Chapter 20

C.C. groaned as she slowly rolled to her side on the bed, but even the smallest of movements made her ridiculously nauseous. For the past days the only thing she'd been able to do was curl up in a ball with the covers tightly secured around her as she tried to bear the nausea between episodes of vomiting.

Her stomach had been incredibly upset since they had returned from their honeymoon a week ago – they'd had an extra-long honeymoon, for they had spent two weeks in the Maldives without Amelia (who'd stayed with her paternal grandparents) and then they'd met with Marie, Joseph and Amelia in Orlando, where they'd visited the different theme parks. No one but C.C. had fallen ill, so Niles had his doubts about it being an ailment that she'd caught during their vacation.

If she was being honest, it was a blessing that Niles hadn't fallen under the effects of this mysterious virus, for it had allowed the routine of the house to run its usual course without mishaps. Seeing as she was so nauseous and tired, her husband had been taking care of everything while she got better, and that included Amelia, who had spent the night at the Sheffield's.

It was a fact that C.C. always felt the worst during the mornings, but the nausea and the tiredness would still bind her to her bed for days at a time! She hadn't been able to eat breakfast for a while now, because she simply vomited everything she ate, no matter how small the portion was.

Niles had noticed her constant nausea was making her dehydrated, so, when they'd realised she wasn't showing any sings that she was getting better, they'd agreed that she'd see a doctor in the following days.

But for now, Niles had to take care of her. Hence the warm cup of tea he'd prepared for her that morning – it was the only thing she could stomach.

"Love?" Niles' soft voice called from the door. "I brought you some tea."

C.C. whimpered, not being able to sit up.

She could almost hear the frown in the "hm" he let out at her condition, and at her wordless but not soundless reply. It was probably bothering him a lot more than he was letting on, her being like this, but he was keeping it to himself. He knew she didn't usually like too much fuss when she was ill, even if she really did love him taking care of her as well.

It was just as well she had the perfect man. He knew exactly the right amount of care and attention she'd want and need.

Well, truth be told right then she wanted the maximum amount of care and attention (anything if it could make her feel better!), and he seemed to pick up on this, too. He wandered over, and settled the tray gently on the bedside table, before taking a seat on the mattress next to her, carefully laying a hand on her back to rub it over the covers.

"Not feeling any better this morning?"

She could barely bring herself to reply, "No..."

She wished she had the strength to at least sit up and look at Niles, but she felt like she'd be sick if she even tried. No, it was best to stay down. Whatever this mystery illness was, it was taking everything out of her!

She felt guilty for having to leave everything to Niles. He'd been taking care of everything all over the house and Amelia as well...she'd have to make it up to him, and to their daughter, for not being able to do more during that time.

Of course, Niles would probably say that being well came first.

"Maybe it's time we go and see a doctor about this," he suggested. "It's not like you to not even be able to get out of bed, even if you are ill..."

C.C. nodded, carefully edging closer to Niles' and curling her body against his. She could feel him stroking her hair and when she opened her eyes and finally looked up, she found a pair of concerned, light-blue eyes.

"I know," she said, feeling her stomach churning. "But let's wait for a little while – I barely have strength to open my eyes, let alone go to the hospital."

Niles sigh again. He didn't know what was going on with her, but he would be lying if he said he wasn't worried sick. They'd just gotten married! They were supposed to be enjoying their time together, not being bound to their bed!

But she did have a point – she was too weak to move. The vomiting and the dehydration had taken a toll on her, so she was in no condition to move.

"What if we call for a doctor to come home?" he suggested.

"Well... that sounds like a-"

And, suddenly, it was like someone had slapped C.C. in the face. Realisation had just struck her like a lighting! There had only been one other time when she'd been forced to call a doctor due to her persistent nausea, and that one time had been when she'd been suffering from morning sickness in Buenos Aires. She remembered she'd felt horrible that way before, so could she really be…?

Oh God...

This was not an ailment. This was an entirely different thing!

"C.C., what is it?" Niles' full concern was now clear in his voice. "Do you think you're going to throw up?"

"...I'd be lying if I said no," she began, swallowing as best she could. "But I've just...thought of something."

That took Niles aback a little, and he couldn't help but partially screw up his face in thought. What did she mean, thought of something? What could possibly have struck her, right now, right in the middle of her feeling like this?

"What have you thought of?"

"Think about it, Niles. Why could I be feeling like this, without having any sort of virus?" she replied, sounding fairly calm despite her nausea. Maybe it was to stop herself from being sick, still.

That only made him more curious.

For a split second, that was. Until the implications kicked in and the calculations started in his head...and then he realised that calculations weren't really necessary, considering the amount of times they'd...

Were they really...?

"Babcock, do you mean to tell me that you think you're-"

"Pregnant?" C.C. finished for him, hugging the covers more. "Maybe. But we should still call the doctor anyway, and they can confirm it for us."

"Or, I could go out and get you a pregnancy test?" he couldn't help but feel energised at the idea of them expanding their family, and he wanted to know as soon as possible. A doctor would take too long for his liking. "If you're feeling up to using it, that is."

Well... that could work too.

A pregnancy test would be faster, and it wouldn't require her to get out of bedroom right then. If, indeed, it was positive, they could simply go to the obstetrician the following day.

"Yeah... that'll work too," C.C. choked out, feeling a wave of nausea coming over her. It was a horrid feeling, but it did remind her of when she was pregnant with Amelia. "Go get it now, I can wait here."

Niles grimaced. He didn't really like the idea of leaving her on her own when she was feeling so unwell, but he had no other choice.

Sensing his reluctance, C.C. attempted to nudge him in the side. "Come on," she insisted. "Just leave me a bin by the bed in case I need to vomit, but otherwise, I'll be fine until you come back."

Not wanting to upset her further, Niles caved in to his wife's desires. He might not have liked it, but she did, and that's what mattered.

"Alright," he said, heaving a sigh. "I'll be back soon."

Niles then kissed C.C.'s forehead, and set the little bin right next to her bed in case she needed to throw up. He gave her one last, loving look and quickly scuttled towards the car, an odd giddiness growing inside him as he covered the distance to the car.

A baby! They could be having a baby!

The thought kept him smiling all the way there, through the store, to making his purchase, and back home again.

Having a little addition to their family...a brother or sister for Amelia...God, she was going to be the best big sister in the world! He could sense it already.

And he'd have another little one to call him "Daddy". One he'd raised from birth, and was biologically his.

That thought didn't stay in his head long. It mattered, but for some reason the idea didn't sit well with him that it was of such great importance. Amelia was his eldest child, his first, no matter who her birth father was. This wasn't going to change how he felt for her at all, because he adored her more than life itself.

He and C.C. could be having more children, and they would have that same love for each and every one that came along in their future.

He was humming a happy tune as he jogged up the steps to the house, and he fumbled with his keys in his haste to open the door.

"Sweetheart, I'm back!" he called out as soon as there was a crack large enough to call through, and he shut the door behind him, leaving his keys on the table and hurrying upstairs to their bedroom with the little box he had bought at the pharmacy.

He found C.C. trying to sit up on the bed as he pushed the door of their room open, and he took that as a good sign. She could at least move a little, so he immediately went to her and carefully slipped an arm around her waist and helped her to the bathroom. After checking that she was okay and after they'd read the instructions, Niles waited outside while his wife took the test.

And after what felt like an eternity (but were mere minutes), the door opened, revealing a smiling (if nauseous) C.C..

"Well?" Niles said, barely being able to hold his excitement. "What is it?!"

The woman's merely kept smiling at him as she put the used pregnancy test in his hand. He wanted to look! Oh God how he wanted to look! But he was too mesmerized by the sight of her smiling face and shining blue eyes to do so.

"Well, Niles..." C.C. began, moving to wrap her arms around his neck. "I hope you like fatherhood, Methuselah, because I'm pregnant!"

And all the daydreaming he'd been doing as he was going around the store looking for the test was suddenly a reality. He could feel his heart bursting with joy, and as his face split into a beaming grin, he pressed his lips to his wife's own in an enthusiastic kiss. He began to laugh as he pulled away, tears starting to leak from the corners of his eyes as he held her in his arms and gently rocked her from side to side, head resting on her shoulder and nuzzling her a little.

It was really true! They were having a baby!

Their family of three was getting another addition, and he couldn't be happier.

He couldn't wait for the moment they told Amelia, either! She was going to be a big sister, she'd be so excited!

"I take it you like the result," C.C. was still smirking somewhere over his shoulder.

"I love it," he replied, tilting his head down to kiss her shoulder. "And I love you."

"I love you too," she chuckled lightly. "But would you mind stopping with the rocking? It's making me a little dizzy."

"Oh, of course not! Sorry, a little overenthusiastic," he immediately ceased, and released her, holding her only by the arms as he gently directed her back to bed. "But now we know what the cause of your mystery illness is, we can do something about it! And the first thing I'm going to recommend is rest. Do you want anything before then? More tea? Something to eat? I know there's a throwing up issue, but we might have something with ginger in the house, I hear that's good for nausea..."

"Niles..."

"And I have to get you some extra blankets! We don't want you catching a cold now."

"Ni-"

"And then, we can call your obstetrician to schedule a visit! The sooner the better! Do you reco-"

"Niles!" C.C. finally yelled, bringing Niles' excited babbling to a halt. "First I need to lie down! Then we can decide on what to do. Okay, Brillo Pad?"

Niles grinned and carefully lifted C.C. in his arms. He knew he was going overboard, but what could he do? He was but a man! A man who had just been told he was going to be a father all over again. And this time, he would be there since the very beginning, supporting his wife through every stage of her pregnancy.

"Of course," he said and pecked her cheek.

In mere minutes C.C. was comfortably snuggled underneath a number of blankets and her back was supported by a small mound of pillows. He knew that being partially upright would help the nausea.

"Alright," Niles said as he perched on the edge of C.C.'s side of the bed. "What should we do now?"

"For starters, we should call our parents and the obstetrician," the blonde said, rubbing her stomach. "We need to tell them and schedule a visit to the ob-gyn. However, I think that we need to wait until I've reached my second trimester to tell Mia she is having a sibling."

Niles couldn't help but join her in rubbing her stomach. She was carrying their baby there... a life that they had created together.

He nodded along, agreeing with what she clearly already had in mind. She had been through all of this before, after all, and knew what had to be done. Listening to her was a good course of action, really.

And of course he knew that she wanted to get through the first few months of her pregnancy without incident before telling Mia the news – if, God forbid, anything were to go wrong, the girl would be devastated. They would all be devastated.

But there was no sense in worrying, as long as they did everything according to some kind of plan, which was where the obstetrician would come in.

He just didn't know if he should call all of their parents first, or if they should schedule the appointment first. It wouldn't take long to just book themselves in for an examination, would it? Then they could get on with the no doubt lengthy conversations with their family members.

They'd all be so excited! They already all adored Mia, so this new grandchild would be loved just the same.

And then, when the first few months were up, they could tell Mia as well! She'd be so happy, knowing that she was going to get a little brother or sister to play with and probably get into all kinds of misadventures with. He could see it already; his children, playing in the garden in the sun, laughter floating in the air, him and C.C. watching them with their arms around each other...he wondered if they would look like their mother, like Mia did, or if they'd look like him.

Only time would tell...

"Niles?"

"Hm?" he blinked, coming out of his reverie as C.C. waved a hand in front of his face.

"You kind of drifted off there for a while, Butler Boy," she grinned. "I know this is exciting, but I would like to know what you think of the plan sometime this century."

"Sorry, love, I was daydreaming," he replied, smiling softly.

"I think I could tell," the blonde retorted, "but we need a plan of action. What do you say if I call the obstetrician whilst you call your parents? I think they'll be delighted to hear the news!"

Well, that sounded like a pretty good idea. She had more experience in this than he had, so letting her deal with the obstetrician was the more natural thing to do. Meanwhile, he could call his parents, who'd been worried sick for C.C. since he'd told them that C.C. was suffering from a mysterious ailment.

In this way he could put their fears to rest, and that would surely be appreciated by his parents.

"Alright," he leaned in and pecked his lips. "You call your doctor and I'll call my parents."

"Wonderful. Could you please give me my cell phone? It's in my bag."

"Sure thing, love," Niles replied as he scrambled for the phone on his nightstand. He then retrieved C.C.'s mobile phone from her bag (which she had left on top of their drawer) and handed it to her.

Whilst C.C. rummaged her bag for her phone, he dialled his parents' number and waited.

"Allô?" came a jovial French voice from the other end.

"Maman!" he couldn't help but cry out in his building joy.

"Niles!" Marie sounded delighted to hear him at the other end. "We were not expecting you to call! Eez everyzhing alright?"

"Everything is just fine, Maman," he began to pace. He supposed he couldn't help his little adrenaline rush, it was just all so overwhelming and he was ready to celebrate. "We, uh...we found out the cause of C.C.'s illness."

"Oh?"

Beneath the intrigue, Niles knew his mother had probably already guessed what was bothering C.C.. She was just leaving it to him to confirm it, both because she could only go by any hunch that she had, large or small, and because it was more polite to do so.

He was grateful that she was giving him that opportunity. He'd shout it from the rooftops if he could.

"C.C. is pregnant, Maman," he found himself beaming so hard his face was aching as the words formed on his lips. "We're going to have a baby."

It wasn't even a second before Marie shouted out in delight, clearly just as elated as her son was. Niles couldn't quite understand what she said at first – he suspected she was calling his father – but soon enough his mother's incomprehensible babbling became slightly more coherent.

"...un bébé! You are having un bébé!" Marie choked out, her voice clearly affected by her overwhelming happiness. "Did you 'ear, mon coeur? We are going to be grandparents again!"

"Another grand-baby?!" Joseph's voice boomed in the background, and Niles could hear him getting closer to the phone. "Congratulations, lad! We couldn't be happier for you both. How is your wife doing?"

Niles glanced at C.C., who was still lying in bed, busy with her own phone call. He couldn't help but notice her softly and lovingly rubbing her stomach – it made him smile, too. She was pregnant! They were having another baby! And this time, he wasn't going to miss anything. He'd be there through thick and thin, no matter what.

He hadn't been there when C.C. had been pregnant with Amelia or when Amelia had been born or during the first years of her life, but that didn't matter – she was his child, and his family came first and foremost. He wasn't planning on losing anything ever again.

"She is alright. The morning sickness has been quite acute, though," he said. "We are scheduling an appointment with the obstetrician."

"Oh, so she eez not far along?" Marie asked.

"Judging by the timing and her symptoms, we think she is in between her first and second month."

"Ah," Marie sounded understanding. "Well, zhis eez certainly somezhing we all 'ave to battle zhrough, when 'aving children. Eet will pass, soon enough. And zhen you can comfortably wait for your new little one!"

Her words made her son grin, "Yes, yes we can. And the doctor will know how best to keep checks on everything, so that C.C. remains comfortable."

"Indeed, mon chéri. Does Amelia know about 'er new sibling yet?"

"No, not yet," Niles replied. "We're going to wait a while before we let her know. We want to..."

He didn't quite know how to put what he wanted to say. It was almost as though he were afraid that anything he accidentally voiced would then actually happen.

Luckily, Marie seemed to understand what he meant.

"I know, chéri, I know. Waiting on zhe birth of a child eez...a time for delicacy, no? You want to be sure everyzhing is alright before letting 'er know."

He could always rely on his mother to know what was going on, that was for sure. Even though she couldn't see him, he nodded.

"Yes, that's...what we were thinking."

"Eet eez only natural, mon chéri," Marie said gently, before the tone of her voice became more cheerful. "When zhe time comes to tell Amelia, she will be so excited!"

Niles' smile widened – he could almost see it! Amelia's delighted smile when she'd been told she was going to have a little brother or sister, her eagerly awaiting for their arrival and asking numerous questions about the baby, Amelia helping to choose the baby's name…

He could already see his children in the future, playing together and having fun. He could see his children taking care of one another and growing up together, learning from each other's mistakes and victories and having each other's back.

It was strange, but right then Niles couldn't help but feel like he was... immortal. No matter what happened to him or C.C., Amelia and her sibling would always have one another – they would never be alone in this world, even when both he and C.C. had passed away, and they'd carry on their memory and their legacy, perpetuating it ad infinitum.

Because, in a sense, when a parent looks at their child, they see a youthful reflection of themselves; a testimony of their passing through this earth and of their legacy. Their child is supposed to run ahead – to reach new heights that their parents hadn't even dreamed of. They eternalise their story and legacy in this new generation, who, in turn, will produce a new generation, and their memory be carried onwards, until the end of time.

Now this task would not only lay upon Amelia's shoulders, but it would be shared by her brother or sister.

Maybe, this selfish and ridiculous idea about our own perpetuity is enticing, and Niles couldn't help but be fascinated by it – fascinated by the notion that his children were and would always be a living testimony of who he was as a person.

He loved his family, and he only wanted them to be happy.

"I bet she will, Maman," he nearly whispered. "And we can't wait until the moment comes!"

"Indeed! Zhis calls for a visit! We must go and see you and C.C.! Maybe we go around zhe time you are supposed to tell Mia about the baby!"

"That would be fantastic, yes," he couldn't help but nod again. "We were thinking of telling her around the start of C.C.'s second trimester."

"When zhe first few months 'ave safely passed, I understand," his mother said. "We will 'ave to schedule a time to come over."

Niles grinned over at C.C., who now seemed to be on the phone to her own parents. She must have finished making the appointment with the obstetrician.

"That sounds perfect, Maman," he replied. "We can all celebrate the news together, then."

He couldn't wait until then. Not only would it mean that they had safely passed the first few months of C.C.'s pregnancy, but it would also mean that they could tell Amelia!

"Zhat sounds like a good idea," his mother chuckled – he'd probably sounded a little excitable, not that anyone could blame him, or that he could even help it. "But I will say goodbye for now, mon chéri. You go be with your wife."

He let out a soft laugh at how insistent Marie sounded, "Alright, Maman, I will."

"Good. And give both C.C. and Amelia our love."

"Yes, Maman. We love you, too," Niles caught C.C.'s eye once more, and she smirked at him. "Goodbye."

"Au revoir, mon chéri."

Upon hanging up the phone, Niles went to sit next to C.C. and listened as she talked with her own parents.

She seemed to be amused by something, and he thought he had an idea of what was amusing her so much. He leaned closer to her and pricked up his ears.

"... you know, you two spend an awful lot of time together for a divorced couple that supposedly hates each other," C.C. said, smiling smugly. "And I've heard that excuse of "needing to discuss business" many times before, Mother."

Niles couldn't help it, he smirked too.

C.C.'s reconciliation with her mother had not only impacted on Amelia and B.B.'s relationship, but it had also affected B.B. and Stewart's. The gelid silence that had once reigned between them had disappeared, and it had been replaced by a rather peculiar form of communication – one that reminded C.C. of herself and Niles.

Her parents lived to bicker with each other, and they were constantly going to each other's house under different pretexts. It was just that B.B.'s "I need to discuss business with your father" reminded her of her "I am going for some coffee in the kitchen" when she worked at the Sheffield mansion.

And C.C. wasn't one to keep her opinions to herself.

"Oh, please, Chastity-Claire, don't start again!"

"Again? Mother, you spent the night at Dad's last week because you claimed it was raining too much!" C.C. cried out.

Niles bit back his own look of complete and utter amusement, keeping it to the smirk he already wore. He himself had wondered, even more so of late, what was really and truly going on between Stewart and B.B.. They would, of course, shoot down anything that their daughter tried to imply, or perhaps even almost explicitly state, about the way they dealt with each other.

It was almost like they...well, it was very like another certain relationship that he knew very well. One might almost say intimately.

C.C. rolled her eyes, "Yes, Mother, I am aware that too much rain makes the roads unsafe, but I highly doubt they were too unsafe to drive a car entirely!"

C.C. knew she'd get her mother to admit it, one of these days. Either that, or she'd get it out of her father. If they were back together, she wanted to hear about it. Not any of the gross details, obviously, she just wanted to know if something she had thought impossible for all her life was actually coming true. Well, as she looked up at her husband, she realised it wouldn't be the first time; she'd thought that him wanting her after everything that had happened would be impossible. And yet here they were, married and expecting their second child.

So she'd very much appreciate it if one of her parents could let her have one more miracle, so that another couple of people in her family could be happy.

But speaking of miracles and happiness, she had a certain piece of news that, although it couldn't be considered a miracle (considering their... healthy intimacy... it was bound to happen) it would surely cause happiness. It was a cause for celebration, and C.C. was sure her parents were going to be delighted with the news!

"Alright! Alright... let's say that I believe you when you say you preferred to wait until the conditions had bettered, but that's not why I am calling," she said, reaching out and grasping at Niles' hand.

"Then why are you calling, dear?" B.B. asked, her voice having a tone that denoted both worry and a certain curiosity.

"Is Daddy there? I would rather that you both hear the news together," C.C. said. Part of her wished the excitement of the moment had two certain people kissing as a consequence.

"Yes he is, darling, but could you go to the crux of the matter? Is everything alright? Do you need help?"

The string of questions fastened in pace and her voice becoming even more high pitched – it did that when she was nervous. Knowing her mother she was creating a dreadful and completely unreal scenario in her head, and it was up to her to put those uncalled fears to rest.

"It's nothing bad, relax," the blonde said soothingly. "Actually they are really good news!"

C.C. exchanged an excited look with Niles, took a deep breath and blurted out the piece of information both of then wanted to shout from the rooftops, if possible.

"I am pregnant!" C.C. exclaimed. "Niles and I are having another baby!"

She almost had to hold the phone away from her ear, her mother's cry of joy was so loud. Her father's almost matched it, too – she could hear him in the back, where B.B. must have held the phone away a little so that he could hear.

"C.C., that's marvellous news!"

Her mother was clearly over the moon, and that made C.C. feel even happier; she knew that this was the kind of happiness that should have been expressed when she had announced to B.B. that she was expecting Amelia, but getting another chance for her mother to be excited right from the start felt so good...now there would be two grandchildren for her parents to adore, and everything was right with the world.

"Isn't it?" C.C. gripped at Niles' hand. "We are thrilled."

She could hear her father in the back, calling out "So are we!", and she couldn't hold in the laugh any longer.

"Well, I'm glad to hear it!" she hoped he could hear her, too. She was almost about to express how she'd hate it if they weren't, but felt like that might lead them into territory they didn't like to talk about. "In fact, we should all get together to celebrate sometime! We haven't told Amelia yet, and we're not planning to until I've reached my second trimester with no trouble, but that wouldn't stop the two of you from coming over?"

"Oh, that's a rather wise idea," B.B. said, almost to herself. Neither of them wanted to even think about a possibility of something going wrong in her pregnancy, but it would be better to be safe than sorry. "Do tell me, have you talked to your obstetrician?"

"Yes, Mother, I have an appointment on this Friday, at 11:00 a.m., so could you please baby sit her that night?" C.C. asked, allowing Niles to snuggle against her side. She could feel his hands travelling to her stomach, and she could only let him.

"Of course we can, Kitten," said Stewart, finally snatching the phone from his ex-wife. "And congratulations to you two!"

"Thanks, Daddy. Now, you are coming over for dinner, right?"

"Of course! Is Amelia going to be with us?" Stewart said. He didn't want to slip in front if Amelia, much less when this was such delicate news!

"She is at the Sheffield mansion! So there is no problem. We'll tell them when I've reached my second month as well," C.C. explained, carefully turning in Niles' embrace so she could face him.

She was liking his impish smile already...

"Ah, excellent. Well, we'll see you both tonight! Congratulations," Stewart made a pause and C.C. could almost see his smirk. "And now go to Niles. You two surely want to celebrate, too."

"God, Dad..." C.C. chuckled, shaking her head despite the fact he was right – Niles was already opening her blouse, and feathering her chest with kisses. "I'll see you later."

"Bye, Kitten."

It was a blessing that he'd hung up just in time, because if not he would have heard the yelp she emitted when Niles took her nipple in his mouth.

"Well, I'm liking this private little celebration so far..." she moaned, slipping her fingers through his locks as he continued to suck, and she slid herself downwards a little so that he could take his place more over her, continuing to nip, lick, and suck on both of her nipples, using one hand to fondle, pinch and squeeze whichever one his mouth wasn't currently pleasuring.

But he had to pull away, causing her to whimper, in order to answer her, and he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as he looked up, into her eyes.

"Well, I'd be prepared if I were you, my love," he brought his lips to her ear, kissing and nipping at the lobe as he growled. "Because this is only just the beginning..."

And with that, he returned to planting kisses all over her body – every patch of bare skin he could reach. He lined up kisses from her ear down her jaw, up and down her neck, across her collarbone, and all over her chest and stomach.

"I love you so much," C.C. could only groan and pant in appreciation every time his lips caught a sensitive area, or the hand still fondling her breast pinched at her nipple.

He knew her body like a map at his this point, and he was familiar with all the nook and carnies where pleasure lay hidden in play sight. His assault was tender and sweet, but full of raw energy.

Little by little, Item of clothing after item of clothing were discarded, until they were completely exposed to one another. He was comfortably settled in between her legs, and they were engaged in a heated kiss when his hand started making his way downwards.

God... she knew what was coming next! And she couldn't wait.

But before things got (more) heated, she pulled away a little and smiled up at her husband, using her hand to cup his cheek.

"I love you," she said simply, and then willingly gave herself to him.

He just about managed to respond with an "I love you too" before getting lost in a frenzied haste of love.