Five years ago...
Arizona smiled as she stood behind the chair her three-year-old son, Jackson, was sitting in. His older sister was across from him as they sat at the plastic table in the play room. They had paper and crayons everywhere, their mother supervising the disaster the two children were creating. Arizona swayed back and forth as she fed her 10-month-old. Both young children were talking her ears off about what they were drawing as she just fed into the conversation. Arizona had heard the front door open and she knew her wife would be in any minute now-she couldn't wait to see her. Usually when Callie got home, they brought the kids in the backyard to get energy out while the couple watched them but also had the opportunity to talk about their day. Like clockwork Arizona felt the comforting hand of her lover on her hip, causing her and their two young children to excitedly greet the brunette, the baby being too content eating to notice.
"Mmm hi Cal" Arizona smiled and leaned up to kiss her wife before her children stole the spotlight like they always did.
Callie kissed her back before, as expected, kneeling down and picking up two very excited children. "My four favoriteeee people" Callie hummed as she squeezed the two children.
"Mama!!!" Jackson cheered over and over again- like always.
"Mama look at what I drew!" Summer squirmed in Callie's arms to get down and get her drawing. Once placed on the ground, the five-year-old rushed over to get the piece of paper. "Look, look, it's Mommy, and you, and me, and Jackson, and there's the baby!" The little girl excitedly spoke, jumping up and down.
"I love it! Let's put it on the refrigerator!" Callie exclaimed which got an excited reaction from both children. The couples refrigerator was plastered with drawings from their kids- someone who had never been to their house before might have trouble figuring out what the color of the refrigerator actually was.
Arizona sat down in one of the small plastic chairs in the playroom as Callie led the two excited children into the kitchen. Arizona took off the blanket she had over her eating son. "Hi buddy" She cooed and started talking to him as he finished eating. Once they finished up, Arizona headed outside where she knew Callie had brought the children, with one arm holding Max against her stomach so he was facing forward. This was her son's favorite way to be held since he was beyond curious and wanted to see everything. Arizona smiled as she saw her wife leaning against a tree next to the small trampoline the two children were bouncing on. Callie returned the smile when they made eye contact.
"Hey, ooh look who's done eating. Hi Bub" Callie cooed and kissed the baby's head before pulling her wife closer. "How was today baby?" Callie asked quietly.
"It was good... I'm so tired" Arizona bent down and set the ten-month-old in the grass in front of them so he could crawl around-something he loved to do. With her arms free, she finally wrapped Callie in a real hug.
"You can go relax for a while if you want" Callie suggested. Callie was aware that Arizona genuinely had busy days-- she had Summer who was in kindergarten and had to be picked up and dropped off at school, and then she had to entertain a 3-year-old and a ten-month-old all day long. It was a lot of work. Plus, as a cherry on top, the couple had made the decision about a month ago that they were going to go through the process of Arizona getting pregnant again, and they wanted to do it sooner rather than later, and they had just started that. So, not only was Arizona drained physically, but mentally and emotionally she was experiencing changes too as she prepared her body for pregnancy. Of course this was something Arizona was beyond okay with, otherwise Callie would've never let it happen, but it was still draining nonetheless. Arizona had the right to be exhausted, even if she didn't show it often.
"Orrr we could just sit down in front of this tree and watch our adorable children run around like maniacs?" Arizona suggested.
Callie couldn't help but laugh at the way Arizona worded that. "Or we could do that" Callie sat down, Arizona sitting next to her. They both leaned against the tree, and Callie automatically started encouraging their son to crawl over to her. "Max, cmere. Yeah, crawl to Mama. Cmon. You can do it bubba."
The small baby just giggled as he attempted to pull himself toward his mother, Callie continued to encourage him as he slowly made his way closer.
Arizona smiled and looked over at Callie as she held her arms out for the baby. "Cal?" Arizona asked, causing her wife to look over at her after lifting Max into her arms. Arizona watched silently as Callie kissed the baby's head, still keeping her attention on Arizona. "How many more kids do you wanna have? I mean I know we both want a fourth but... are we gonna be done after that?" They never really had an exact plan for their future together. They both knew that they were going to have children; they knew that they wanted a fourth baby, but beyond that, Arizona wasn't sure if they were on the same page.
Callie looked surprised by the question, but bit her lip as if she was thinking about it. This conversation was totally different than the ones the couple normally had. "Uhh, I haven't really given it much thought baby" Callie answered.
"We should... we should think about it."
"Did something happen?" Callie was confused by her wife's sudden concern. Not that what she was thinking about shouldn't be a concern, it was just odd that Arizona seemed so consumed by it.
"No I just... I wanna know... what our plan is" Arizona let her eyes drift to check on the kids, but then locked eyes with Callie again.
"I mean... five kids, six kids maybe...? Even if you don't want to carry we can ado-"
"I wanna carry." Arizona cut Callie off.
"Whatever you want baby, that's something we'll have to decide as things come. How many kids do you want?" Callie gently grabbed Arizona's hand and kissed it.
"Five or six is good... they'll still be pretty close in age..." Arizona smiled.
"Yeah, that'll be nice" Callie nodded, still slightly confused about why her wife brought this up.
"Yeah, I think it'll be nice too" Arizona said thoughtfully.
"Are you sure nothing happened?" Callie questioned one last time.
"What do you mean?" The blonde untangled her hair from Max's hand since he had been reaching for her hair and placed his hand on Callie's chest instead.
"I don't know... We never talk about this stuff baby." Callie shrugged.
"But we should, you know, it's our future."
"You're right" Callie agreed. Usually, the couple took things as they came, but if Arizona wanted to plan a little, Callie didn't see that as a problem.
"What if I get pregnant super quickly like I did with Max?" Arizona asked after a few seconds. It was true- the couple had done home insemination for the second time and it worked way faster their second time than it did their first time. Of course, this was probably because they knew what they were doing the second time around, but now this would be their third time- and Arizona figured they would get pregnant quickly.
"Do you not want to be pregnant? We can wait Ari..." Callie narrowed her eyes in concern. Her first thought being that Arizona felt pushed and that was the last thing she wanted.
"No! No, I don't want to wait."
"Are you sure? I'm okay with whatever you want Arizona. Don't feel forced, I don't want you to think I'm forcing you." Callie spoke in a soothing voice moving their son in her lap, since he hated staying in the same position for too long.
"I don't feel forced, Calliope" The blonde reassured.
"We can wait a couple months to try, if we're moving too fast for you just tell me."
"We aren't... I just... do we have a plan?"
"What do you mean a plan?"
"For if I get pregnant super fast?"
"Well, I'll take extra good care of you, we'll both lose sleep for months, you'll get a cute baby bump, and then you'll be super woman and give birth to our child" Callie stated the obvious.
Arizona rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Calliope, that's not what I meant, you know that."
"Baby, what's up with all this planning stuff? What are we planning for? We have a nursery, we have baby clothes, we have almost everything a baby could possibly need... we are very much prepared for a baby, I mean we've already had three, we know what it's like."
Arizona nodded a little. She couldn't help but get nervous-- her "mom friends" had been telling her four kids would be a lot. She knew it would be much more stressful than three, but deep down she knew she and Callie were prepared. "You're right" Arizona replied.
"I'm not saying you can't be nervous baby..." Callie reached up and touched Arizonas cheek, something she had always done, and it never failed to give Arizona butterflies.
"I know, I know."
Back to Current...
Arizona bit her cheek, she had been feeling that exact same way. The blonde got off the couch and went into the kitchen. She was home with her children while her wife was at work, but she needed to talk to Callie. She was now 38 weeks pregnant, and she was feeling it.
Callie had been filling out paper work, having just finished with a client. The brunette had been trying to schedule things only in the morning and rush through paperwork quickly in order to be able to get home sooner. She knew having all the kids home was getting harder for Arizona-- luckily, it was September, so the older children would be going back to school within the next week, but that still left Arizona with Olivia and the twins in her last weeks of pregnancy, which Callie knew would be hard.
The blonde picked up the home phone and dialed her wife's number.
"Hey Ari" Callie spoke into the phone, her voice soft.
"What if I go into labor like right now?" The blonde vented.
"Are you having contractions?? You said you were fine this morning!" Callie started to freak out.
"I'm not having contractions... I'm fine."
"Well then you're not going into labor right now?" Callie had been confused about where her wife was going with this.
"But what if I do?"
Callie sighed. Her wife was nervous. The woman took a deep breath, "Then you would tell me, and I would leave work. We'd time them for a while and wait as long as we could, then call my mom to watch the kids and go to the hospital." Callie described exactly what they did when Arizona was having their middle three children. Of course, their first birth was much more hectic, and so was the twins. But, if all went as planned, this birth should go as smoothly as a birth can be.
"Okay" Arizona let out a breath.
"Do you need me to come home? I just have some paper work to do, I can bring it home."
"It's okay." Arizona felt bad, although she really did want Callie at the moment.
"Are you sure?"
"Maybe you could.. come home?" Arizona asked as Kaylee held her arms up to be picked up.
"Of course. Give me like fifteen minutes to get my stuff around and then I'll leave" Callie stood up in her chair, already starting to sort through papers to see what she should bring home.
Arizona bent down and grabbed Kaylee. "That sounds good. Kay, wanna say hi to Mama?" Arizona asked her daughter, who's face lit up at the mention of Callie. "Cal, say hi to Kaylee" Arizona held the phone to the girls small ear.
"Hi baby girl! Are you being good for Mommy? I miss you so much!" The smile could be heard in Callie's voice as she spoke to her daughter.
"I'm bein good! Miss youuuu" The girl answered, clapping her hands excitedly.
"Thank you, I'm proud of you. I'll see you soon baby, okay?"
"Yeah!"
"Bye-bye, I love you" Callie had a huge smile on her face as she held her phone to her ear, getting her papers around.
"Bye-bye!!" The girl started waving and Arizona laughed, holding the phone back to her ear.
"Oooh you're getting a wave" She informed her wife.
Callie laughed. "How sweet" The brunette let out a sigh. "Alright, I gotta get these papers together. I'll text you when I'm leaving. You'll be ok?"
Arizona sighed as well. "Yeah, I'll be fine."
"Try not to stress out too much. Everything will fall into place Ari" Callie tried to calm her wife down, even though she knew Arizona just needed her physically there with her.
"I love you" Arizona smiled a little.
"I love you too, I'll be there soon" Callie reassured before the couple hung up.
"Zonaaa" Callie called as she walked in the back door and took her shoes off.
"Callie!!" Arizona turned around from where she was standing in the kitchen, smiling at the sound of her wife's voice. It had been about thirty minutes since their phone call and Arizona had been waiting for her wife ever since.
"Come hereee" Callie walked into the kitchen/dining room area, setting her stack of papers down.
Arizona rushed over to her wife, hugging her close. "That's a lot of paper..."
"I have more in the car" Callie laughed as she rocked back and forth, rubbing Arizonas back.
"I missed youuuu" The blonde had a huge smile on her face.
"I miss you too, Ari. Where are our children?" The woman was surprised the kids hadn't attacked her yet-- they usually were on top of her the second she got home.
"Nap time, quiet time for Summer, Jackson, and Max. They're all in their bedrooms." Arizona answered, she had needed a break, so she sent the older kids up to their rooms as well after hanging up with Callie.
"Ohhh. Alone time for Mommy and Mama? I want cuddles" Callie smiled more.
"Don't you have to do all this paper work?" Arizona gestured to the stack of papers.
"Not if you wanna cuddle" Callie answered without a thought.
Arizona shrugged. With that, the couple headed into the living room. "I'm sorry it's a mess, I didn't really have the time to clean up."
Callie moved a couple toys off the couch and onto the coffee table. "Baby, it's fine. We can clean later." The brunette sat down, Arizona silently sitting next to her. The couple got comfortable, and Callie slid her hand under her wife's shirt to rub her baby belly. "I'm gonna miss you being pregnant."
"You are?" Arizona questioned.
"Yeah... Your belly is so cute" The brunette lifted Arizonas shirt, showing off her belly to prove her own point. "See? Adorable."
The blonde shook her head and smiled more. She relaxed as her wife rubbed her stomach. After a while of comfortable silence, Arizona closed her eyes. She soon felt Callie's hand tracing the tattoo right below her bra, over her rib cage.
Fifteen Years Ago...
"Come onnn Calliope we can't be late!" Arizona eagerly pulled her girlfriends arm as they walked down the street. They had just been shopping around before their scheduled appointment to get their matching tattoos. Both women were beyond excited and happy they had been able to spend the day together without interruptions of school or work.
"We'll make it on time" Callie smiled at her eager girlfriend, she knew the rushing was just her excitement, which Callie thought was adorable.
As Callie had said, the couple did make it on time. They sat and waited for the tattoo artist they had hired to come get them, as he was preparing the room. They quietly whispered things to each other, both of them having goofy smiles plastered to their face. Any stranger walking past would probably think they were insane.
Soon enough, they were taken into the room. They had already sent the designs to the artist, so he was very much prepared.
"So, who would like to go first?" The man asked as the couple sat down on the two tables in the room.
The couple looked at each other.
Arizona smiled. "I'll go!" Both of them already had tattoos, they weren't really nervous, they were just beyond excited to see them on each other. Arizona didn't really mind going first, so she figured she would. Callie had also smiled at Arizona's words--The brunette was eager to see what the design would look like on her girlfriend.
"Alright... Now, which one is yours?" The man asked.
"The one that says Calliope..." Arizona turned to look at her girlfriend as she said "Calliope."
The man nodded. "This is the one going on your rib cage, right?"
"Yeah" Arizona hadn't stopped smiling.
"Perfect" The artist smiled back. The couples happiness was very obvious. He got his client in the right position and started his work.
The couple had their arms linked as they walked out of the shop.
"That was fun" Arizona said as they walked down the street.
"I know, and I love how they turned out" Callie agreed.
"Me too!" Arizona reached over and gently grabbed her girlfriends other arm to look at the tattoo again-- it had a clear wrapping over it to protect it and still allow it to be seen. "I love it."
The tattoos were beautiful. Callie's had Arizona's name written in a flourished script font with small sketches of Arizona's favorite flower scattered around it. It was a pretty small tattoo, it took up no more than two inches of skin, and it was just above the crease of Callie's elbow. The ink was all black. It was simple, yet beautiful. Arizona's, similarly, had Callie's name written-'Calliope'- in the same font, Callie's favorite flowers being sketched around it. It was about the same size, with the same simple black ink, but instead of on her arm, it was on her rib cage. Arizona had been talking about getting a rib cage tattoo since before she had met Callie, but when they decided to get matching tattoos, Arizona decided it would be the perfect to put that tattoo on her rib cage.
"I don't wanna pull your shirt up in public but I love yours too" Callie laughed, pulling her girlfriend closer. "What do you wanna do tonight?" Callie asked. The couple had the whole day to themselves-something they hadn't had in a while. Arizona had worked hard all week to get her work done so she wouldn't have to do homework today, and Callie had always had Saturdays and Sundays off.
"Uhhh" Arizona shrugged.
"I can take you out to dinner."
"Or I can take you out to dinner" Arizona pushed. Both women liked to be the one to take the other out, which just meant they would be the one driving and would pick the place. Sometimes, they liked to surprise each other by going somewhere new or somewhere sentimental.
Callie laughed a little. "You took me out last time, it's my turn."
"But-" Arizona started to argue.
"Shush. I'm taking you out."
Back to Current...
"Babe... remember when we got those?" Arizona whispered as she smiled at the memory, Callie still tracing the tattoo.
"Of course I do." Callie responded, the same happy smile on her face. "It's still my favorite tattoo of mine" The brunette glanced at her arm, seeing the black ink.
"Really?" Arizona looked up at her wife. The blonde had never known that. She knew Callie loved the tattoo, but Arizona knew the meaning behind each of Callie's tattoos and didn't expect that one to be most important to her wife. Of course, it was important, but Arizona was still surprised.
"Why do you seem surprised?" Callie laughed. "It's always been my favorite."
"I didn't know that..." Arizona watched her wife, noticing the happy smile on her face.
"It's your name of course it's my favorite." Callie shifted a little. The couple was never really overly sappy or "lovey-dovey" but sometimes it was much needed. "It means that I'm yours and you're mine, forever." Callie looked at the blondes lips and then her eyes again, something Arizona melted over every single time. "It means that I love you and you love me..." The brunette kissed Arizona's temple. "Plus, we were so young and so so madly in love when we got these and... somehow-I don't know how- but I love you more now than I did then. And I love you more every day."
"Calliope..." Arizona smiled. "I feel the same way... I really do..." The blonde's favorite tattoo of her own was also the couples matching tattoo, but she had said that almost every day, Callie knew it. Callie had never really said she had a favorite before that moment. "It is a gorgeous tattoo. And my name looks hot on you" The blonde teased, the couple going back to the more playful dynamic they usually have.
Callie sighed quietly as she closed the door to the bathroom of her and Arizona's bedroom. The brunette striped herself of her clothes, turning on the shower.
Callie had been overly stressed out--she had tons of work to do, and her wife could go into labor any second. The couple had been having problems with their oldest daughter ever since the situation with Arizona's parents and that wasn't helping at all. Callie knew things were just going to get crazier in the weeks to come as they would be adding a seventh child to the mix and Arizona would need time to take things slow and recover. On top of all of that, the older children started school very soon, which would just be an added responsibility to both Callie and Arizona after the birth of their seventh child. Of course, Callie wouldn't change her life for the world, but that didn't make things any less stressful and overwhelming.
After having come home earlier than she was supposed to in order to help out Arizona, Callie had spent her evening after the kids were sleeping doing as much work as she could. Arizona had been resting, and now, Callie was getting in the shower.
The brunette made sure the water wasn't too cold before she stepped into the shower, tilting her head back and soaking her whole body. She let out a breath of slight relaxation, but it wasn't enough to calm down her tight muscles.
The woman contemplated. She knew what she wanted to do- she wanted to touch herself, she needed to. Part of her already felt bad for needing a release. She knew her wife was too far along in her pregnancy to be doing anything. But, she also didn't expect anything from her wife, she just simply needed a release, she was just going to do it herself. When Callie finally broke free from her overwhelming thoughts she ran her hand down her stomach and gently rubbed her clit.
Callie let out a frustrated sigh. She wanted Arizona's hands on her, even though she knew the blonde wouldn't be in the mood. She touched herself so badly wishing that it was her incredibly sexy wife's hands on her body, not her own. Callie squeezed her eyes shut, trying to pretend it was her wife, helping to get herself more needy.
The first thought in the brunettes mind was her wife on their honeymoon. The couple had gone to Spain and spent their five days on a private beach in skimpy bikinis and drinking mixtures of fruit and alcohol neither of them remembered the names of.
Callie started to run her fingers through her folds, letting out a breathy groan. The brunette remembered how gorgeous her wife had looked, and how handsy she got when she was slightly buzzed. Callie moaned at the image of her wife's hands being all over her. Arizona was always hot, but when she had a few drinks, she always wanted to touch Callie in less than innocent ways, and Callie found it incredibly sexy.
The woman's movements became more rushed as she pictured Arizona in one of the bikinis she had brought on their honeymoon. Callie became so turned on that she had forgotten to keep quiet. Her soft moans had gradually increased to moans of Arizona's name. The game she was playing was dangerous-- the door wasn't locked. Arizona was right behind that door, and could walk in at any second. The shower was glass and Callie wouldn't exactly be able to stop right now. Part of Callie didn't quiet down because she wanted Arizona to come in. The brunette craved her wife's touch. The other part of her knew that her wife wouldn't be in the mood, which was why she was doing this in the first place.
Callie soon slid a finger into herself, groaning. "Arizona" She spoke quite loudly, not noticing her volume as she pumped her finger into herself quickly.
Just to her luck, the door opened. "Calliope? I heard you saying- Oh..." Arizona had heard Callie's groans of her name. She had been half asleep, so she wanted to make sure her wife was okay. "Calliope..." The woman gasped.
Callie heard her wife and stopped what she had been doing, turning off the shower. "I...uh... I'm done... go back to sleep Ari" The woman stuttered.
Arizona left, but when Callie came out of the bathroom with an embarrassed look on her face, the very pregnant woman sat up. "I'm sorry. You didn't get to release" She spoke casually.
"Wh- no it's fine... I'm- I'm fine Arizona." Callie stuttered, sitting on the edge of her side of the bed, away from her wife.
"Calliope, come here. It's ok, really." Arizona knew this was awkward for Callie, but this was one of the first times where Callie hadn't come to her first, and the blonde wished she had. Arizona knew Callie wasn't the one pregnant- she would have needs that Arizona wouldn't be in the mood for- but that didn't mean Arizona couldn't help her wife with those needs.
"Seriously, Arizona... It's not a big deal I-"
"Callie, shut up." Arizona spoke firmly, grabbing her wife's hand and tugging until Callie had no choice but to get close to her. "Let me help you?" She suggested, pulling the brunette so her back rested against her chest and she was laying somewhat perpendicular.
"Arizona..." Callie hesitated.
"Please?" Arizona convinced. She knew her wife needed it.
"O- Okay..." The woman was still hesitant despite her wife's insistence.
"What were you thinking about that had you groaning my name?" Arizona whispered into the woman's ear, slipping her hand under her wife's shirt.
Callie tensed up, a knot forming in her throat out of slight embarrassment. "You..."
"Me what baby?" Arizona ran her hands along Callie's stomach, letting one hand slip up higher as one hand fell to the waist of the brunettes pants.
Callie let out a content sigh, finally letting her walls down, knowing this was exactly what she needed. "Our honeymoon..." She gasped out as her wife's cold hand found its way to her heated center.
Arizona opened her mouth, tilting her head and nodding as she ran her fingers through Callie's heat. "I remember that..." She edged, wanting Callie to say more.
"Mm how handsy you were after a couple drinks... oh god" The brunette groaned.
Arizona nodded along. Arizona longed for even just one day that was as relaxing and intimate as their honeymoon was. Arizona knew that they were young then- they didn't have many responsibilities; no children to worry about. But, the blonde also wished she could still share moments like that with her wife. Arizona wouldn't trade her life with Callie and their children for the world, but that didn't mean Arizona didn't sometimes wish the couple could take a break from all their responsibilities and spend their time the same way they did on their honeymoon. The couple had been at a very small resort where they had a cottage and a small private beach- it was incredibly beautiful. They hadn't left their little area for anything but food, and they wouldn't have wanted it any other way. They got breakfast in the mornings and then got in bikinis and laid in the sand. They would tan and talk, or go in the water and mess around with each other- all while having super sweet yet very spiked drinks. Then, once they got tired of the sun, they would go get food to bring back to the cottage and spend the afternoon and night close to each other in much less than innocent ways. The couple brought each other to countless highs, yet they remembered every second of it. Those days were arguably some of their favorite days in their lives. The women experienced closeness like no other, and Arizona would love to experience that again with her wife.
"Ooh remember in the ocean when I did..." Arizona rasped, sliding two fingers in to her wife. "This.."
Callie threw her head back against Arizona. "Oh, yes, Zona! Please" Callie moaned.
"Hm does this feel good Calliope?" Arizona played as she slowly pushed her fingers in and out of her wife's wetness.
"Oh god yes. Don't stop Ari..." Callie had completely melted against her wife, lost in an insane amount of pleasure. This had been exactly what she needed to calm down her body, her hands just simply could not do the same things to her that Arizona's hands did.
Arizona had absolutely no intentions of stopping, in fact, she quickened her pace, desperately wanting to get her wife to the high she knew she had so badly needed.
"Arizona..." Callie breathlessly gasped as she came down from her high, feeling her wife run her now soaked fingers up her stomach.
The blonde kept one hand cupping her wife's breast, feeling her chest rising and falling rapidly, knowing she just made the brunette come hard.
"So good..."
"Yeah?" Arizona smiled, happy to have made her wife feel good.
"Yeah..." The brunette just laid there for a while, unable to move. After she had felt calmed down enough, she opened her eyes. She smiled as she was met with ocean blue eyes staring down at her. "Do you need me to...?" Callie questioned, wondering if Arizona was in the mood.
"No, but I know you needed that." Arizona slowly removed her hands from under her wife's shirt.
"I'm sorry" Callie felt bad immediately.
"Why are you sorry? I love making you feel good, Calliope." Arizona narrowed her face, she loved what she and her wife had just done. The blonde didn't need a release, but knowing her wife needed one and helping her get it pleased her.
"But you're not in the mood.."
"But you were."
"Yeah, I'm sorry" Callie still felt bad.
"Cal, stop saying you're sorry. If you need me to..." The blonde waved her hand a little. "I'll always gladly help you out" she continued.
Callie blushed like crazy. "I love you."
"I love you too. Are you ready to sleep?"
"Yeah..." Callie slowly shifted her position so she was laying in bed next to Arizona.
"Come here" Arizona held out her arms. Callie smiled and let the blonde hug her, wrapping her arms around the woman as well, letting a hand rest on her baby bump.
The couple quietly whispered to each other as they slowly drifted off to sleep for the night.