Violet's eyes shot open as she laid in bed, awaking from a dream that felt more like a premonition. Rolling over she came face to face with her wife who was sleeping, dreaming, far away from her worries and looking as angelic as Violet had ever remembered her being. Softly she brushed the hair out of Clementine's face, finger tips brushing against skin. The brunette smiled softly at the contact as if she knew Violet was watching over her.
Carefully reaching over her wife's sleeping form she grabbed Clementine's phone off her nightstand, turning off her work alarm. She slipped out of bed, tiptoeing quietly out of the room. Violet let out a sigh of relief as she opened the laptop on the table in their dark kitchen. Typing quickly, she found exactly what she was looking for, what she had dreamed about. Grinning she clicked the purchase button and sent a quick email to Lee and Carley. Violet stood excitedly and hurried to the bedroom to start sneakily packing their bags.
When it was late enough Violet sat down in a chair in the kitchen, pulled out Clementine's cell phone and clicked on Lilly's number. Surprised when Lilly answered immediately.
"Hello Lilly, this is Violet, Clementine was up sick all night, she's not going to be able to make it into work today." Violet lied for her wife. "Mmhmmm... yes... I know how important Clementine is... Mhmm... I know she has a lot of patients today... I understand that you need her but-" Violet rolled her eyes as Lilly kept talking, "Listen! Do you want her to come in and vomit all over your patients and get everyone sick?" Violet ran her hands through her hair in frustration, feeling even sorrier for what her wife had to go through. "...thank you for understanding, she won't be at work tomorrow either." Violet quickly hung up the phone before Lilly could argue. Smiling as her dreamed up plans started to become a reality. The hardest part of her plan was left, telling Clementine.
Clementine stretched in bed, rolling over to grab her phone to check the time, finding it missing.
"Vi?" Clementine sluggishly rolled out of bed, the sun was streaming in through the windows, appearing later than it should be. What time was it? Clementine rushed from the room to check. She slid to a stop in the kitchen, eyes landed on the microwave sending her into a panic. "9am?! I'm so late... Lilly is going to kill me..."
Violet ran to Clementine, holding Luke in her arms before her wife could escalate into full a full frenzy. "Clem, I called in, you're taking a sick day. Today and tomorrow."
"Sick day? I need those days for when the babies come Vi, I can't take them now. You're going to need me home as long as possible." Clementine explained in a flurry, hurriedly going to their bedroom to change into her scrubs.
"Then quit." Violet shrugged. "We've talked about it before and I'll talk about it again. Just quit. We'll be fine."
"I don't know... I have been thinking about starting my own practice... I could be my own boss, make my own schedule, take on as many or few patients as I could handle. I know someone who's done it. They don't even have an office, they offer services in the patients own home." Clementine's eyes stared blankly as she got lost in thought, "It could work, I would have more time for you and the babies... it's a risk though and a lot of work to get started."
"But it'll be better in the long run?" Violet asked, smiling at the excitement in her wife's eyes.
"Yes... I think so." Clementine nodded with a smile, "I know a lot of my patients would come with me."
"Then it's settled, you can get to work on all of that as soon as we get back from our weekend cruise."
"Our weekend what?!" Clementine sputtered.
"We're going on a weekend cruise. Our beach vacation was so stressful, we need a redo." Violet leaned in and kissed Clementine on the forehead as the shocked expression lingered on her face.
"B-but Luke's sick."
"He's feeling much better this morning." Violet held the boy up to Clementine's face, he giggled as he reached for Clementine's wild morning hair.
"We'd have to pack." Clementine stated.
"Already packed." Violet said, knowing Clementine would list her concerns as soon as she told her. The blonde smirked, ready for the next one.
"It'll be hard to relax with Luke there..." Clementine gave her boy a good morning kiss on the cheek.
"Carley and Lee are coming to help. AJ's going to stay with a friend for the weekend." Violet nodded, satisfied that she had the answer but not getting cocky because Clementine was sure to have more questions.
"You're pregnant, should we really be going so far from home?" Clementine looked down at Violet's small rounded belly in concern.
"I just entered my second trimester, I called the doctor and she said it was safe." Violet answered, waiting for Clementine to fire another concern at her.
"We'd have to drive down there... it was pretty miserable when we went to the beach with Luke..." Clementine said, thinking back on the last trip.
"He did much better on the way home and this time I downloaded every episode of Disco Broccoli and his Jive Talking Friends on the tablet to make the trip smoother. It'll be great... please?" Violet pleaded, giving Clementine her best puppy dog face that she reserved for only the most desperate of situations.
Clementine sighed at her wife, "When do we leave?"
Violet cheered as she jumped around the room with Luke. "Family cruise!"
Lee rented a minivan for the trip and drove the whole way down. Carley sat in the back, enjoying her time alone with Luke, doting on him the entire drive. Clementine smiled softly at her wife as they sat together in the middle two seats. Violet felt eyes on her as she stared out the window, turning she met Clementine's golden eyes.
"I love you." Clementine said as their eyes connected, leaning over the empty space between their seats so she could whisper. "I'm sorry for the way I've been acting. I shouldn't have gotten mad at you when you didn't even know anything was wrong."
"Forgotten." Violet said, closing the gap between them so that she could kiss her wife sweetly on the lips.
"None of that back there you two!" Lee yelled from the front, as he stared at the girls in the rear view mirror. "Am I going to have to make one of you sit in the front seat next to me like I did when you were in high school?"
"Lee!" Carley scolded, "Leave them alone, they're precious."
"This isn't a party van, there are some things a dad just doesn't need to see." Lee asserted.
"Sorry Lee..." Clementine said like a reprimanded child.
Violet grinned into the rear view mirror, "Yeah, sorry Lee."
Lee shook his head, "I don't believe you Violet, I don't believe you now and I didn't believe you then. Corrupting my sweet innocent Clementine."
"Your Clementine hasn't been sweet or innocent in a long time Lee. Why, one time in high school-" Violet started, with no intent on actually revealing any information, just wanting to make Lee squirm.
"No!" Lee yelled covering his ear with one hand while the other stayed on the steering wheel. Violet chuckled at her success.
"I am too sweet." Clementine jokingly pouted, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Of course you are Clem." Violet reassured, pecking her on the cheek, gaining a glare from Lee.
Clementine sat her bag down in their small room on the cruise ship. The bed was full sized, much smaller than the queen that they were used to at home. A crib was in the corner of the room for Luke and there was large glass window leading to a small balcony.
"This is really nice Violet." Clementine said as she stared out at the ocean as the ship sailed off to sea. Violet wrapped her arms around her from behind, kissing her neck.
"Carley has Luke in their room..." Violet casually mentioned, sliding her hands under Clementine's tank top.
"Oh yeah?" Clementine closed her eyes and leaned back into the embrace.
"Yeah." Violet grinned, enjoying the soft exhales of pleasure she received from her wife as her hands roamed, "Bed or balcony?" she continued her kisses.
"Bed's closer." Clementine decided, turning to push the blonde onto it's soft mattress, falling onto the bed at her side, "Besides, I think we need to work our way up to the balcony."
"You're right." Violet inhaled sharply at Clementine's wandering hands, "How silly of me to even suggest it first."
"Enough talking, they could bring Luke back any minute." Clementine kissed Violet deeply, erasing words from her mind, leaving only sensations.
A knocking came on the door. Violet sighed as she disentangled herself from Clementine's body, wiping at her mouth with the back of her hand.
"So much for round three..." Violet whispered into Clementine's ear as she stood from the bed and began pulling on her ruffled, discarded clothing. "Just a second!" she called to the person at the door as she continued to dress, pausing briefly to appreciate her wife as she gathered her own clothes and took them into the bathroom with a wink.
Violet opened the door as she combed through her hair with her fingers, revealing Lee and Carley who was holding Luke. "We just came by to grab Luke's bathing suit, we're going to take him to the pool." Carley said, bouncing Luke on her hip.
"Taking a nap I see, good idea after the long drive." Lee said as he eyed the disheveled bed and Violet's rumpled clothing. "I could use a nap myself." He chuckled.
"I'm sure you could Lee." Violet patted the man on the shoulder, smiling to herself as she stepped out of the doorway and allowed them to come into the room. Lee closed the door behind him as Violet grabbed Luke's bag off the ground and rummaged through it to find his swim suit. "Here it is!" Violet pulled out Luke's shark swimming trunks with matching swim shirt.
Clementine walked out of the bathroom and greeted her family. "Just taking Luke to the pool." Carley explained as she put on Luke's swim diaper and clothing.
"That sounds great. Want to go up Violet?" Clementine asked.
"Sure, I could use a break." Violet smirked at Clementine's reddened cheeks as she pulled out her one piece and took it into the bathroom. As a distraction Clementine grabbed the sunscreen off the dresser and started slathering it on Luke's doughy soft skin.
"Luke's all ready to go, how about we meet you up there after we get dressed?" Clementine suggested, wiping the excess sunscreen on her bare arms.
"Sounds like a plan, see you in a minute sweet pea. Don't you take another nap and forget about us, understood?" Lee chuckled as he, Carley and Luke left the room, Clementine's eyes widened at his comment.
"A nap?" Clementine asked as soon as the door was closed, Violet grinned as she came out of the bathroom wearing her swim suit.
"He thought we were napping in here this whole time, did you want me to correct him? No sir Mr. Everett, me and your sweet and innocent Clementine were just-"
"Okay, okay, I get it." Clementine put a hand over Violet's mouth, effectively quieting her spouse. "I'm getting dressed then we can go." Clementine grabbed her suit and changed in the bathroom. When she exited Violet was sitting on the bed waiting, belly all the more noticeable with the stretchy material pulled tight over it.
Clementine couldn't keep the smile off her face as she got on her knees in front of her wife, kissing her stomach. "Vi, you are the cutest pregnant woman ever."
"No." Violet shook her head, "You only say that because you couldn't see yourself. You were the cutest pregnant woman ever."
"Agree to disagree..." Clementine smiled, rubbing her belly one last time before standing.
Hand in hand the two made their way up to the pool deck. When they arrived they saw Carley in the water with Luke. She was smiling proudly as he kicked his legs with enthusiasm. Lee was off to the side holding a stick, standing next to a long rectangular court with a triangular scoring area on each end. He used the stick to push a puck from one end of the court to the other.
"I'm going to talk to Lee." Clementine moved towards the man that she had long considered her father. "Whatcha doin' old man?" She grinned. Violet joined Carley and Luke in the pool as Clementine grabbed another stick leaning against the rack.
"Old man?" Lee chuckled. "This old man just beat an even older man at shuffle board."
"So you can beat an old man... Do you think you can beat a sprier opponent?" Clementine challenged, pushing a blue puck across the court with her stick, landing it in the highest point area of the triangle.
"Is that a challenge?" Lee raised his eyebrows.
"I think it's time to show you how the pupil has surpassed the master." Clementine spun her stick around cockily.
"Is it now? Hmmm..." Lee pushed a yellow puck across the court one handed. He leaned on his stick, so confident in his shot that he barely watched the court in his peripheral as his yellow puck knocked into Clementine's blue one, pushing it out of the scoring zone. Lee grinned as Clementine's jaw dropped open. "What do you say we make a little wager? If you aren't afraid that is..."
Clementine shook her head, regaining her confidence, "Bring it on, old man." She narrowed her eyes playfully, Lee smiled at the girl he raised, appreciating the woman she had become.
"The dinner tonight is supposed to be really fancy... you'd look really silly if you wore that old baseball cap of yours with your dress." Lee suggested.
"And if I win?" Clementine asked, cocking her head and raising a brow.
"Then I'll wear your hat with my suit. I'll even wear it backwards." Lee leaned on his stick and gave Clementine a self assured smile.
"Deal." Clementine held her hand out. Lee shook it and they began their game.
Clementine walked into the dining room, chandeliers hung from the ceiling, ornate table clothes covered the eating surfaces. Everyone was wearing their nicest dresses and suits. . Even Luke had on a white shirt and a tie. Clementine's cheeks glowed red as she tugged self consciously at the hat on her head, feeling awkward wearing it with her black dress. She stared around the room looking for Lee and Carley, finally spotting them at a circular table near the edge.
"Lee won't really care if you wear that thing..." Violet smirked as she noticed Clementine's discomfort. Violet was dressed in her gray pants and vest, and white shirt. They were buttoned all the way up but the bottom few buttons were undone to allow space for her protruding belly. She was holding her son in one arm and Clementine's hand in the other.
"I lost. I'm wearing it. A bet's a bet." Clementine said, holding her head up high as they walked to Lee and Carley's table. Violet admired her confidence, holding her hand a little tighter, proud to be at her side.
"It looks good if you ask me. I'm kind of regretting you not wearing it at our wedding now that I'm looking at you." Violet winked as they reached the table, Clementine gave an appreciative smile to her wife as they sat down.
"There's the sweet pea I know and love." Lee grinned, tipping the hat into her eyes. She pushed it back up, trying to glower but unable to keep the smile off her face. "Who's an old man now?"
"Still you I'm afraid." Clementine gave him a good natured ribbing. He laughed in appreciation, pulling her into a side hug.
"Thank you two for coming with us. I know it was last minute." Violet looked earnestly at her in-laws.
"Thank you for taking care of the expenses." Carley held Luke in her lap, feeding him bits of bread. "Having this one on one time with Luke is priceless. It's nice to be able to shower him in affection before the twins arrive and everything gets crazy, but Cici will always love her Luke. Even when the babies come." She covered his head in kisses as Violet pulled her phone out and snapped a picture of them.
Violet turned the camera around and motioned for Clementine to lean in, snapping a picture of the two of them in their formal attire, plus Clementine's hat.
"Thank you for this Violet." Clementine whispered as food started to arrive at the table. "It's been so nice already and we still have all day tomorrow to enjoy... I didn't realize how much I needed something like this."
"You deserve it Clem." Violet pecked Clementine on the cheek.
"I don't know about that, but I appreciate it all the same." Clementine smiled, eyes shining beneath the rim of her cap. Violet held her gaze until Clementine turned to the food, smiling with excitement as she began eating.
By the time dessert arrived Luke was starting to fall asleep in his high chair. His head drooping slightly before jerking back up. "Somebody is up past his bedtime." Violet pulled him out of his high chair where he happily snuggled into her chest. She kissed his head and stood from the table. "We'll see you two tomorrow. Have a good night."
Clementine gave Lee and Carley a hug, everyone saying their good nights as Clementine grabbed a plate of desserts to bring back to the room.
Violet unlocked their cabin door one handed, the girls going into their room, locking it behind them. She removed Luke's tie and laid him in his crib. He rolled onto his stomach, nuzzling into his mattress, Violet smiled at her boy, covering him with his blanket.
Clementine opened the balcony door, drawing Violet's eyes and nodding outside, carrying the tray of desserts out as she went. Violet followed after, leaving the sliding door open just a crack as they sat on the floor, backs leaned against the door. Clementine set the plate between them as they looked out over the waves, nibbling on the treats in silence, both still wearing their dressy attire minus their shoes.
"Lee and Carley agreed to watch Luke tomorrow if you wanted to get a couples massage. They have a spa on the boat too if you wanted to do a full spa treatment... Manicure, pedicure, exfoliation and all that stuff. That's not really my thing but I'd do it just to spend time with you." Violet finished off the last dessert, moving the plate so she could scoot over until their thighs were touching.
"That sounds nice." Clementine smiled, leaning her head on Violet's shoulder. Violet's hand rested on Clementine's knee, slowly moving up her thigh.
"You know what else sounds nice?" Violet asked unnecessarily. Clementine rolled her eyes as she removed her hat and leaned in for a kiss but Violet pulled back, "Leave the hat on?"
Clementine smirked as she put it back on her head, leaning in for a kiss again, stopping right before they connected, her eyes narrowed seriously, "If you knock my hat overboard we're getting a divorce." Violet gulped as their lips met, eyes widening in fear as the ocean loomed in front of them.