Charlotte's sitting up in bed, checking her emails at three in the morning. She turns her head and glances at Cooper's sleeping form beside her. Her husband's lying on his back, sprawled out, with his head turned, as he snores quietly into his pillow. She sets her phone down and shifts on the mattress, settling back down.
Cooper stirs. "Hmm, Char?"
"Oh, did I wake you?"
He rests his hand on her thigh and brushes his thumb against her pajama bottoms. "You ok?" He slurs, his eyes still shut.
She nods. "Mmhmm."
He rubs his eyes and takes her hand, brushing his thumb against her skin in slow circles. He looks at her in the dark, her grainy silhouette hardly visible, but he could tell something was on her mind. He could see it all over her face. Her eyes were a little bit unfocused, her lips were pressed into a line, and she was biting the inside of her bottom lip—something she only does when she's holding something in. He's about to prod her again, but she beats him to punch.
"I don't want any more kids."
He blinks. "That's not a secret. It never was."
She sighs. "In the kitchen this mornin', Amelia cracked a joke 'bout our kissin' leadin' to another baby. I can't shake it. I don't want any more kids. I can't handle any more."
He laughs. "You're on birth control again, aren't you?"
"Yeah, of course, but we all know that worked so well the first time," she grumbles.
"You're not gonna get pregnant again, Char." He pauses. "But I do have champion swimmers, so—," he mutters under his breath with a sleepy laugh.
"I didn't want to get pregnant in the first place."
"So you regret it? Is that what you're saying?"
She sighs. "No, not at all. I love the triplets. I admit in the beginning I was scared and just pissed off, but I don't regret havin' them. I will never wish they weren't born—not ever." She's annoyed now and this conversation is leading into a fight she didn't plan on having, so she takes a minute to breathe and gather her thoughts before she looks at him. "Amelia's comment has just been on my mind all day and I can't sleep. Five kids are enough, don't ya think?"
"Not for me, but five is plenty for us. I have got more than I ever dreamed possible. I have my family." He smiles, tracing her jaw with his finger, and leans in to give her a sweet kiss on the lips.
She scoots over to him and snuggles into his side, resting her head on his chest.
"It's unlikely that your birth control will fail again, but nothing ever goes according to plan with us," he adds.
"Clearly," she mutters into his neck before pressing a kiss to his collarbone.
He yawns and tugs on the sheets. "Let's focus on raising the brood we have, and not worry about anymore accidental pregnancies, though I do believe the triplets were no accident. They were meant to be here, just like we were meant to be together."
"You're right."
"I know I am," he teases and kisses her again, making barely any contact with her lips. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight." She lets out a breath and closes her eyes. She's asleep within a few minutes. It's amazing how a simple conversation with her husband calms her rattled nerves and turns off her brain.
He snakes his arm around her and falls back to sleep shortly after.
On Saturday morning, Cooper's busy in the kitchen, making breakfast—French toast and sausage links. He's letting Charlotte sleepin just a little bit. He knows she needs at least a few minutes of extra rest, though he knows she'll probably be pissed at him for turning off her alarm.
Lucas is sitting at the island counter, coloring a dinosaur and connecting the dots. He's humming to himself and bobbing his head. He fights off a yawn and swings his legs. He stops moving the crayon and looks up, asking, "Daddy, is momma sleeping?"
Cooper slowly turns his head, staring at the little boy being swallowed by the enormity of the island counter. He chokes on saliva and nods his head. He hesitates, "She, uh, she is." He turns back to the stove and shakes his head. I'm hearing things, he mumbles under his breath, going back to cooking breakfast.
"My tummy's angry. I'm really, really hungry."
Cooper nods. "I know, buddy. Me too. Come over here and wash your hands. Breakfast will be ready soon."
Lucas closes his coloring book and slips off the stool. He pads over to the side and carefully steps onto the little red ladder with his name printed on it. He flips on the water and runs his hands under the stream.
"Don't forget the soap."
"No way." Lucas giggles and pumps the soap into his palm.
Charlotte walks through the archway and slides up beside Cooper, looping her arm around his waist and meeting his cheek with her lips. She smiles, but tugs on his arm, pulling him down closer to her level. "Thank you for lettin' me sleepin, but if you ever turn my alarm off again, you're dead," she warns with a slight laugh.
He swallows. "Sorry. I just figured you could use some extra sleep on your day off. There's no need for you to wake up at the crack of dawn on a Saturday."
She pats his back and goes over to Lucas. "Mornin', fella." She messes up his hair and smiles.
"Morning, momma."
She glances at Cooper and he nods in response. It's really happening. This is going to be a daily thing—Lucas calling her momma. She's just going to have to get used to it. It's a good thing, she keeps telling herself. She runs the little boy's back and kisses the side of his head. "Did you sleep alright, sweetie?"
Lucas over exaggerates a nod. "Uh-huh."
"Hungry?" She nudges him.
Lucas dries his hands and looks at her. "You heard that?"
"I'm pretty sure everyone can hear your tummy growlin'," she answers, tickling him and scooping him up in his giggly and squirmy state. She sets him back down and smiles. "Go wake up your brother." It just slips out without warning. She's thought about that, Mason being Lucas' older brother, but that was only subconsciously. She has yet to acknowledge that—well, until now, that is.
Cooper catches it and turns his head, arching an eyebrow and smiling at her.
It goes right over Lucas' head, probably because he already thinks of Mason as his older brother, though he has yet to call him that. "I'll go jump on him."
Charlotte shakes her head. "You certainly will not jump on him, sweetie."
"Kidding." Lucas laughs and hurries up the steps.
Charlotte looks at Cooper and swallows. "I guess that makes it official—we're a family—all seven of us."
Cooper smiles, but chooses not to respond, mostly because he has nothing to say. She's already said it perfectly—they're a family.
A/N: Head's up, the next chapter will most likely be set some time in the future (maybe when the triplets are six months old or during the triplets' first birthday). I haven't decided yet, but I know there will be a time jump of some kind...any preferences?
Anyway, more fluff :) Hope you liked it.