Connie

She needed to get her mind right. It was the last day Chip's mom and kids would be in Nashville and then her life could go back to normal. Well, normal until she had to go back to work. But her daily routine would mostly be back to normal. She felt bad, on the one hand, for feeling like she did. Feeling anger, hurt, irritation. But on the other hand, she felt justified in her feelings. She wanted to be supportive of Chip as he navigated the distance from his kids, but she also wanted to tell them they needed to give him a break.

When she walked out of the house, she knew she'd been distant with Chip. And she felt bad about that too. Which was why she needed to get her mind right. She got in her car and opened the garage door, backing out into the driveway. She had so many conflicting thoughts rolling around in her head that she was almost to the highway when she realized where she was. She took a deep breath and re-centered, focusing on the road ahead.

When she arrived at the production stages for the show, she drove around to a trailer in the back and parked. She sat in the car for a moment, just looking at it, then opened the door and got out. She walked up to the steps and looked up at the trailer door. It felt like it had been such a long time since she'd been here, even though it hadn't been but a little over 4 months.

"Hey there!" She turned at the voice and then smiled as Judith jogged towards her. When she came up beside her, they hugged warmly.

"Hey," she said. "I'm so glad to see you."

Judith looked around and then made a sad face. "I was hoping you were going to bring your little bug with you," she said.

She shook her head. "Today's the last day Chip's mom and his kids are here, so she and Yoby both are hanging out with them." She grinned. "I've got more pictures though."

Judith took her arm. "Well, let's go in so you can show me."

They headed up the steps and she unlocked the door to her trailer. She stepped in and looked around. It was hard to believe she would be back here in a little less than a week. So much had changed since the last time she'd been there. She turned to look at Judith. "It seems so unfamiliar, you know? So much has happened since the last time I walked out of here. My whole life feels different."

Judith smiled. "Well, it is. You had a baby. That by itself is a big change. And then with her being in the NICU – I know that was stressful. Your world is different." They sat on the bench facing each other. "You said Chip's mom and kids were here. How's that going?"

She sighed. "Well, his mom has been very sweet. I know this whole situation has affected everyone in Chip's family but she has been gracious and welcoming. She had some time to adjust to it though, so I guess that helped. And his sister too. They've been honest, don't get me wrong, but they've been more accepting. His kids are another matter, understandably." She unexpectedly felt tears well up and she took a deep breath. "I've had to change my schedule so that they can see Ryleigh without me being around. Which has been tough, you know?" She tried to smile but the tears weren't allowing it, so she stopped talking, looking out the window of the trailer.

Judith reached for her hand. "I'm so sorry. I know it's got to be hard to leave your newborn like that." She nodded, still looking out the window. "What's Chip's feeling about all of it?"

She took a deep breath and looked back at Judith. "Well, as you can imagine, he's pulled both ways. I want to be mad at him for how this is going, but I know he doesn't really like it either. I'm just trying to be supportive for his sake."

Judith smiled. "I haven't seen him around much, but I know some others have talked to him and he's just so proud of your little baby."

She smiled back. "He's been really good with her. Right at the beginning, poor guy, I'm sure he thought he had 2 babies, and I was the more troublesome one of the two." She laughed. "To his credit, he mostly didn't take the bait."

Judith looked thoughtful. "How has that all been?" she asked, choosing her words carefully. "I mean, being together offscreen as well as on plus having a baby together?"

Other than her closest friends, she would not have discussed that with anyone, but she and Judith had become close the first season, partly because their characters were sisters, but also because she genuinely liked her co-star. They were close in age and the joke between them had always been that, while Judith played Rayna's older sister, she actually was the younger of the two. She smiled softly. "You know, it's been tricky. For all the obvious reasons. But behind closed doors, when it's just the two of us, it's been great." She could see Judith's sly smile and she held up her index finger. "And I mean just how the two of us connect."

Judith laughed. "Oh, I knew what you meant," she said. "But I'm also sure you meant the other too." Her expression softened. "I know it had to be difficult sometimes. I would never have known you were pregnant, though."

"I was...lucky? I guess. I didn't have a real bump until literally 2 days after we finished. And then it was like there was no way to hide it."

Judith reached for her hand. "And how does it feel, coming back to work? With everything being so different?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. I mean, first of all, I really want to just spend time with my baby. I haven't had her home long. A NICU isn't really conducive to developing that bonded relationship, so I guess I'm glad she wasn't there long. Although it felt like forever, if I'm honest. Plus this last week or so, I feel like I've lost time with her." She sighed. "Chip says that some people have said things to him here about the relationship. Most have been positive, at least the way he tells it." She smiled. "He always tends to look on the bright side though, so who really knows? I'm nervous, truthfully. Everyone except Maisy and Lennon are adults. They think of it as some great fairytale love story, but adults look at this kind of thing from a different perspective."

Judith looked encouraging. "I don't think you need to worry much. I mean, you're right, Chip is the eternal optimist." She smiled. "I think that lets people be happy for the two of you, even in these circumstances. There's always things in private that no one else knows about." She reached out and patted her knee. "So I need to see these newest pictures of your baby girl," she said brightly, with a happy smile on her face.

She reached down into her purse and pulled out her phone, smiling as she opened the pictures app. There was nothing she enjoyed more than showing off her tiny bundle of joy.

She stood in front of the mirror looking at the skirt and blouse combination. She turned one way then the other. Then she looked at her wardrobe stylist. "What year is this supposed to be again?" she asked.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe 1991 or 92? Early 90's definitely."

She frowned. "Well, to be fair, I can't remember how short skirts were back then, but Rayna wore one in the first season that barely covered her ass."

The stylist smiled. "You were the one who was worried about things being too tight."

That was true. The first blouse they'd tried was tight across her breasts, which were practically falling out of the sleeveless shell as well. This was more of a button down kind of thing that had some give to it and covered her up. The skirt was short, a few inches above the knee, but was full and loose around her. She ran her hand down over her abdomen as she looked at her profile in the mirror. There was only a slight tummy swell now, one that Chip told her she was more self-conscious about than she needed to be. "I guess you're right," she said. She smiled into the mirror. "This definitely covers everything."

"I think you're worrying for nothing."

"Well, maybe, but I don't want to look like I just had a baby." She laughed. "In my real life I don't care. Huge boobs and a little tummy are something I'd live with all day, if I didn't have to worry about the fact that my character wasn't pregnant and shouldn't look that way." She held a finger up. "And there's always Spanx." She laughed. She ran her hand over her abdomen again. "So where did you find all this old stuff?"

"Vintage clothing stores. There's some surprisingly good stuff out there, in really good condition. I felt fortunate."

She turned to face the mirror full on. "I'm impressed." She looked back at the stylist. "I like everything you found. I sort of forget sometimes that although Rayna came from privilege, she probably abandoned it during that time of her life." She turned her back on the mirror. "This looks good. Thanks for letting me try it on one last time."

"Glad you had the time to stop by. I'll let you get dressed. We'll see you in a week or so."

She watched the stylist walk out, thinking about how good she was at her job. She remembered how nervous she'd been in the finale of the first season about the fitted leather pants and the bustier she wore during a performance scene.

"I can't wear that," she had wailed to Chip. "Even with Spanx, it's so uncomfortable. And I'm worried about crushing the baby."

"You're not crushing the baby. You hardly have a bump anyway."

She still worried. "And what about this?" She spread her hands around her boobs. "I look like I'm going to fall out. I'm not sure I can breathe, let alone pretend to sing, without them popping out where everyone can see I'm a size larger already."

He'd given her a cheeky smile, letting one finger trail over the top of her left breast. "I like 'em," he said. "After the scene, I'm happy for you to pop 'em out for me."

She frowned. "Chip," she said in a warning tone.

He held his hands up and grinned. "I know, I know," he said, with a chuckle. He stepped towards her and kissed her on the cheek. "But you do look very sexy, baby."

This outfit didn't look really sexy though. It was wholesome. A sleeveless button-down white blouse paired with a skirt that had huge flowers on it. Not something she'd ever wear, but it was probably very Rayna, back in those days. Whenever she thought about Rayna, she pictured someone who had come from high society but worked hard to be just a regular girl. Someone who wouldn't stand out. Except she wanted to be an artist, a country music artist, which would ultimately mean rhinestones and diamonds and denim. That would make her stand out, so in her real life, with the love of her life, she didn't have to put on airs or be pretentious. She could be who she saw herself as, just like everyone else. Normal. Because the life she'd led before she was 16 was anything but.

She turned back to the mirror and stood there, her hands on her hips, looking at herself in the mirror. The only thing not right about this is that I shouldn't be playing someone in her very early 20's. there's just no way I pull that off. Or that Chip pulls it off either. She sighed. There was nothing she could do about it, so she hoped that they could make it work.

She heard her phone buzzing and she walked over to her purse. She reached in and her hand closed around the phone. It was Chip. "Hey there," she said with a smile.

"Hey, baby. You coming home?" She heard Ryleigh fussing in the background then.

"Is she okay?" she asked with a frown.

"Too much stimulation, I think," he said. "I know she'd like to see her mama though." He paused. "So would I."

She smiled then. "Well, let me change and I'll be there as soon as I can." She disconnected and then walked over to the dressing room to change back into her own clothes.

Chip

He walked through the house, with Ryleigh on his shoulder, trying to settle her down. She had been fed and changed, but she was still fussy. She didn't want to go into the bassinette so he thought walking with her would help. She squirmed in his arms. He felt her forehead, but she wasn't feverish. He was pretty sure all the handing back and forth of her between his mom and his kids had gotten her hyped up. When Connie still wasn't home nearly an hour after they had left, he had called. She was on her way and he was certain she would be exactly what Ryleigh needed.

"Your mama's gonna be home soon," he whispered to her. As he walked, he thought about what was next in trying to bridge the divide with his kids. He really wasn't the patient sort and he had felt the anxiety and irritation of trying to win them over. It felt like a struggle and he wasn't sure he was getting anywhere, but he didn't know what to do that would help. He knew the reality of this was getting to Connie too. Although she hadn't said a whole lot about it, he knew she didn't like not being around when the kids had been at the house. That was something he'd need to figure out for the next time.

He heard the door from the garage open and he headed back for the kitchen. When she came up the stairs, he could see that she looked more relaxed, not as tense and distant as she had when she left. She smiled when she saw them. She walked up to him and, putting her hand on his arm, leaned in for a kiss. "Hey," she said. "I'm sorry. I guess I lost track of time." Ryleigh turned her head and Connie made a sad face. "Hey there, sweet girl. Daddy said you missed your mama?" She reached out for the baby and he handed her over. She rubbed Ryleigh's back and she made a little breathy noise. Connie looked up at him, a surprised look on her face. "Has she done that before?" He shook his head. She looked back down at Ryleigh. "You want to say something to Mama?" she asked, a smile on her face. Ryleigh reached out and grabbed at her nose and she laughed. Which made him feel better.

He smiled. "I told you she needed you," he said, with a laugh.

"Well, she's been held and cuddled and talked to by a lot of different people in the past couple weeks. That's a lot for a six week old, I think. So no wonder she was fussy. And why she hasn't been sleeping as well. Now that she's back with just us, I think she'll go back to being our perfect baby." She smiled at him. There was a sparkle in her eyes that hadn't been there for the last several days and he was glad to see it back. "Where's Yoby?"

"Taking a nap. I think he's been a little overstimulated too."

She pointed towards the couch. "Let's sit for a minute." They walked to the couch and settled in. she rearranged Ryleigh in her arms. He sat close, putting his arm around her. She smiled. "I know it's been a tough several days. I know you have to work tomorrow, but we should plan to just have a lowkey weekend."

He kissed her forehead. "I like the sound of that."

"I think we should also just have a quiet night tonight, don't you? No talking, no thinking about anything except this little family" – she leaned her head against his shoulder – "and each other." He really did like the sound of that.

He was sitting in the bed, reviewing his scenes for the next day when she came in the bedroom. He looked up. "He okay?" he asked. She walked over and peeked into the bassinette first, then turned towards the bed.

She nodded. "Just a little wired. I read him a story and he finally fell asleep." She climbed into bed on her side and slid over to sit closer to him. He put his script and glasses on the bedside table. She smiled. "I like you in your glasses," she said.

He raised his eyebrows. "You do?" She nodded. "Well, I like you in yours too."

She leaned back against the pillows and stretched her legs out, then turned to look at him. "it feels like it's been a long time since we've just had a nice, quiet evening without anything else going on." She reached for his hand and he closed it around hers. "Kids are asleep, it's quiet in the house." She rested her head against his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, baby," he started. She turned and put a finger over his mouth, shaking her head.

"We're not going to go there right now," she said. "I just want to enjoy this time with you, without anything getting in the middle of it." She smiled. "Okay?"

He nodded, then turned towards her, putting his arm around her waist and kissing her. "It's more than okay," he murmured against her lips. He kissed her again, then sat back, just looking at her. In some ways nothing about their relationship had been easy. They were coworkers. He was married. She was well-respected. No one really knew him. She was a star and he...was benefitting from being in her orbit. He'd watched her in Friday Night Lights, before that in Spin City, and since, in American Horror Story. He'd always been a little bit in love with her. She wasn't her characters, but her essence had always seemed to inhabit each one of them. Getting Nashville had been the fulfillment of a dream, and the thought of working alongside her had intimidated him at first. But the minute he'd sat down next to her at that very first table read, he had known their relationship would be different. He'd been sexually attracted to her from the beginning. But it was more than that. It had felt like he'd found his home, something he'd thought he already had but realized in an instant had never been true. They had fit together, right from the start. That part was easy.

She reached over and put her hand on his face, letting it drift down to his chest. "Penny for your thoughts?" she said, with a tiny smile.

He smiled back. "Just thinking about you," he said.

"Me? What about me?" Her smile was teasing now.

He let his head fall back for a second, then looked back at her with a grin. "Just how lucky I was to find you." It was true. Once they had both acknowledged their feelings for each other, it had been such an overwhelming force that had drawn them inevitably together. The fact that she'd given him a child – that he had given her a child – had seemed fated. Mystical. He leaned in and brushed her lips with his. That she had been willing to face the difficult side of their relationship with him had made the amazing side so much more amazing. "And the fact that we're doing all this together."

"That part's been easy," she said, as though she had read his mind. "And right now, that's the only part that matters." She was smiling, but he knew she was saying this was not the time for heavy thoughts and conversations.

It was times like this, when they were stripped down to just being two people in love, when he felt like all things were possible. This was his Connie. The woman looking back at him was his heart and soul. They were just two people, in love. There were no complications, nothing that weighed on them. "I love you," he said.

She smiled and laughed just a little. "I love you too." She suddenly moved to straddle his lap. She put her hands on either side of his face and kissed him gently, pulling back to look deeply in his eyes. She leaned over then and turned out the light next to his side of the bed, and the room was dark, except for the soft glow coming from Ryleigh's night light. She reached for the bottom edge of her t-shirt, pulling it up and over her head, tossing it on the floor. She unhooked her bra, sliding it off and letting it land where the t-shirt had.

He was mesmerized as he watched her. She was sometimes a little self-conscious about how her breasts had changed during the time she was pregnant and now, while she was breastfeeding Ryleigh, but he thought she looked magnificent, even more beautiful than she already was. She drew in a quick breath and he knew she could feel how aroused he was. He reached out and cupped her breasts in his hands, feeling the heaviness and fullness. She breathed in deeply, her lips slightly parted. Her amazing hair lay around her shoulders, framing her chest with its lushness that just made her even more alluring. Her skin felt warm and supple and he sucked in his own breath. She was stunning, this woman who had risked everything for him, carried his child inside her, who had taken him into her bed and her life and wrapped herself around him, holding him close. He moved his hands to her waist, pulling her slightly towards him so she could truly feel how much he loved her, how much he wanted her. She shivered slightly and a little breathy moan escaped her lips.

She looked at him then, bit down a little on her bottom lip, breathing in deeply. She moved her hands to grab onto the bottom of his shirt and he let her pull it up and off. She tossed it to the side. Then she paused. "I don't want to get up," she said.

He smiled. "I think you have to," he said. With a sigh, she got up and off the bed, shedding her shorts and underwear. He quickly did the same. She got back on the bed, straddling him again and then sank back down on him, taking him inside her as she did. Her hands were on his shoulders and her eyes fluttered closed for a moment as she adjusted herself. Then she moved slightly so she could cross her legs behind him and he used his to create a place where she could perch. She moved her hands up to his face and pressed her lips to his and it was his turn to moan. She was all fitted around him snugly, her breasts were brushing enticingly against his chest, and he took a moment to just appreciate how she felt. He put his hands on her bottom so he could control the angle, as he started to move inside her. Their eyes were locked on each other as they moved in sync with each other.

"Oh, Chip," she murmured, as he pulled her closer. He put his hand on the back of her neck and started to kiss her. She was making little moans in her throat, their tongues battling each other. The kiss grew deeper and more intense. The rhythm of their lovemaking increased and he felt her fingers threading themselves through the hair on the back of his head. He could tell she was right on the edge. He slid one hand between them and touched her. She started to pull her lips from his, but he pressed against the back of her neck so she couldn't move. Suddenly he felt her clamp down on him and he felt her moans in his mouth. That was when he let himself go, emptying himself inside her. When the spasms finally ceased, he felt his body relax, and he pulled his lips from hers.

"Wow," he said. She laughed softly, pressing her lips against his. Then she tucked her face into his neck as she worked to catch her breath.

When she finally moved away from him, they both slid under the sheets. He wrapped his arms around her and she laid her head on his shoulder. She fell asleep almost immediately and he wasn't far behind her.

Connie

Ryleigh's cries startled her awake. She pushed herself up, Chip stirring beneath her. She realized then she was naked. "Chip," she whispered sleepily. "Where are my clothes?"

"Um, I think over here?" His arm landed with a thump on his side of the bed.

She crawled over him and then got out of bed, feeling around on the floor. She found some shorts and pulled them on, then groaned, realizing they were his. She fumbled around a little more and then found her own, slipping them on. She hesitated, not sure whether to try to find a shirt to wear. Ryleigh's cries wee getting louder and she decided to just bring her into bed with them. She went to the bassinette and picked up her daughter, carrying her to the bed. She held Ryleigh tight as she got onto the bed and leaned back against the headboard. She positioned Ryleigh so she could take her nipple, which she did quickly. She breathed out, feeling a sense of relief. "Chip?" she said.

"Hmm?" he mumbled, sounding like he was still asleep.

"Can you get me a little towel?"

"A what, baby?" he murmured, sounding almost like he was drunk. He sat up then. He looked at her, blinking his eyes.

"A towel," she repeated. He still didn't move, as though he was unable to understand what she'd said. "Chip?"

"Oh, a towel. Right. Okay," he said, then jumped out of bed. As he headed towards the bathroom, she admired his ass in the dim light. She could still feel his hands on her skin and she felt a tingling sensation between her legs. He came back to the bed with a towel in his hands. She patted her shoulder. "Right here, babe."

He shook his head. "I can take her when you're done," he said.

She smiled. "Thanks, babe. You're a good dad." He smiled back at her and she watched as he reached down on the floor and grabbed her t-shirt and his shorts. He laid the t-shirt on the bed and she grabbed it while he got dressed. Then he got into bed and slid over next to her. She looked up at him and he kissed her.

He cleared his throat. "So you didn't really say much about going over to the set," he said.

"Oh, yeah, well, I got to try on the 90s stuff they got for me to wear in the flashback scenes." She laughed a little. "And Christy showed me some drawings of the hairstyles. I mean, I really don't think I can pull off being in my 20's but we'll give it a shot."

He grinned. "You and me both. I heard they'll do some kind of hazy black and white shit that's supposed to kind of smooth out all the age lines" – he paused – "on me anyway, 'cause you sure don't have any."

She laughed. "Oh, you're so sweet, babe, but we both know that's not true. I guess we'll just have to see how that goes then, won't we?" He nodded. "I got to spend some time with Judith too. We got to catch up and then I got to show her the one or two pictures of Ryleigh you hadn't already circulated."

He raised his eyebrows and shrugged. "So I like to show her off." He grinned. "Busted."

She looked down at Ryleigh, then back at him. "She's worth showing off, I think," she said. She suddenly felt overwhelmed with emotion. She knew some of it was the reality of returning to work and not having this concentrated time with her baby, but it was also just the idea of her being in the world. She felt the tears. "Thank you...for her," she said, hearing that emotion in her voice.

He kissed her forehead. "No, thank you," he said.

She looked back at Ryleigh. This is what matters. This little girl. And her father. She breathed in deeply, as she watched Ryleigh let go and smack her tiny lips together, indicating she was done. She smiled at her baby, her heart full of love for her. Then she turned towards him. "I think she's ready for you," she said, smiling as she watched him take her and lay her on his shoulder. As he rubbed Ryleigh's back, she reached for her t-shirt and pulled it on. Then she turned back and, putting her hand on his arm, watched Chip with Ryleigh. She never got tired of watching them together.

After he had changed Ryleigh and put her down, he got back in bed and took her in his arms, where she settled happily. "Are you still worried about going back to work?" he asked.

She thought about that. "It's not really being worried. I've just been feeling ambivalent," she said. "I don't know how long we'll be on. We could be cancelled at the end of this season or we could go on for ten more years. I think for me it's telling good stories. The kind of stories we were doing when we started. But my life has changed too. I have two children now. I spent most of the time I've had Yoby working. Long hours and not enough time to really spend being his mom. And now I'm going to do the same thing with Ryleigh. And I know I'm fortunate enough to be able to bring them to work with me, but I worry it's not enough." She sighed. "I have a life that makes me happy and I'm doing things that mean something to me and I want to raise good people. I'm just wondering if I can do it all."

"You have me to help," he said quietly.

"I know," she said. He ran his hand over her head in a gesture she always found comforting and reaffirming. She turned her head to look at him. "I'm lucky." She smiled. "We should probably try to get some sleep before she wakes up again." He looked thoughtful. "What?"

He breathed in deeply. "I was just thinking, maybe it's time to move her into the nursery." She frowned. "I know. You like having her close. She'd still be close though and we'd have the baby monitor on. But I don't feel like you sleep as well as you could, because she's right there. And with you going back to work..."

She heard his thought trail off. She considered it. Ryleigh was 6 ½ weeks old, almost at the point of her original due date. She was doing well and Chip was right, she was still close, the nursery actually being a little closer to their room than Yoby's was. She was also tired. "Let's talk about it tomorrow," she said. he held her a little closer and she felt like they'd be able to work it out the next day, so she closed her eyes.

Chip

She was standing at the counter, looking a little distracted. "You okay, baby?" he asked. She looked at him for a second, then smiled and shook her head.

"Sorry. I think my mind drifted there for a minute." She walked over to him and put her arms around his waist, leaning her head on his chest. "I know I had this big idea of a picnic out in the country, but I think maybe I lost my head for a minute."

He chuckled. "Well, I thought you had at the time, but I was willing to let you try."

She pulled back from him and laughed. "Yeah, what was I thinking? Anyway, I think we can sort of still do that, but just do it here. Maybe in the back yard or the deck. Or both. It'll be easier." She rose up on her toes and kissed him. "Plus it would be easier to fool around when the kids are taking naps."

He grinned. "Now that's a smart idea."

Both Yoby and Ryleigh were taking naps. Ryleigh was in the nursery. He and Connie were tangled up in the sheets and each other. Her head was on his chest and her fingers were rubbing his chest. They had been lying there quietly for a while and then she broke the silence. "Do you want to talk about this week?" she asked.

He sighed. "I know it wasn't fair to you," he said. "I'm sorry about that."

She didn't say anything at first. "That wasn't really what I meant," she said. She pushed up, propping herself up with her arm. "I think you should figure out a way to be more present for your kids."

He frowned. "How do I do that?"

"I think you should make some time to go out to LA on a regular basis. It would be hard for them to come here. So if you went there, you'd have quality time with them, and they would have your full attention."

"I don't know. What about you? And the kids?"

"We'd be here. This is just for you and them. Maybe spending more time together would help." She paused. "I think it's important for you to show them you're still their dad and you still want a relationship with them. They get all your time, no other distractions."

He thought about that. The idea of leaving Connie alone with the kids concerned him, even though he knew she was capable of handling that. But he did have to admit that it made sense. If he could be there for important things, show them he still loved them, and wanted to be part of their lives, maybe it would help. "You could be right," he said.

"I think you should at least try it," she said. "They need to see you, be close to you, know how much you love them. And do it in a way that makes them feel comfortable."

"I don't want to leave you though," he said.

She smiled. "I'm a big girl. I've been on my own for quite a while, before I met you. You don't have to worry about me."

He frowned. "But I do though. Ryleigh's still a newborn and Yoby's not even 3. I don't know if it's a good idea."

"Chip, it'll be fine. I'm not talking about you being gone for a month or something, just a long weekend. And you forget, we have the nanny. If it gets crazy, I've got back up. And I have friends." She grinned and ran her fingers over his chest. "Do you want me to just make the reservation for you?"

She made a compelling argument. She was also just some damn beautiful and persuasive. He let a smile play around his lips and then he let it grow. "Okay," he said, then leaned in and kissed her. "You've convinced me."

She laughed. "Good. I want you to be able to fix things." Then her face turned serious. "I don't think you'll ever really be happy if you can't. It would always be a hole in your heart."

God, she is so unselfish. He knew it had been painful for them to have pushed her away and he was mad at himself for letting them do it. Yet here she was, coming up with an idea to help him. He put his hand on the back of her neck and pulled her towards him, kissing her gently on the lips, letting the kiss grow deeper. When he finally let her go, he looked deep into her eyes. "I love you, baby. I don't think you even know how much."

She gave him a tiny smile. "I think I do," she said. "The same way I love you." She slid down and settled in, her head on his shoulder, her arm draped across his abdomen. "Oh, and by the way, I already made a reservation for you in 3 weeks."

He couldn't help but laugh. Damn, she's sneaky.

Connie

She woke with a start. She didn't know what caused her to wake up, but she was definitely wide awake. The room was dark and she peered at the clock by her bed. It was a little past 2:30. She made a frustrated noise and rolled over, but Chip wasn't in bed.

"Chip?" she called out softly, wondering if he might have been in the bathroom. Nothing. Then she noticed the bedroom door was slightly open. She got out of bed and slipped on her glasses. As she stepped into the hallway, she saw that Ryleigh's door was open. It was the third night she was sleeping in the nursery. She approached quietly and, as she got closer to the open door, she could see Chip standing at their daughter's crib. He was resting his arms on the crib rail, bent over slightly. The night light gave off a soft light yellow glow.

She walked in the room and went to stand next to him, running her hand up and down his back. He turned to look at her and smiled, putting his arm around her and pulling her close. "I love watching her sleep," he said, his voice quiet.

She looked down at their baby. Ryleigh still looked so tiny, swaddled in a blanket. She was almost seven weeks old and she was strong and healthy and growing. She looked back at Chip and smiled. "I do too," she whispered. She reached over the crib rail and gently ran her finger over the silky soft skin on Ryleigh's face. She twitched just a little, but didn't wake up. "Did you just decide to come and watch her?" she asked.

He shook his head. "She was fussing a little, so I just decided to let you sleep. I sat with her for a bit and she fell right back asleep."

She frowned. "I didn't wake up?" She knew that was a silly question, because obviously she had not woken up.

He put his hand on the back of her head and leaned in to kiss her on the forehead. "You must have really needed the sleep. I didn't mind."

It really wasn't that she was upset or anything, but for a moment it made her feel like she was a bad mom or something, not being aware enough to wake up when her baby cried. "Still. You should have woken me up."

"There's been a lot going on, Connie." His voice was stern. "I can help. I'm perfectly capable of getting up in the middle of the night with her."

She opened her mouth to say something, but then shut it. He had been the best partner she could have asked for. He was always willing to take Ryleigh and feed her or change her diaper or just hold her. He would straighten up around the house and keep Yoby occupied. She had fallen even more in love with him, just watching him with her children. She rubbed the back of his arm and smiled. "Thank you, babe. I appreciate that. You're always looking after me." She winked at him, to let him know she wasn't upset.

He pulled her into an embrace. "I promise next time I'll wake you up." She looked up at him and he leaned down to kiss her. They both looked back at their daughter.

She sighed. "It's hard to believe she's only been home for 3 ½ weeks, isn't it?" He nodded and smiled. "It seems like such a long time ago that she was in the hospital." She bit down on her lip. "I just feel like it's been such a gift, having her here." She looked up at him. "I feel so protective of her. The world she was born into is complicated, but she's not. She's just a tiny baby who's so very loved and all she needs is us."

"And we're here for her." He turned towards her. "We're gonna get through all this and make it all work." He reached out and brushed away a tear with his thumb she hadn't realized was tracking down her cheek. "You're a good mama, Connie. She's lucky. She and Yoby both."

She smiled. "And you're a good dad. Don't ever think you're not."

He reached for her and pulled her to him. She let her hands trail up his back as he cupped the back of her neck, letting his fingers get tangled in her hair. He leaned down and kissed her, letting the kiss linger a bit. Finally he sighed. "We should both get back to bed," he said, a little wistfully, she thought.

She nodded. "I know." She smiled. "Ryleigh has her 6 week check up tomorrow." She took his hand and squeezed it. "I wish you could come with us."

He put his arm around her and then led her back to their bedroom. They crawled into bed and he put his arms around her. "There'll be other appointments." He kissed her forehead. He sighed. "You'll be back at work next week. How do you feel about that?"

She considered that. "Nervous. But a little excited too. When I went over and saw Judith, I realized I was kind of missing it. And the people. And being on set with you again."

He rubbed her arm. "Me too." He kissed her again. "Let's go back to sleep, baby. The alarm's gonna go off way too soon."

She laughed softly, then curled up into him, closing her eyes. As she thought about how much she loved being in his arms, she drifted back to sleep.