'Okay, Miss Tessi-boo, we have our diaper bag, Mommy's purse, the list, and our grocery sacks, don't we? Let's get us some eats.'

Meredeth chattered away at Tessi as she put her daughter into the car seat on top of the grocery cart, her purse in the basket space beside her. It was a momentous occasion for her - she and Tessi were taking their first solo trip out of the house just the two of them. Esposito was going to be home after working a double and had given her a kiss when he'd gotten home just as she was coming out of the house with the baby.

She'd adjusted Tessi into her seat and was shoving the cart around the produce isles, focused between her child and her errand.

'Raspberries, raspberries,' she murmured. 'Tessi, where did you hide the raspberries?'

Tessi's response was to kick her legs a little and track the source of Mommy's voice as Meredeth oscillated between picking up fresh fruit and her. 'You're right, Meredeth continued. 'Raspberries aren't even on sale this week, but blackberries are, and we know Daddy likes those in his iced tea don't we? Yes we do. And we're going to make him some when we get home because Daddy's had a busy few days.'

'Hey, girl!'

Meredeth glanced over, saw Lanie coming up behind her with a shopping cart full of leafy green vegetables and her son. 'Hey Lanie! Tessi, look who it is, it's Lanie and Carey.'

'Hi Tizzy!' Carey waved cheerfully. He was wearing a Canadiens t-shirt with his little blue khakis and sandals, and his dual-coloured eyes were bright as jewels. 'Tizzy big, Mama.'

'Yes, she certainly is growing fast, isn't she?'

'So is this one.' Meredeth gave Carey a friendly little wave. 'He's a year old already, I just can't fathom it.'

'I know. He's my big boy, aren't you?' Lanie kissed Carey's forehead with a noisy mwah, rubbed away the smudge of her lipstick with her thumb.

'I big boy.'

'Don't let me keep you, I heard the guys had a long one the last few days, Dave's been going through hell at work which is why we are making his favourite pasta for dinner tonight, aren't we, Carey?'

'Daddy like.'

Meredeth laughed. 'Sounds like a plan.'

'Oh and if Castle calls you,' Lanie added turning back as she shoved her cart towards the imported cheese counter, 'he wants to know about the July holiday weekend.'

'Sounds great. Daddy will like that,' Meredeth said to Tessi as they continued in their quest. 'Daddy loves going to Uncle Rick's place on the water, especially on the boat. It goes fast, it goes vroom vroom vroom.'

They made it to the dairy section and as Meredeth was trying to debate between the kinds of cheese on sale, she heard a child's voice.

'Look at that baby! It's so little!'

She glanced over and saw the boy, about five or so, tugging on his mother's hand and pointing to Tessi. With a smile, she nodded at the boy. 'She is two months and four days old.'

'Wow.' Now it was the mother who returned the smile. 'I remember when this one was that age. Treasure those moments while she's still that tiny.'

'I do.' Meredeth murmured the words as the woman and her boy turned the corner out of the aisle, and she went back to her shopping. 'I absolutely do.'

When they turned into the pasta and sauces aisle, Meredeth thought of what Lanie had said and was making Dave's favourite dish for dinner since he'd been so stressed with work. Her man was a fanboy of her lasagne, and she had all the ingredients already in the cart so why not? He'd had a long couple of days by number six of his eight days straight. She picked up a box of noodles and made a mental note to detour back to the bakery for a loaf of fresh bread; he loved her homemade garlic toast with three kinds of cheese.

'Daddy likes lasagne because it makes great leftovers he can take to work. Yes it does,' she explained to Tessi, who just continued to smile and shift happily in her car-seat. 'You're such a good baby girl, Tessi, you've been so good for Mommy. We are going to have a bath when we get home, and a fresh diaper, and a snack. We've got a lot to do.'

The shopping trip, in Meredeth's estimation was, in her mind, a rousing success. Not only did she not forget a single item on her grocery list, but Tessi didn't cry once in the store or on either car trip.

'Can't ask for better than that, can we Tessi-boo?' she told her infant as she set her down on the kitchen table in her car seat before quickly grabbing the last of the items from the back seat of the Nissan. 'You were just fantastic, weren't you?'

With the last canned good and bottle put away, Meredeth took Tessi upstairs, pausing at her bedroom door and smiling when she heard the murmur of voices from the other side. He'd fallen asleep with her DVD player; Meredet knew Esposito often did so when he was beyond exhaustion. 'Ssh, Daddy's sleeping,' she hissed at Tessi, who herself had begun to yawn and it was no wonder. She'd been awake since her first feeding at seven thirty that morning and since it was just past one now, and she was due for her lunch, Meredeth knew Tessi probably had just enough energy to eat and then she'd be down for the count.

So Meredeth turned on the stereo in the nursery that had the music she often played while feeding Tessi when she wanted her to sleep afterward - Respighi's The Pines of Rome from Fantasia 2000. Though she wasn't a fan of the animation in the film itself, she loved the music the producers had chosen to use and found herself humming it as Tessi suckled at her breast. The moment she'd had her fill, Tessi was yawning widely as she was put on her mother's shoulder for burping; it didn't take long for the air bubble to escape and she was tucked in for her nap with her turtle nearby.

'Sleep well, Tessi-boo, I love you,' Meredeth murmured as the baby's eyelids sank shut, and she softly closed the nursery door. Deciding it would be a good idea to check on her husband to make sure he was still breathing, she moved quietly over the carpeted hallway, but just before she opened the door, Meredeth's hand paused on the knob.

Just like in her dream, she heard a woman's pleasurable sigh from the other side of the door. But what made it odd was that it was her own.

Confused, Meredeth shoved open the door and froze but not in heartbroken terror. The drapes were drawn but she could make out the silhouette of her husband on the bed. He was lying on his side, his ass towards the door, and the dim light from the DVD player casting a depth shadow. She heard the voices from the tiny speakers and realized he'd put on one of their private home videos, the one from Columbus Day the previous year, when Meredeth had been so proud of her belly popping out into one round curve of pregnancy.

And then she heard it over the soundtrack - the unmistakable sound of flesh on flesh.

'Javi!' she hissed, trying her best not to laugh at what she walked in on him doing.

'Oh, Jesus, Mere!' Guilty and embarrassed, Esposito drew his thigh up to hide his erection his hand fisting on the bedsheet. 'Babe, I didn't even hear you come in downstairs.'

'I wouldn't think so if you were going to town on yourself like that when I did.' Amusement was rich in her voice as she pulled her top over her head so she was in her soft at-home shorts and her bra to spoon up against his naked back. 'I thought you were asleep.'

'I tried but when I'm this overtired, the only thing that'll work is...well, that, unless I get interrupted.'

'How so? I mean, we've had all-night sex before.'

'When it's with you, it's like I can go all night because my mind is into it. This, when I'm exhausted beyond, is more like popping an irritating zit.'

'Ah.'

Esposito turned over so he was flat on his back and could see the glee in his wife's eyes. 'What are you so smiley about?'

'I just think it's kinda cute that you were poking the bear to a video of us together.' Now she pressed a kiss to her mouth, her resolving weakening against the age-old pun. 'Want a hand finishing up here so you can get some sleep?'

'Sure.'

With a smile painting her lips, Meredeth touched him, giving his body the release it desperately needed. The moment he oozed warm against her hand, he pulled her in for a fierce kiss as he murmured, 'Thank you, Mere, thank you so much baby. I love you.'

'Love you too. Hey I'm going to make lasagne for dinner.'

'Okay.' On a yawn, he turned his head to the side. 'Wake me when it's ready.'

Meredeth could only laugh and shake her head as she kissed him and headed downstairs to put water on for the pasta.

R&R&Enjoy.