Boris Yeltsin - Your reviews are great! I appreciate each and every one :)

Katherynne the Great - She is, she's an important member! Thank you so much for the compliment, it made my whole week! And oh lord, I laugh and cringe regularly if I'm forced to reread something (I don't do it regularly because of the aforementioned laughing and cringing!) I envy your hot wings. I had buffalo...cauliflower but it actually wasn't half bad. I've been watching Community for laughs and the latest season of This Is Us to distract myself with other people's drama!

Guest - Thank you so, so much! (I'm blushing!)


Chapter Thirteen


Willow rinsed her mouth as she placed her toothbrush back in the holder and brought a washcloth up to her face to wipe her lips.

A few feet away in the tub, Tara chuckled lowly and a hand disappeared under the water which was obscuring her whole body, leaving her just a disembodied head poking out amongst a sea of bubbles.

"What's so funny?" Willow grinned over at her wife as she patted the cloth over her face.

"The babies float when I'm in the water," Tara said, her wrist appearing out of the water momentarily as she skated it over her belly, "It's a funny sensation."

Willow put the toilet seat lid down and sat on top, near the tub.

"They're floating all the time," she said with a small, confused burrow between her eyes and a smile on her face.

Tara shook her head.

"No, it's different. I can feel them all buoyant. Like my hips have a trampoline stretched between them."

"I never felt that," Willow replied a little wistfully, "It must be so different with two."

"I don't know what it was like with one," Tara shrugged one shoulder softly.

Willow smiled again and rubbed her hands down her thighs and off her knees as she stood.

"Need a hand to get out?"

"I won't be getting out without one," Tara replied with a bashful smile.

She leveraged herself on the sides of the tub and pushed herself up into a standing position with help from Willow to keep her steady.

Willow handed her a robe which Tara pulled over herself, already needing to stretch out her back again despite the water being soothing while she was in it.

She brushed her teeth and moisturized her face with extra care. It was so dry these days; she felt a long way off from those early glowing days.

When she was finished in the bathroom she walked back into the bedroom and across to the bed. Even that short exertion made her need a little rest before she got changed for bed.

Willow was sitting on the other side buttoning up her pajama top and bounced back to lie with her head on the pillow. She smiled over at Tara and scooted over to kiss her.

Tara responded but had to pull away after a moment.

"Oof," she half-sighed, half-grunted as her palm rounded over her stomach, "They're playing a game of soccer in there."

"Both of them?" Willow asked, propping herself up on her elbow.

"Yeah," Tara nodded through a bit of a painful wheeze.

Willow looked down at Tara's belly curiously.

"How can you tell?"

Tara closed her eyes as felt multiple winding flicks against her ribs.

"Because they only have two feet each and I'm being kicked in every direction."

Willow grinned.

"I don't think they're very good at soccer," she said through a laugh, "Robyn will have to give them pointers."

She let her hand hover as she brought it above Tara's stomach.

"Can I feel?"

"Of course," Tara replied, and flicked the sides of her robe off so her belly was exposed.

Willow moved her hand around but the babies seemed to have taken half-time. Willow pouted a little that she had missed it then suddenly saw a very obvious bulge and ripple move under Tara's very taut skin.

"Whoa!" she said, her gaze snapping up to Tara, "Did you see that? Was that a head?!"

"I think it was a little butt," Tara laughed quietly.

"Whose?" Willow asked, grinning from ear-to-ear, "Lily's if it was up here, right?"

Tara shook her head and felt her belly for the babies' positions.

"Actually, I think it was Emily. She's just upside down right now."

Willow giggled and tapped Tara's belly.

"I'm gonna spank her little butt."

Tara's face fell.

"Willow."

"I'm just kidding," Willow defended quietly.

"Well don't," Tara replied, frowning deeply so her forehead tensed.

Willow felt a tension settle on her shoulders but just shook it off.

"Hey, you know I would never…"

Tara's eyes glanced down and then slowly up at Willow.

"I know," she said finally, softly, "I'm sorry."

"No, it was insensitive," Willow replied quickly and leaned down to press her lips on Tara's stomach, "I will kiss it though."

She kissed where she'd seen the bulge and heard a little laugh as she tickled Tara's skin. Once she felt Tara's hand stroking her hair and knew everything was okay again, she lifted herself back up.

"Do you want me to get you one of your sexy nighties?"

Tara poked Willow in the shoulder.

"You won't be laughing when I keep wearing them even after the birth."

"Hey, easy access, I'm not complaining," Willow laughed and jumped off the bed before the playful slap Tara was aiming at her could land.

She went over to the dresser and took out one of the maternity nighties Tara had bought. Admittedly, they weren't the sexiest of things but Willow could see the difference it made for her wife not to have a struggle just to get ready for bed.

Tara took her arms out of the robe to pull the nightie over her body, then put her arms back in and pulled the blanket up over her body as she turned onto her side.

"Cold, baby?" Willow asked and checked the radiator to make sure they were warm, "I changed the timer settings. Compensate for those crisp Fall nights."

"No, I'm okay," Tara replied in a murmur, "Crap. I forgot to get my sugars."

"I got you," Willow replied softly and took the monitoring kit out to prick Tara's finger and take the sample, "130. You're right on it. Need to keep an eye on that. "

She kissed Tara's pricked finger and locked the kit up again before washing her hands.

She got back into bed and made sure the blanket was comfortably over Tara's shoulder and kissed the back of her head. She sat up against the pillows and opened her nightstand to take out her glasses and iPad.

After a few minutes, she heard the quiet creak of the bedroom door and spotted a mop of strawberry-blonde hair out of the corner of her eye.

"Robyn," Willow intoned in that low, motherly tone, "It's bedtime."

She placed the iPad down, intending to get up to bring Robyn back to her room, but noticed her daughter was idling in the doorway with a deep, sad frown on her face. It made her heart clench. Usually, Robyn looked mischievous or giggly when trying to sneak into their room.

"Are you okay, baby?"

Picking up on Willow's tone, Tara looked over her shoulder and pushed herself to turn onto her other side.

"What's wrong Robbie?"

Robyn's bottom lip started to protrude.

"Tumm'ache."

"C'mere baby," Willow said, opening up her arms.

Robyn padded across the room and climbed up onto the bed, shimmying her way between the two warm bodies.

"You have a tummy ache?" Tara asked gently and got a resounding nod, "Whereabouts?"

Robyn sniffled sadly.

"Ih' my nose."

"In your—" Willow started, bewildered, then stopped herself, shaking her head, "Show Momma."

Robyn cupped her whole lower face gingerly and Tara lifted a hand.

"Can I touch?"

Robyn eyed Tara hesitantly.

"Mommy care-fwul?"

Tara nodded seriously.

"I promise, bean."

Tara gently put a finger into Robyn's mouth and had a feel. After a moment, Robyn let out a little yelp and Tara quickly extracted her finger.

"Mommy's sorry, Mommy's sorry," Tara said, stroking Robyn's cheek with her thumb, "Her back molars are coming in."

"Poor baby," Willow replied sympathetically, rubbing Robyn's back, "I'll get her some baby Tylenol."

She delicately extracted herself as Robyn didn't want to let go.

"Go snuggle with Mommy," she encouraged softly and Robyn glanced at Tara and decided she was forgiven enough to accept snuggles.

Tara wrapped an arm around Robyn and cuddled her up close. Robyn hid her face in the crook of Tara's neck and had almost fallen asleep by the time Willow returned carrying two bottles.

"I always forget which one of them is a grape addict and which one is bubblegum."

Robyn's eyes suddenly sprang open, wide.

"Bub'gum!"

Willow chuckled as she shook the pink bottle.

"This stuff is like baby crack."

She sat back on the bed with her legs out and poured a spoonful for Robyn to take. She smacked her lips together and sought more so Willow gave her a tiny bit and put it away out of sight. She got back into bed and looked over to Tara with a very serious look on her face.

"You know, I don't know if that's going to do it. It's just not enough to combat something as serious as a tummyache in the nose."

Tara caught on and matched her tone and look.

"Oh, but what can we do to make Robyn feel better?"

"There's only one cure for it," Willow announced and threw herself around Robyn from the other side, "A mom sandwich!"

Robyn jiggled and giggled and forgot all about her sore 'nose'. Willow and Tara settled around her and Tara started to hum until she smiled easily and her eyes started to droop.

"Goodnight, sweetheart, well it's time to go," Tara sang in a gentle, soothing tone.

"Do-do-do-do-do," Willow added in some soft doo-wop.

"Goodnight, sweetheart, well it's time to go," Tara continued, smiling at her wife.

"Ba-do ba-do," Willow smiled back.

Tara slipped her hand onto Willow's hip.

"I hate to leave you, but I really must say…"

"Goodnight, sweetheart, goodnight," they sang together and Robyn gently slumped into them, happily asleep.

"And not a binky in sight. Glad we finally weaned her off that thing," Willow smiled, "Should I bring her back to her bed?"

"Should you?" Tara asked softly, "Yes."

Willow brushed some hair from Robyn's brow and knew no one was taking her back to her room tonight.

"Where's Woofs?"

"It was JJ's turn to sleep with him," Tara answered, settling her head back on her pillow.

Willow did much the same on her side, content to have their little bean squashed between them.

"Then I guess it's just the…" she stopped and grinned, "Five of us."

Tara felt an uncomfortable flop in her belly and it wasn't from one of the twins somersaulting.

"We'll need to start setting up the nursery soon. Get the co-sleeping cribs for the beds and the double stroller and—"

Willow reached out and rubbed Tara's arm gently.

"It's only October. The babies aren't coming until January—"

"I'm very unlikely to go full term—" Tara started but Willow just pacified her with another arm squeeze.

"So December then. I have everything on a list on Amazon. I just have to press buy. You're growing Thing 1 and Thing 2 so let me take care of the rest."

Tara looked unamused.

"I thought you'd given up on those nicknames."

"Never," Willow replied empathically, then leaned over to give Tara a quick kiss and Robyn a small one on the nose as she rubbed Tara's belly, "Goodnight, love. Little loves."

Tara felt the slumber she'd been near when Robyn first came to the door falling over her again.

"Goodnight."


"Yeah! Go Jakey!"

There were hollers from all of the parents in the stands as JJ netted the basketball into the basket. His team was playing outside in the park and the sun was peeking out between the clouds down on the open court.

Willow was adding generously to the cheers and Tara caught JJ cringing on occasion upon hearing them.

Tara brought her hand to Willow's upper arm and caressed Willow's skin between her thumb and forefinger.

"We're not allowed to call him Jakey in public."

"Piffle," Willow replied indignantly, "I named him, I'll call him whatever the heck I want."

Tara rolled her neck in place.

"Willow, I'm just about at my tolerance limit on these seats in this cold with Robyn whining about her teeth. Don't make me deal with a cranky tween as well."

"He's eight," Willow replied pointedly.

"And what age are you?" Tara snapped back.

It was meant to be playful but came out with a bite. Willow knew it wasn't meant how it sounded. She reached out and placed a hand on the small of Tara's back.

"Do you need to leave, baby?" she asked softly.

Tara glanced over gratefully for the understanding.

"I want to see out his game," she said, sighing as she adjusted her back, "They just didn't design bleachers with pregnant women in mind."

Willow stood up and took one step up and back to the bench behind. She sat behind Tara and angled her knees out at Tara's hips.

"Lean back on me. Use me."

Tara leaned some of her weight back and murmured happily as some pressure was taken off of her back. She looked to the side and caught a furtive glance or two.

"The heterosexuals are staring."

Willow wrapped her arms entirely around Tara's extended belly and tickled Tara's ear with her breath.

"I'll give 'em something to stare at."

Tara grinned from ear to ear and her muscles relaxed a little more. Willow felt it and tried to adjust to give her the most support.

"Is that any better?"

"Yes," Tara replied softly, "Thanks."

Willow popped a kiss on the side of Tara's neck and let her chin rest on Tara's shoulders. She looked down at the court, where Ira was standing at the fence, keenly following the game.

"Look at my Dad."

"He loves being a Grandpa," Tara agreed.

Willow watched him physically jump an inch or two in the air when another basket was made.

"He always wished he had a boy."

Tara frowned.

"Don't say that."

"I don't mean it bitterly," Willow clarified quickly, "He just wanted someone to play catch with."

"He could have played catch with you," Tara countered.

Willow just chuckled.

"Like Sheila Rosenberg would have ever let me get mud on my clothes — and for fun? Like spitting in the wound," she said, dropping a kiss on the spot where Tara's neck met her shoulder, "I love my gender-role-busting, mud-positive, fun-at-all-costs co-parent."

She kissed under Tara's ear again. Tara murmured back to her.

"Is this the show you were talking about?"

Willow rested her chin on Tara's shoulder from behind.

"They should be so lucky."

Tara smiled and then JJ scored again and she clapped while Willow hollered in her ear.

"Yeah!"

Tara glanced over at Robyn in the stroller but she was sleeping through the noise as she chomped on her teether, as long as Tara kept a gentle motion.

The game ended with JJ's team winning comfortably and there was lots of clapping and a few disgruntled parents grudgingly following along. Woofy stood up from where he had been lying alongside the stroller and began panting excitedly at all the commotion.

Tara let out a soft groan as her lower back spasmed and Willow did her best to hold Tara at the waist.

"Okay, baby you did it, but you need to be in a proper chair with support and a hot water bottle."

JJ ran up to them and bent to pet Woofy, who jumped and licked all over him.

"JJ you did so well!" Willow said, putting her hand up for a high five.

"We're so proud of you, sweetie," Tara added, reaching out to give some 'acceptable' affection; a squeeze of his arm.

He surprised her by going in for a quick, sidelong hug.

"Moms can I go out for pizza with the team?" he asked excitedly, "Everyone else's parents are bringing them."

"Well, uh," Willow started, looking at Tara with concern for a moment, "I mean yeah of course but—"

"Yeah!" JJ pumped the air victoriously and gave Woofy another pet before running back into the court with the other boys.

Willow wished Alex hadn't switched from basketball to soccer; times like this it was great to be able to trade-off ferrying the kids around with Xander and Anya. She put her hand on Tara's back for a moment and whispered that she'd be right back.

She stood and walked down the bleachers and over to where her father had just waved JJ off.

"Dad, would you be able to take Tara home?" she requested with a hopeful smile, "JJ wants to go out for pizza with the team but she really needs to rest. I'll sit in the parking lot with Robyn. I don't think moms are on the guest list."

Ira's whole face and body lifted excitedly.

"If you'd like, I can accompany the boy with his friends instead."

Willow smiled softly. She could see he wasn't just offering to help her.

"I think that sounds perfect. Thanks, Daddy."

"I'll drop him home after," Ira nodded.

Willow nodded back, then turned to look over her shoulder as she departed again.

"Try not to let him get totally annihilated on sugar?"

Ira's grin twitched with mirth.

"Oh but that's all the fun of being a grandparent."

Willow could only chuckle.

"Thanks, Dad," she said again and returned over to Tara, "Okay, let's get you rested."

She started to push the stroller around so she could take the handles, but Tara shook her head as she slowly tugged herself into a standing position.

"Actually, pushing the stroller helps me offset some weight."

Willow slipped her hand around the leash instead.

"I'll take Woofy."

They slowly walked back to the car and Willow used her ninja-mom skills to get Robyn into her seat without waking her. The pain medication they'd given her that morning didn't hurt in keeping her peaceful.

"She's still gone on the baby crack," Willow said as she hiked into the driver's seat of the minivan.

"You need to stop calling it that," Tara clicked her tongue but a smile was threatening to peek out.

Willow shot a grin in her wife's direction and pulled out of the lot. It was a short spin home; a route they usually walked but Tara hadn't felt able that morning, saying her feet felt like balloons.

Willow checked her mirrors and spotted Woofy had put a paw by Robyn's hand, who was rolling it between her fingers as she slept. She nudged Tara to look too and they shared a smile.

Once home, Tara gratefully sat into a chair with support and Willow brought Robyn upstairs for the rest of her nap. She returned to the car when she realized the teether had been left behind so she could retrieve and wash it. On her way back, she spotted a large brown padded envelope sitting to the side in their porch, which she hadn't seen when going inside the first time, but she had been carrying Robyn.

She picked it up and saw it was addressed to Tara but didn't have many other identifying markers. She held it under her arm as she walked back into the house to leave the teether in the sink and then brought it into the living room to hand it off to the intended recipient.

"Package for you."

"For me?" Tara asked with a confused furrow in her brow.

Willow did most of the online shopping in this household, as evidenced by the endless packages they'd been receiving as she ticked off items on the Amazon list. Tara took it and scanned it the same way Willow had, but there was nothing that stood out in the handwritten scrawl of her name and address.

She tore open the top and peeked inside. There were items wrapped in plastic and another smaller, standard-sized white envelope. It was open and her name was written on the front of it. She took the letter out from inside and unfolded the page.

"From the estate of Myra Potts," she read, only inhaling softly a few moments after she'd realized what she'd read, "Oh."

Willow came over and sat on the arm of Tara's chair.

"Oh, sweetie."

She ran her fingers along Tara's arm and offered silent support as Tara let the contents fall into her lap. Tara picked up the plastic wrapping on top and slid out what was inside; one round item of knitting that Tara was able to hold over her fist.

"A tea cozy she was knitting me so my pot of cinnamon tea would last longer in the office," Tara smiled sadly, "She saw me admiring hers and smiled that secret smile of hers. I'd forgotten."

She handed it off to Willow for her to see, who smiled as she spun it around her hand.

She watched Tara take out the contents from the other envelopes and cocked her head as she took them all in.

"How many teapots does she think you have?"

"No," Tara laughed quietly, "They're hats for the kids."

Willow suddenly noticed the recognizable patterns and even the little ears sticking out on top. She picked up the top two: a beige hate with yellow spikes and an orange one with black lines.

"A Lion for JJ like Roar-y and a tiger for Robyn like Stripey!" she exclaimed in delight as she turned over the hats to get a better look at them, "What did the girls get?"

Tara held a gray hat over one hand and a black and white one over the other.

"A panda and a koala bear."

"She made them both bears!" Willow said, thrilled at the notion but frowned as she took them to examine, "They're kinda small."

She touched the soft material, then held her hand to her heart and felt a pang of sadness.

"I wish I'd gotten to know her better. She was clearly a special woman."

Tara knew Willow meant that but also that her sadness was drawing from another source. She placed a hand on Willow's knee.

"How's Ruth? I know you've been chatting a few times. Your face lights up when you speak to her."

"She seems like she's doing great. Opens that store every morning, no matter what. And still winning at bingo every Wednesday night," Willow grinned to herself but it slowly fell away, "But I get the feeling she's not saying something."

She shrugged her shoulders and looked down. Tara kept running her palm on Willow's thigh.

"I'm sorry, honey."

Willow blinked heavily.

"She was old when I was a kid so now she's…" she stopped and swallowed, "She's the type that wouldn't say, y'know? Just enjoy life until…"

Tara squeezed Willow's thigh.

"Admirable."

"Yeah," Willow breathed out and then took in a fresh deep inhale, "But right now she's doing well. She sent me a kid's book about twins but she sent two of them."

She waved a hand.

"Her own little joke."

"Or one for each of them," Tara suggested, "It's important actually that they both feel like individuals and are given the same individual opportunities the other kids are."

Willow could only chuckle.

"There she goes again, teaching me life skills without me ever knowing it."

She fidgeted just to occupy her hands and picked up the last plastic parcel from Tara's lap, taking out the adult-sized hat inside.

"Aw, cute. She made you an owl."

Tara shook her head.

"It's for you," she said, quite surely, "I told her how you read that Owl Babies book to the kids all the time. She knew it, she read it to her grandchildren."

Willow was truly touched and when she took it, she realized there were two; one stuck into the other. She separated them and fixed one on Tara's head and then the other on her own.

"Beautiful," she announced to Tara and leaned down to kiss her through a giggle.

They soon heard the telltale rattling off the baby gate being climbed over and then, sure enough, Robyn padded in with her hair flying in all directions. She climbed straight into Tara's lap and curled around her belly from the side. Willow thought it was the cutest thing she'd ever seen and reached out to smooth out that wild hair.

"Any more tummy aches in your nose?"

Robyn shook her head sleepily. Willow held up the tiger hat to show her.

"Look at—"

Robyn snatched it, suddenly very awake.

"Wobby want!"

"Take things nicely, please," Willow said, but couldn't resist quickly affixing the hat onto her daughter's head, "Oh you look so cute. Doesn't she look so cute? All Tara-faced and Tiger-headed."

Robyn climbed down and fetched her most beloved soft toy, Stripey the Tiger, to hug and squeeze.

"Me twin too!"

Willow chuckled and Tara smiled too but was beginning to feel her regular bout of nausea beginning to creep in.

"Willow, would you get me some tea please?"

"Of course I will," Willow replied, hopping up, "I'll even use your new cozy!"

"Cozy," Robyn parroted and looked suitably so as she cradled her toy.

Willow went off to the kitchen to make the tea and Tara settled back in her chair with her hands folded on top of her belly, smiling at the reason she enjoyed sitting in this chair so much: it was in the perfect position to look up at the hanging photo of her and Willow on their wedding day above the fireplace.

Robyn played with Stripey for a minute or two but soon became intrigued in what was keeping her mother so enrapt. She followed Tara's gaze but didn't spot anything unusual about the same living room wall she'd seen every day of her life.

She stood by Tara's legs and looked between the wall and Tara.

"Wha' dah Mom-mee?"

Tara's head turned and she smiled fondly.

"That's the day I married Momma."

Robyn looked higher and contemplated the photo for a bit.

"Pwetty," she concluded after a moment.

"Oh, thank you little bean," Tara gushed with a sprawling smile, "Wasn't Momma so pretty? She's still so pretty."

"Yah," Robyn agreed with a blunt nod of her head, "Where me?"

"You weren't born yet, honey," Tara replied softly, "JJ wasn't even born."

"No Jay-Jay?" Robyn asked in disbelief, then scooted closer to Tara, "I get mwahhied when I growed?"

"If you decide that's what you want," Tara replied with a nod. Robyn had been quite interested in weddings lately.

Robyn seemed contemplative.

"To guhl?"

"If you want," Tara smiled softly.

"Boy?" Robyn questioned further with an alternating furrowing of her eyebrows.

"Whoever you choose," Tara answered sincerely.

Robyn took a moment before her eyes widened excitedly.

"Woofy?"

Woofy stood at his name being called and Robyn started to skip over to him.

"Come Woofy, we get mwahhied!"

Willow returned with a tray of tea, complete with new cozy, as Robyn skidding out with Woofy in tow.

"Get out while you can, Woofs, they really nab you on that whole 'to honor and obey' bit."

"Haha," Tara replied and playfully threw her eyes upward.

Willow set the tray down on the coffee table and pecked Tara's cheek.

"First Stripey, now Woofy. She's notching up quite the band of brother husbands," she chuckled, then put her hands on her hips and looked at Tara's lap, "Wish I could take her place."

Tara's hands followed the curve of her stomach.

"I have more belly than lap to offer these days."

Willow sat on the edge of the couch and poured Tara some tea.

"Your back feeling any better?"

"As good as it gets these days," Tara replied as she gratefully accepted the cup, "I don't think I'm going to be up for trick or treating this year."

"The kids will understand," Willow reassured.

"I'm not worried about the kids," Tara smiled tenderly, "I know you've planned couple costumes."

"It's okay," Willow grinned back, "It will work better next year when Thing 1 and Thing 2 are here anyway. I'll just have to rework the your-belly-as-a-goldfish-bowl idea…"

"I wouldn't have let you make my belly into a goldfish bowl anyway," Tara countered with a scoff.

"I have ways of persuasion," Willow smirked.

Tara couldn't help but feel her stomach turn in a different way but tried not to let it show and have Willow gloat.

"You—"

"Moms, I bwide!"

Robyn announced herself before she was seen, holding a toilet roll above her head so it fell behind her like a veil. Tara brought a hand to her temple.

"Please don't tell me that's trailing around the whole house."

Willow stood up at the doorway and gulped.

"I…will not tell you that."

Suddenly the front door slammed and then JJ's voice could be heard as he took the stairs two-by-two.

"Moms, Gramps says I need to change. I was getting his car all dirty. Why is there toilet paper everywhere?"

"And you thought there was something magically self-cleaning about my floor?!" Willow called after him.

Tara sighed softly and looked at the array of baby animal hats and how apt they were.

"A zoo would be less chaos."

"But not as cute," Willow admitted, smiling over at Tara, "Owls mate for like y'know. You still want to wear it?"

Tara pointed one finger at the wedding photo.

"That day I made a promise for a life I could never even imagine."

She reached and affixed her owl hat over her own head.

"But I don't stay with you because nature dictates it. I choose you. I choose us to be owl mothers together."

Willow swallowed deeply.

"I'm glad," she said, trying to fight off a shake in her voice, "Because you are so hoot-iful!"

Tara rolled her eyes but was grinning.

"And I don't want to be owl by myself," Willow continued, laughing through some quickly-shed tears.

She leaned down right as Tara leaned up and they kissed softly and slowly for a moment.

The door banged and they popped apart. Willow winced as she remembered.

"I need to go…not clean up a bunch of toilet paper," she turned her head to glance out the door, "And possibly get Woofy a divorce lawyer. He's entitled to one of her sippy cups and at least 50% of her blankie collection, you know."

Tara smiled and rubbed Willow's arm.

"I'll be here. I'll always be here."

Willow pressed a kiss to the bridge of Tara's nose.

"Our own little love nest."

"Are you on the owl puns again?" Tara grinned.

"That one was an accident," Willow giggled and inhaled softly, "I love you, my gender-role-busting, mud-positive, fun-at-all-costs co-owl-mother."

She fixed Tara's ears on the hat.

"Especially when you look so cute in that hat."

"Stop stalling," Tara said a wry smile.

Willow held her hands up.

"You got me."

She took the hat off and held it in her hands.

"Think the cleaning can wait for a quick phone call?"

Tara rubbed Willow's thigh.

"I think it can wait as long as the phone call takes."

Willow smiled.

"Thanks, baby. I love you."

She kissed Tara's forehead and left to fetch her phone. Tara held both hats in her hands and whispered, smiling as Willow left.

"Owl always love you."