(1918)

Her back was aching, but she was almost done with the knee joint she was adjusting. Winry found herself grudgingly pleased, once again, that she had taken Ed's suggestion of lessening her workload earlier on in the year. She had intended to do it anyway, but this was much easier - even if it meant less business. He had halted his travel plans for the past couple of months, as well.

Ed's footsteps were thumping up the stairs to their flat above the shop, and she rose to meet him at the door, surprising him with a kiss as he entered.

He shifted his bag of groceries to one arm so he could wrap the other around her, "Well, good afternoon to you, too." His gaze then drifted to the kitchen table where she had been working and he rolled his eyes. "Jeez, Winry. You're not over-exerting yourself, are you? I told you to be careful…"

Winry poked her husband's arm, "NO, Ed. It's just a little adjustment work for a client. I figured it would be easier to do here than downstairs in the workshop. Besides, the baby isn't due for another few weeks. Stop being such a worrywart!" She rubbed a hand over her swollen belly. "I am being careful."

Ed brought her close, pecking her forehead, "I know you are. Sorry."

She kicked off her slippers and circled her arms around his neck, "I am pretty ready for a break, though." She smiled up at him. "Maybe for the rest of the afternoon."

He didn't take much persuasion.

After a while, they lay lazily cuddling side by side on the couch in the next room. Ed sighed contentedly and then laughed when Winry started fussing over a loose button on his disheveled shirt. She silenced him with more kissing, however.

Thunder rumbled outside and Winry nuzzled against Ed, watching the cloudy sky out the window. "Looks like Rush Valley's rainy season is finally here."

"Yeah." Ed yawned, "My leg's been acting up and it's been gloomy all day."

"It always reminds me of the first time we visited this town." Winry said, shifting into a more comfortable position.

It seemed that he had been recalling the same thing, "Gosh, it's been… how many years?"

"About four or five, I think…" Winry said. "Little Sebastian LeCoulte is in his first year of school, now, you know."

"In another five, our own kid will probably be going to that school." Ed scrubbed a hand across his face. "Damn. I'm getting old."

Winry snorted and tugged at his cowlick, "You're not that old, dummy." She shifted uncomfortably again.

"You all right?" Ed asked.

Winry smiled, "I'm fine. Really, Ed. The baby's just kicking up a storm."

Ed's frown slowly changed to a wide grin as Winry placed his hands atop her stomach to feel.

"That is going to be one energetic kid." He laughed.

"You don't have to tell me twice." Winry grumbled slightly, though she couldn't help but smile. She kissed Ed's cheek, snuggling into his side as best as she could.

"We really ought to decide on a name soon, Ed."

He kissed her back on the nose, then, after a moment, her lips. "I thought we'd settled on, like, Alice or Theo or something. Still wouldn't mind Maximilian, though…" He muttered under his breath.

"No way in hell." Winry said firmly.

"Worth a try. Again." Ed sighed. "Do you… D'you think that we'll be okay? As parents, I mean?" He asked. "It's just… We both didn't really have any of our own for a while and we both dropped out of school and…"

"True." Winry said, "But there were plenty of other people that helped us along the way and we've made it this far. I own my own automail shop and you're a leading expert in the study of alchemy. I've told you before - don't worry too much, Ed. We might not be perfect, but we'll try our best."

"Yeah." He agreed after a moment, relaxing. "We'll try our best."

Winry wrapped her arms around him, "You could probably work on your cooking a little more, though."