Author's notes: A huge thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, it was lovely to hear your views.
To guest Kevin, this story of oneshots was started before Jane and Lisbon got together and doesn't follow their story at all.
I know it's a little late, but Happy Mother's Day to everyone outside the uk.
Teresa reaches out for her husband and as her hand feels only the bed, she registers what her sleepy mind couldn't quite figure out as she woke up. Her husband isn't there. She listens for sounds of Olive crying, but there's only silence. Then a loud bang, that makes her jump, followed by a cry from her daughter, then murmuring from her husband, tell her that her husband and daughter are downstairs, also, that he dropped something, sounded like a pan, which startled Olive and now he's comforting her and being successful at it.
She decides to crack open an eye and check the time. She blinks against the morning light and looking to her side she's surprised to find a vase of wild flowers with an envelope leaning against it. Then it hits her what day it is – Mother's Day. The awakening brings a smile as she realises it means she doesn't have to get out of bed, Patrick had insisted on it, the day before. She raises her arms above her head, clasping her hands together and enjoys a luxurious stretch, all the way down to her toes. She takes the envelope in her hand and turns it over. There is his recognisable, handwriting, saying
'No peeking until we come upstairs.'
Teresa scowls a little, just like her husband to tease her a little. She sets the envelope back in it's place and lays back on to the pillow. The sounds coming from the kitchen are too faint for her to make out, except the occasional squeal of delight from her daughter and laughter from her husband. She has to fight the urge to throw back the covers and join them. Then the unmistakeable sound of the kitchen door opening and the murmurs becoming louder.
As her daughter's laughter reaches her ears, interspersed with exclamations from her husband:
"Ow! Do you have to hold on so tight?…Let me take your hand"
She understands what's happening – a familiar picture of Olive on her Daddy's shoulders, allowing Patrick to hold her with one hand, but preferring to grab his hair with the other, holding it in a vice like grip that babies have a unique talent for. She will also have the biggest smile on her face. She loves it on his shoulders, thinks his cries of pain are hilarious. Patrick suffers through it every time she lets him know she wants up by trying to climb out of his arms and over his face.
Teresa adjusts her pillows and pulls herself to a sitting position, the door opens and in strides Patrick and Olive. He sits on the bed, shuffling towards her so Teresa can gently unlock Olive's fist, she then pulls her off and gives her a hug. Patrick's rubbing his hair, as if to wipe out the pain.
"I'll be glad when Livvy grows out of that."
Teresa smiles at him, a twinkle in her eyes.
"It's your hair, every woman looking at you is dreaming of running their fingers through it."
Patrick rewards her with a growl.
"Then our next child had better be a boy or I'll be bald before Livvy starts kindergarten."
Teresa stares at him at he stands up from the bed, he leans over and kisses Olive on the top of her head..
"I'll be back with breakfast."
He moves his lips to Teresa's ear, his warm breath sending a shiver through her.
"You didn't know? Happy Mother's Day."
