Through the living room window, Amy watched the outdoor activity. Leah was helping Luke roll a snowball larger than her head. Carrie and Matt chased the twins, as they ran around throwing handfuls of the cold, white stuff at each other. Jessica tried and failed to pull the carrot from her daughter's hand. The little girl bit off the tip, and Amy giggled at the thought of future Frosty with a slightly-deformed nose.

She looked over her shoulder at her husband, who was thumbing through the latest issue of Journal of Biomedical Engineering and Medical Devices that her dad left on the coffee table.

"Sheldon, let's go out there with them."

He set the journal down and crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm not going outside until I absolutely have to."

"We haven't left the house since we got here. I'm getting cabin fever."

"You go on without me. I'm perfectly fine sitting next to the fire."

"You're sure?" She asked, sidling next to him on the arm of the couch.

"Yes. I don't want to brave the cold, but I also don't want to hold you back."

"I know you don't. Okay. I shouldn't be gone long." She kissed his cheek then went in search of pants and her winter gear.

"Mommy, look!" Leah shouted, the moment she stepped out the door.

"Great job! That snowman is going to be huge!"

Luke gaped at her. "This is nothing. You should have seen Frosty 2005. The bottom ball was 4 feet in diameter. By the time I finished him, there was no more snow on the ground. It was like spring in February."

Carrie, who had been hovering nearby, joined the conversation. "Yet we were the only family with a chunk of snow in the yard in April. That thing took weeks to melt. It was hideous after the first big thaw."

"You're just jealous because you didn't win."

"How was it a competition if I never entered?"

"Exactly."

Amy cut into her siblings' bantering. "I've never built a snowman," she confessed.

Luke's mouth widened and his eyebrows shot up. "Really? Never?"

"Growing up in California, I never got a chance. Then when I moved here for college, I was so busy with classes and never even thought about it. Besides, I would have looked silly being a grown woman without kids playing in the snow."

"Well today's your lucky day, Sis. There is plenty of snow and kids."

Amy looked around the yard again, her eyes falling on her daughter who was trying desperately to push the growing ball across the ground. "Need a little help?"

"Yay! A mommy/daughter fun day!"

Amy bent down and set her mittened hands on the cold, white chunk next to Leah's. "Ready?"

Leah nodded enthusiastically. The ball lurched forward from the extra weight, and soon they were gaining momentum.

"Yes! Frosty 2027 is going to beat your sorry A!" Carrie mocked her brother.

"He might be bigger, but he can't beat me if I'm the one who started him. I'll still be the victor!"

Amidst her siblings' silly argument, Amy heard the sound of crunching snow and looked up in its direction. "Dad! Look at this!"

The figure creating the sound neared closer. "I'm not your dad; I'm your husband," he mumbled beneath the knitted scarf nearly covering his entire face.

"Sheldon!" She gasped. "What happened to sitting by the fire, and why are you wearing my dad's clothes?"

"Your dad convinced me that spending time with my family was precious, and I shouldn't squander it away. He told me to get out there and make new memories then practically shoved this," he gestured to his ensemble, "at me."

Amy surveyed him, from the tightly-woven knit hat down to the heavy boots. "You look warm."

"I feel surprisingly warmer than I would have thought."

"Daddy, help us build a snowman!"

Amy stepped back to allow her husband access to the giant white ball. She held in a chuckle as he braced himself and attempted to push it. Leah leaned against the ball with her shoulder, and it suddenly lurched forward.

Carrie sidled up to her. "How are you enjoying your first snow play experience?"

"It's even more fun than I had imagined."

"If you think pushing snow around is fun, you need to try making snow angels."

Amy stared at the cold ground. "I'm not dressed for that."

Carrie looked her up and down. "Sure you are."

"But I'm not wearing snowpants."

She shrugged. "Me either, but that won't stop me." The younger woman led her out of the snowball's path, held her hand tightly, and before Amy knew what was happening, pulled her down, back first onto the fluffy, white ground covering.

Stunned, Amy looked up at the cloudless, blue sky then to her left where her sister was moving her arms and legs in a rhythmic pattern. She copied her motions and soon heard a squeal followed by a soft thud to her right.

"Auntie Amy, look at this!" Logan squealed.

She twisted her neck to view her nephew shuffling his limbs so quickly they were almost a blur. She gave him a thumbs up. He high-fived her, jumped up, and ran after his brother again. Amy returned her gaze back to the sky and continued to leisurely make her impression in the snow. "If I had known this was so relaxing, I would have tried this during my college years."

Carrie sat up and surveyed their creations. "I wish we had known you then," she said wistfully.

"Me too. I feel like I missed out on so much of my life until I met Sheldon."

Carrie squinted toward her brother-in-law and niece then back at her sister. "Surely you have good memories from your childhood."

Amy laughed bitterly. "Not many. My mom worked a lot to make ends meet..." She reddened. "I'm sorry. I'm not trying to make Dad out to be a monster for not being there or helping out financially. He didn't even know about me."

Carrie squeezed her hand. "I wasn't thinking that."

Amy sat up and dusted off her pants. "Can I ask you something? And please let me know if I'm making you uncomfortable."

"Sure. Ask away."

"Yesterday at lunch when Hayden asked why Leah has three grandmas, I could almost literally feel the tension in the room. Why did you answer the way you did?"

Carrie bit her lip. "It's a touchy subject for my mom, and I didn't know how else to satisfy Hayden's curiosity without delving into the specifics. That would have just raised more questions."

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For making everyone uncomfortable."

"It's not your fault. We all love having you guys here."

"Your mom too?"

"Yes." When Amy looked unconvinced, she added. "She really cares about you and Leah, Sheldon too. When we were out Christmas shopping, she started a conversation with another woman buying gifts for her grandchildren. She asked how many Mom has, and she said four. She bragged about her granddaughter from California and how excited she was that it was finally your year to come here for Christmas."

"Really?"

Carrie nodded. "I think Mom just feels threatened by the fact that she wasn't Dad's first. Plus it was a shock to learn about you almost 30 years after they met. We try to avoid mentions of your mom, and I'm sorry for that. We're all really glad you're part of our family." She scooted over, not caring that her perfectly-formed impression was now marred, and wrapped her in a tight hug.

The sisters didn't even realize Sheldon hovering nearby, listening to every word.

xxx

The exhilaration of the day was wearing off, and sleepiness was setting in, but Leah was determined to finish reading what she started the previous morning. Had the rest of Grandma Joan's visit gone smoothly? Was she excited to learn she had a grandchild on the way? A small part of her worried she had been indifferent, but she would never know until she read to the end. She reread the part about her avoiding the question of whether or not she was excited by the news before continuing with the entry.

November 21, 2018

Mom sat stock still for the longest moment in history. I was afraid she'd had a stroke, but she quickly recovered. I asked how she felt about the news. Instead of answering my question, she commended us on waiting until we were married to get pregnant. She's one to talk, but I held my tongue. Even if we had gotten pregnant before we married, at least we've been in a committed, loving relationship.

The next thing out of her mouth was 'Have you told your father yet?' So this is how it's going to be, a competition over who knows things first. I honestly answered that we wanted her to know first, since she's the parent who was there for me my whole life. That calmed her somewhat, and she finally appeared excited. She even hugged us, a rare gesture. This is only the seventh time I remember her hugging me over my 36 years of life.

We showed her Leonard's old room, described our decorating ideas, and asked if she had any we could incorporate. She seemed simultaneously surprised and thrilled that we were including her. I hope this brings us even closer and that our little monkey can have a healthy relationship with her, as I did with my grandma. If only she were still here to witness me becoming a mother. RIP Grandma Martin.

Leah buried the diary beneath her pillow. She was relieved that she was so loved before she was even born. She suspected Grandpa Lowell was thrilled too, but she would wait to find that entry for another day.

Pulling the covers up to her chin, she settled in for a full-night's sleep then startled when she heard whispers from her parents' room. From their tones of voice, it sounded like her mom was upset, and her dad was trying to comfort her. She scooted over to the wall and pressed her ear against it but still couldn't make out their conversation.

She guessed they must be talking about whatever it was that had happened in the yard. She had found it a little odd when her dad called Uncle Luke over to help her with the snowball. He had gone over to her where her mom and aunt sat in the snow and looked like he was about to speak but just stood there, not saying anything. Her mom had looked perplexed until Auntie Carrie hugged her. She tried steering the snowball closer to them, but Uncle Luke suggested they go the other way so they didn't accidentally run over his sisters.

Leah strained to hear, but eventually sleep won out over curiosity, as the hushed voices continued in the next room.

xxx

"I'm so thankful I'm the only woman you ever slept with. It's reassuring to know there aren't any other mini Coopers out there," Amy murmured.

"Sex isn't the only way to create a child. Remember when we thought about in vitro fertilization?"

Amy stilled. "Did you... Are you saying...?"

Sheldon took her hands in his and ran his thumbs over them. "Twenty years ago, Leonard and I needed a way to pay for extra bandwidth. I was so desperate that we went to a sperm bank."

"But you didn't even like touching yourself, so much so that you were reluctant to massage your neck."

"I thought I could do it, and Leonard assumed I was a semi-pro because I spent so much time locked in my room. The truth is, I just needed time to myself. I mostly just read comic books. It was difficult dealing with a roommate." When she nodded in understanding, he continued. "We never went through with it. We didn't even fill out the paperwork. I made up a story about the possibility of my sperm not generating an intelligent being. I didn't think he'd actually buy that explanation. Of course, any offspring of mine would be brilliant."

"Sheldon, why, after all our years together, are you telling me this now?"

He squeezed her hands. "Because after seeing you still struggling with your identity, trying to fit in with a family you hardly know, I'm even more relieved that I don't have a child somewhere out there wondering where his or her father is. Not to mention how it could affect you if you suddenly found out you're not the only mother of my children."

"Like how Annette must feel regarding my mom. Now I get it. The thought of another woman bearing your children knocked the wind out of me."

"Well, you don't have to worry. I have only ever shared my genetic material with you." He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "It's such a relief to get that off my chest. This secret has been weighing on me for years."

"You know you can tell me anything. Thank you for sharing." They lay back quietly for a few minutes, then Amy propped herself up on her elbow and regarded him curiously. "So you never masturbated? Even during puberty?"

He shifted to face her again. "I'm not proud of it, but I did once during puberty. I hated that my body betrayed me."

"Were you thinking about girls?"

He eyed her incredulously. "Amy, you know you're the only woman I've ever been interested in. No, it wasn't because of a girl."

"Then what?"

He squirmed and closed his eyes briefly before meeting her gaze again. "When I was 14, I had a vivid dream about trains and awoke to wet pajama bottoms. As if that wasn't bad enough, my body still had the urge to expel more semen. Since I had already created a mess, I stroked myself there in bed until I climaxed. I was so disgusted with myself that I tried to silently recite pi to 1000 places in a attempt to calm down but only made it to 20. I just couldn't stand that sticky fabric on my skin any longer. I changed into my Sunday pajamas on a Wednesday then washed the filthy bottoms and my sheets in the middle of the night. After that, any time I had the urge, I practised kohlinar."

Her fingers played with the buttons of his pajama shirt. "What about after puberty? Did you ever pleasure yourself while thinking of me?

"Yes," he admitted sheepishly. "The first time was during our Valentine's Day train trip. After I kissed you, I had all this pent up sexual energy to release. I was lying in bed thinking of my hands on your hips, the feel of your lips on mine, and the sweet lingering taste of brownies. That was the first time since my pubescent incident that I allowed myself to give into my body's urges." He gazed at her. "What about you? Have you ever masturbated with thoughts of me?"

"Many times, mostly before we were intimate. Gerard was my faithful friend."

"Gerard?" He spat out. "You cheated on me?" He sat up against the headboard and glared down at her, arms crossed.

"Of course not. Gerard was the name I gave an electric toothbrush I used to relieve sexual tension."

He relaxed his arms and moments later dropped his jaw. "Is that why you always excused yourself to brush your teeth?"

Amy blushed. "Guilty."

"Did you continue to use it after we engaged in coitus?"

"Only between our first and second time. It was almost a year between the two. I couldn't wait that long. I used it after every date," she confessed, "but it was never the same after experiencing the real thing. I didn't have your warm body next to mine."

He shifted closer to her. "Like this?"

"Yes. And I just can't get my hands to make my breasts tingle like you can."

"You mean like this?" He pushed up her nightgown and rested his hands on her breasts.

"Yes!" She moaned into her pillow as his fingers massaged her mounds.

He scooched even closer so she could feel his desire pressing against her leg. She snaked one hand under the elastic of his pajama bottoms and wrapped her fingers around him.

"You're a naughty vixen," he murmured. "Really naughty," he added when she began stroking him.

"Do you know what else I can't do for myself?" She purred. Without waiting for a response, she lowered her lips to his. The featherlight, sweet touch evolved into a frenzied, passionate liplock. The tip of her tongue prodded him, and he eagerly welcomed her. As the kiss became more heated, she pressed his member against her most intimate part.

"You're so hot and wet," he growled. Bracing his hands on the mattress, he hovered over her. The bed creaked from the movement, and he jumped up.

"Where are you going?" She whispered when he circled around to the foot of the bed, carrying the comforter.

"I don't want to wake your family or give any indication of our amorous activities."

She sat up and watched as he lay the comforter on the floor, smoothing out all the wrinkles. He surveyed his work then opened the cedar chest next to the bed where the extra blankets were stored. He layered two more on the first one and set another to the side. Amy grabbed the pillows off the bed and joined him in the makeshift nest.

Sheldon pressed the covers against the hardwood floor. "It's still not well padded. I don't want my back or yours to be ground into the floor. How shall we proceed?"

"We could do it sideways," Amy suggested.

"Have you forgotten what a disaster that was?"

"It wasn't a disaster; you just slipped out a few times."

"Six, it was 6 times."

"That was a long time ago. We're more experienced now."

"You do make a valid point."

"And if it still doesn't work, we'll just finish in missionary position again. Laying on my back for a couple of minutes will be worth it."

Sheldon slid his pajama bottoms off then slipped her nightgown over her head and quickly covered them with the extra blanket. He rubbed her shoulders, and the goosebumps from the chilly room air dissipated. His lips sought hers, and she had to stifle in a moan when their tongues mingled and his hands slowly slid from her shoulders to her breasts, where they resumed their earlier ministrations.

When they came up for air, Amy took a moment to catch her breath then pressed her lips to his neck, leaving a trail of tiny kisses from his ear to his collarbone and back up again. She flicked her tongue at his earlobe then gently caught it between her teeth and suckled.

"Oh, dear Lord! You know that's my third most erogenous zone," he murmured.

"That's exactly why I'm doing it," she whispered seductively.

Keeping one hand on her breast, he let the other drift down her belly. His fingers brushed over her soft flesh in concentric circles, mimicking the actions of his other hand. She bucked her hips up when they finally reached her apex. His mouth descended upon hers, drowning out the whimpers. Her own hand traveled down his chest, to his abdomen, and finally settling on his hard length. She lubricated his tip with the precum and began pumping him slowly at first then gaining speed. Her other hand cupped his testicles, gently massaging them. When he was getting near, he removed his hand from her core and rested it on hers, halting her movements. They lay panting, each wanting more but holding out for the ultimate act of intimacy.

Sheldon pressed his lips to her forehead. He kissed her eyelids as they fluttered shut then sprinkled more kisses along her cheekbones and neck. "Ready?"

"Yes."

She shifted closer and swung her leg over his hip for better access. He tilted his pelvis to and fro, blindly attempting to locate her folds. She grasped the base of him and guided him in. "I forgot how delectable this angle feels," she moaned, as he leisurely thrust in and out.

"Maybe we should just keep the pace slow and steady. It was when we sped up that we began having issues the last time."

"That works for me," she sighed happily.

The languid pace gradually increased, and the rhythm became erratic. Determined to keep him from slipping out, Amy grabbed onto her husband's firm posterior and held him steady. When she could tell he was near his peak, she pushed him in as deep as was humanly possible.

"Oh, de...!" He shouted.

With her mouth on his, she muffled the rest of the phrase she knew so well. The warm liquid flooding her core was enough to send her into her own climax. She bit her pillow hard to muffle her scream. They lay spent in each other's arms, their chests heaving. When their breathing returned to normal, they shared a sweet kiss. Sheldon draped his arm over her waist, while Amy's leg remained over his hip, keeping them joined.

"Sheldon?" She whispered, as she struggled to stay awake.

"Hmm?"

"Do you regret not going through with the sperm bank?"

"No."

"It doesn't bother you that you only have one child?"

He shifted his head back to get a better look at her. "Amy, we've been over this before. You are the only woman I ever wanted to have children with. I don't regret the vasectomy or the sperm bank."

"I know you wanted more; we both did."

He rubbed soothing circles over her back. "And now I can't imagine our lives being any other way. Some days I wonder how other people handle having more than one. I am very content with how things worked out. We gifted humanity with an exceptional child."

"She is exceptional," Amy murmured. "She got the best parts of both of us.

"She did." He snuggled against her and sighed contentedly. "Wait, what parts of me aren't the best?"

Amy planted a sweet, sensual kiss on his lips. "You are perfect for me. Goodnight, my love."