle Billy…" Sophie added…
"And I think that's enough for the time being…" Mac answered, flicking the coffee machine on.
Coffee was most definitely needed at this unearthly hour on a Sunday morning!
Inside the bedroom, Will pulled on a t-shirt and slipped into his sweat pants as instructed and laid back down in bed tucking Mackenzie's pillow under his head – he wouldn't dare let anyone know just how much it comforted him to be able to smell her shampoo on the pillow and how often it helped him back to sleep when she wasn't there.
He rolled over and picked up his phone and pressed the buttons until he got the picture he wanted onto his screen… For a full ten minutes he stared at the picture of Mackenzie and Sophie, their cheeks pressed against each other and arms wrapped tightly around each other's neck. He loved these two girls more than he ever thought was possible to love two human beings – he'd come to realise quite quickly over the past two months that he couldn't live without either of them and maybe it was time to make that all official. All his life he'd longed to be part of a proper family, but ever since the day he'd met Mackenzie all those years ago, he knew she was the only one he'd ever consider making a family with but somehow, fate and the gods above hadn't seemed to realise it, until now that was. It might have taken them one hell of a long time to get to this position but they were finally there now - somehow over the past two months it had all slipped into place without him even really realising it. He placed the phone back on the side and sat up, swinging his legs out of bed his brain in full flow…
He reached into the drawer of his bedside table and pulled out the black velvet box that he'd bought home from work just the previous week. Opening the box Will smiled at the diamonds & emeralds gazing back at him and then smiled at the memory of that night months and months before in his office when Will had owned up to Mackenzie the story of the ring and how he had come to buy it. That was the night that Will finally realised that he had forgiven her for everything that had happened and hoped that he'd finally have a second chance at love with her. Of course, in true Will & Mackenzie fashion, it hadn't happened for months afterwards but that was the night it had finally hit him….
He stared at the ring and wondered whether it was too soon in Mackenzie's mind? It wasn't in his own head - he'd marry her tomorrow if he thought she'd go for it but there was just something playing on his mind from last night. They had spent most of the evening making love and as he was holding her close to him afterwards she suddenly whispered what did he think of a cousin for Sophie to grow up with? After their conversation earlier in the evening Will was surprised that she'd bought it up again so quickly but no sooner were the words out of her mouth, Mac pulled his mouth to hers and kissed him long and hard as if she was scared of the answer he would give… In true Mackenzie fashion she'd clammed up when he started to question her after the kiss and then she had started to make love to him again shortly after. She'd fallen asleep after that, snuggled tightly against his body but Will couldn't sleep – all he could think about was what she had said.
He put the ring back into the drawer and climbed back into bed and grabbed his phone again, this time sending an email and putting his plan into action…. Five minutes later and the email to Maggie was written and on its way. He slid back down into bed and pulled the covers over him wondering how long he had to stay in bed trying to figure out what all the noise was coming from the kitchen!
It was nearly eight am when Mac pushed open the bedroom door and together with Sophie and Ginger Bear they crept over to the bed where Will seemed to have dozed back to sleep….
"Wake him up Soph" Mac whispered, as Sophie clambered up the bottom of the bed and crawled up towards Will… "Gently though sweetie…"
Sophie looked up at Mac, only knowing how to tickle her Uncle awake…. Mac sat down on the side of the bed and shook Will gently which Sophie immediately copied… Still he didn't open his eyes but Mac had the feeling he might be playing games here – she knew Will well enough and he had always been a light sleeper!
"I think you need to be like the Prince in Sleeping Beauty Soph…" Mac whispered… "Give him a big sloppy kiss – maybe that will wake him up…"
Sophie giggled and leant over and placed a wet, slobbery kiss on Will's cheek as Mac shook his arm once again… Suddenly Will opened his eyes and grabbed Sophie pulling her into him and tickling her…. "Who's waking me up so early?" Will roared, winking at Mac and causing much giggling, squealing and general excitement from Sophie…
Mac watched as Sophie clambered free and gave Will such a big hug, her little lips plopping wet kisses on Will's cheek whenever she could…. Eventually she pulled herself free from Will and grinned.…
"It's your birthday Uncle Billy…" Sophie informed him – as if he had no idea it was his birthday…
"Is it?" Will asked in mock surprise…
Sophie giggled and looked at Mac…
"Ready?" Mac whispered and Sophie nodded wildly...
"Happy Birthday to You, Happy Birthday to You, Happy Birthday Uncle Billy, Happy Birthday to You!" they both sang in unison as Will watched on his heart so full of love….
"You have to blow out the candles out…." Sophie said, excitedly looking at the cake in Mac's hands…
Will couldn't help but chuckle at the look of the extremely flat cake in Mac's hands but one glare from Mac and he got the message… He leant over pulling Sophie with him… "Give me a hand Soph…"
Will's eyes danced with delight as Sophie clambered off the bed the second the candles were blown out shouting that she had presents to fetch… "Don't run pumpkin" Will shouted after her but she was already racing back out to the lounge…
"What happened with the cake?" Will asked, chuckling… Only Mackenzie could manage a half inch thick cake…
"It's not the size but the taste that matters!"
"Of course…" Will added smirking…
"Hey – it's edible - just! It was a little bit stressful and it's way too early on a Sunday to be baking a cake…"
"Me and Kenzie drew you a Happy Birthday picture…" Sophie squealed rushing back into the bedroom with balloons, the picture and a bag of presents….
She handed the picture over to Will and then dropped the bag onto Will's lap… "Birthday Presents!"
"Who are these from then?" Will asked but Sophie soon grabbed the bag back off him and started pulling the gifts out of the bag….
"This one's from me…. It's a pen…"
"SOPH!" Mac laughed, as Will chuckled pulling open the wrapping…
"Sophie – how did you manage to keep it a girl's secret right till the last minute?" Mac giggled…
Sophie giggled and cuddled into Will's side looking embarrassed as he pulled the silver pen from its box… "Oh Soph – it's beautiful – thank you darling…" Will said, pulling Sophie into his arms for a kiss…
"It's for you to use when you're on TV…" Sophie explained… "We had somebody write on it…" she added pointing at the pen…
"She means it's engraved.." Mac explained as Will look confused… "Read it.."
"To Uncle Billy, Love you. Sophie." Will whispered as he read the engraving along the side of the pen….
"Kenzie let me pick what to write…."
"Although I might add, we did have to cut it down from five sentences to six words!" Mac giggled…
Will's eyes glassed over with tears as he pulled Sophie into his arms and held her tightly… He looked up at Mac and mouthed a thank you as she watched on smiling happily… Sophie soon pulled away again and picked up the other gifts as Mackenzie cut the cake and put it onto three plates…. She wandered around to the other side of the bed and climbed in next to Will and watched as he opened the watch she had bought him…
"Kenz – it's beautiful…" he said a moment later, leaning in and pressing a soft kiss to her lips…. "Thank you…"
"I didn't know what else to get the man who has everything already!"
"It's perfect darling… thank you…"
Next Will opened a package containing a brand new New York Jets tshirt with a matching baseball cap…
"We got that 'cause we got paint on the other one!" Sophie giggled…
"It's wonderful… Thanks…." Will said, smiling at Sophie…
"It's better than the 'Beast' outfit she wanted to get you so you could play 'Beauty & The Beast' with her…" Mac whispered into his ear so Sophie couldn't hear!
Will chuckled and looked gratefully towards Mac as he leant over and grabbed a plate of cake… "Come on then – let's try this masterpiece of cooking!" he chuckled…
"We made it this morning while you were sleeping…" Sophie said, excited to see Will's reaction… "Kenzie said it's a special cake that's thin –not like our round cake we cooked the other day…." Sophie said, as Will shook his head at Mac…
"A special cake that's thin?" Will whispered…. "You really told her it was supposed to be like that?!"
"Shhhh – she doesn't know any different!" Mac said taking a mouthful of the cake…. "Play along – she doesn't need to know how rubbish I am at this kind of thing!"
Will chuckled and pulled Mackenzie into his side as Sophie went in search of the remote control for the TV….
"Hey – by the way…. I'm taking you out for a fancy dinner tonight…" Will whispered... "You need to be looking gorgeous and dressed up by seven thirty…."
"Dinner?" Mac asked sounding surprised…
"You know – dinner? The meal we eat in the evening time?"
"Very funny! Where?" Mac asked…
"It's a surprise!"
"Will – it's your birthday not mine…"
"Exactly and I want to take my girlfriend on a date… We've been back together for two months and we've not been out on a single date just you and me… So I'm taking you out - dinner, dancing – anything you want…."
"What about Soph?"
"What about her?" Will asked, nonchalantly nuzzling Mac's shoulder… "We can just leave her here alone right? Let's lock her in the wardrobe and no one will hear her cries?!"
"WILL!"
"Relax…. I'm joking… We have Maggie and Jim coming over to babysit…" Will announced looking pleased with himself… "I emailed Maggie to ask them while you were baking…. And I use the term 'baking' loosely!"
"Really? And Mag's was okay with that?" Mac asked, her excitement starting to show….
"Yep…. She couldn't wait! You know how much she adores Sophie – she's actually one of the few I trust to take care of our little monster…"
Mac melted inside whenever Will described Sophie as 'theirs'…. He was right though – they hadn't been on a single date together since they'd re-united and after everything they'd been through surely one night out would be okay…
"Sound okay?" Will asked, obviously worrying about Mac's sudden silence…
"I don't have a dress here?"…. Mac whispered….
"Well, maybe I'll have to treat you to a new outfit while we're out today! Sound okay?"
"Sounds perfect…." Mac whispered and curled herself into Will's arms as Sophie switched on the TV…
"Look – it's The Wiggles…." Sophie squealed… "It's on for your birthday Uncle Billy…. Can we watch the Wiggles? Pleeeaaaassseeeee?"
Will chuckled to himself – how could ever possibly say no to that little face? It seems Mackenzie was definitely teaching Sophie how to get around him… Will nodded and patted the bed for Sophie to join them…
Sophie ran back to the bed and climbed her way up and then snuggled herself in the middle of Will's legs, leaning her head back against his chest… Will automatically dropped a kiss onto the top of Sophie's head and then pulled Mac into him and wrapped his arm around her tightly… He didn't even care that the Wiggles was blaring from his TV screen at 8am on a Sunday morning - his birthday morning…. he had his two girls in his arms and that was just the most perfect way to start the day as far as he was concerned.
Will watched as Mac's eyes danced over the desert menu before reaching across the table and taking her hand in his…
"Enjoying yourself?" he asked, his thumb rubbing gently over the back of her hand…
"It's beautiful Will… I feel very spoilt and it's not even my birthday!"
Will chuckled and squeezed her hand a little tighter…. "It's me that's been spoilt – you and Sophie have managed to make this the best birthday I think I've ever had…. My cup runneth over…"
"It's because you're very loved by us both…" Mac whispered lovingly…
Will nodded his face suddenly becoming very serious…
"You okay?" Mac asked, noticing the look…
Will took a deep breath and then let it all out in one go… He'd really thought this would be easy to say but so far he'd put it off all night… He could feel the black box in his pocket right now – almost burning a hole…
"Will?" Mac asked, concerned… "What's wrong?"
Will looked up the moment he heard the concern in Mackenzie's voice…. "Sorry." he whispered, wiping the beads of sweat that had suddenly appeared on his brow…
"Mac…. I had planned to….. God… I don't know how to say this – I had it all so straight in my head this morning..."
"Billy? You know you can tell me anything okay…." Mac whispered, her concern growing by the second…
Will nodded and took a gulp of his scotch before taking a deep breath and pulling his chair a little closer to Macs…
"Mac – What you said last night? About wanting a cousin for Soph? Were…. Were you serious?"
Mac didn't even hesitate this time… she nodded her head and reached for his hand, her bottom lip automatically slipping between her teeth… "I think so yeah…. I mean – I'd never thought about it really – well I never expected to be in the position of deciding that… but now with everything that's happened with you and me – yeah…. I really do…"
"Really?"
Mac sighed and nodded, trying hard to keep herself from crying… "I've been thinking about it for weeks Will… Since Sophie came along I've got all these odd feelings inside of me and I think it's just I'm desperate to have a baby all of a sudden… I really didn't expect for that to happen to me…"
"Why didn't you say anything before?"
"I was just worried it was a thing – like a crush sort of thing - because of Sophie…. But this feeling – it won't go away Will – if anything it's just getting stronger and stronger every day…."
Will sighed, feeling mightily relieved that him and Mac were at least on the same page here…. "It's all I can think of since you said it last night…" Will gushed… "It's just been playing a loop in my head over and over again…."
Mac giggled and smiled so happily that it melted Will a little… Time to be brave Will thought to himself….
"So… what we're saying is that we want to try for a baby? You and me?" Will whispered squeezing her hand tightly…
Mac suddenly found she couldn't speak but she did manage to nod her head wildly….
"And, if we decide to try for a baby it must mean you want us two together for ever?" Will said with a sparkle in his eye….
Mac laughed before she realised he was serious…. "Of course – I thought we already knew that Billy…"
"I did – but I was just making sure…" Will said, pulling the black velvet box from his pocket… He took a look at the look of complete and utter shock on Mackenzie's face as he slowly opened the box to reveal a platinum band covered in diamonds and emeralds….
"Marry me?"
"Oh Billy…" was all that Mac could manage to utter…
"Mac – let's make it official…. I've learnt so much over the past couple of months with Jess and Sophie and you and I… I've learnt that we should never wait until tomorrow to do what we want because tomorrow may never come along… I don't want to wait any longer Kenz… I never realised quite how much I loved you before but I do now – more than you could ever imagine…"
Mac sighed, hardly believing the words that were falling from his lips…
"Mackenzie, you complete me in every way and I want you to be my wife.… I want the three of us to be a family - the three of us and any other little ones that might come along…"
Will reached forward and wiped the single tear that had trickled out of Mac's eye and onto her cheek…. His words were so simple - so simple but they said everything that needed to be said…. Will watched as the realisation of what he said made its way through Mackenzie's shocked brain…
"What happened to the other ring?" Mackenzie finally whispered…. "That's not the ring you showed me before…."
Will chuckled – it was so Mackenzie like to actually forget the question in hand and move onto something else…. "I couldn't use it Kenz… I chose this last week instead – I know you liked the other ring but it just bought back too many memories of me being a prick… You deserve better…."
Mac smiled and looked into his eyes so deeply….
"You like the new one?" Will asked, suddenly worried she didn't like the ring….
"It's beautiful Billy…. Even more beautiful than the last one if that's possible…."
Will smiled and squeezed her hand a little tighter…. "Emeralds signify eternity – did you know that….?"
"Eternity signifies endless time… forever…" Mac whispered in reply….
"And that's what I want darling – you and me together for all the time we have left on this earth and even beyond… I don't want to spend a single moment apart from you Mackenzie…."
Mac smiled and tried so hard not to cry…. She pulled both his hands into hers… "You really mean this Will? You want us to be married? To start a family?"
"I've never been more sure of anything…. I wouldn't ever say something like this if I didn't mean it – you know that… Mackenzie - When you're not with us… I miss you so much... Forget Sophie in all this – I miss you… I miss us waking up together every morning…. I just want you with me – all the time Kenz – I hate it when you go to your apartment in the week…. I want us to be Mr & Mrs McAvoy… that's all…."
Mackenzie giggled again and moved right on the edge of her seat so her legs slotted in-between Will's…
"Oh Billy – I'd love to marry you…. Yes!" She whispered, leaning forwards and pressing her lips so gently onto Will's….
"Yes?" Will repeated, just to be sure, when she pulled apart from him a moment later…
"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Mac squealed….
Mackenzie flung herself forward and wrapped her arms tightly around Will's neck, not caring who was watching them in the restaurant and not caring that she was getting a little carried away…. "Yes! Yes! Yes!" she whispered in his ear again and again…
Will pulled apart from her and planted a long kiss onto her lips…. "So that's a 'yes' I take it?!" he joked….
"Yes! It's a Yes!" Mac repeated again, causing Will to laugh out loud as he lifted the ring from the velvet box… He looked around as he heard whispers and sighs from their fellow diners and then slipped the ring onto her finger and then pressed his lips onto her finger so he was kissing the ring as well as her hand….
When he finally pulled his lips from her hand a moment or two later he pulled her into his arms and held her against his body…. He could feel her heart thumping away in her chest and he knew it was probably just matching his own…
"Are we really doing this?" she asked, tears building in her eyes…
"It's about time we did – I've only been in love you for close on ten years…!" Will replied, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear….
When she sat back in her chair a moment later she gazed down at the ring before looking up at him… "I think we better tell Sophie that she's going to be a bridesmaid!"