I'm standing in my oversized walk-in closet, my body and head tightly wrapped in fluffy towels after a quick shower. I thumb through the monotonous contents trying to figure out what to wear for my date with Tobias tonight. It would make my life a lot easier if he would just tell me what it is he and Zeke have planned but he's being mum about the subject. I finally decide on a dark gray and black polka dot off the shoulder top, a comfortable pair of stretchy black jeggings, and my favorite pair of black faux alligator ankle boots.

I go back into the bathroom and style my hair in a loose braid over my left shoulder then apply my makeup a little more dramatically than I naturally go with. I stand back and look at myself in the mirror and note the slight bags under my tired eyes then let out a weighty sigh. I'm still on the fence about leaving the kids with Gavin tonight even though I said I would. Although I know in my heart they will be fine, the gnawing feeling in the pit of my stomach just won't go away. Hushed laughter catches my attention, making me smile, and I try to dismiss the apprehension.

"Read it again, Dadda," I hear Tessa say.

"Yeah, Dadda!" Teags chimes in. "'Gain!"

"Are you sure? I've already read it twice," he says.

"Peas!" Tessa excitedly says. "Love it!"

"Lub it," Teags parrots.

"I know you do," he says with a chuckle. "I guess one more time won't hurt." I creep into the doorway and lean up against the jamb making sure I'm in the shadows, unseen. Tobias is sitting in the rocking chair with the girls at his feet eagerly listening as he recites The Princess and the Pea from memory. He has the book open towards them and knows exactly when to turn the page. They listen intently to every word until he finishes.

"'Gain, Dadda!" they both say.

"I think you two have heard your story enough for one night," I say, revealing myself. They all look up and beam.

"Mama!" Tessa says, jumping to her feet. She practically catapults herself into my arms and hugs me tightly. She acts like she hasn't seen me in years instead of minutes. "Hi!"

"Hello to you too, little one," I say as I kiss her nose.

"Up," Teags says from my feet. I try to put Tessa down but she's not having it.

"Can I say hello to your sister?" I ask.

"Yeah," she says, still not letting go of me.

"I want to give her a hug like I gave you," I say. She sighs, a bit overdramatically, and finally lets go of me. I scoop up Teagan and pepper her face with kisses, making her giggle uncontrollably. "So, where is your brother?"

"In his room," Tobias says. "He listened to the story the first time around but that was enough for him. Girls, why don't you go tell him that Mommy is out of the shower, and we'll be leaving as soon as Gavin gets here."

"But remember to knock first if his door is closed," I remind them.

"Otay," Tessa says. I set Teags on her feet and they both run towards their brother's room.

"Walk!" Tobias and I call out after them.

"They are going to be the death of me," I murmur as I turn toward my husband. His eyes slowly roam from the top of my head to the tips of my feet.

"You are so beautiful," he says.

"You're not so bad yourself, handsome," I say, cocking my head to the side and putting on a sexy grin.

"I like your outfit. It's perfect for tonight."

"So where are you taking me?" I flirtatiously ask, stepping closer to him. I drag my finger down the black tee that's molded to his chest like a second skin.

"It's a surprise," he says, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

"You know I don't like surprises," I say with a flirty pout.

"You'll like this one," he says. "I guarantee it."

"And if I don't?"

"I'll give you free reign in the bedroom tonight," he says, a sexy grin spreading across his face, making him even more handsome. "But if you love my surprise then I'm in charge and believe me, I have lots of things I want to do to you." His words make me ache. It's been too long.

"You're on," I say, reaching my hand out in front of me. He takes it and firmly shakes it then pulls me into his arms.

"I love you," he says. He leans down and gently presses his lips to mine, but they disappear just as quickly as they appear.

"I love you, too, Tobias." He stares down at me, concern written on his face.

"I know you're still apprehensive about leaving the kids with Gavin," he says.

"I am," I say. "I can't help it, I'm worried about them. My stomach is in knots." He sighs.

"I'll call Zeke and cancel," he says, taking me by surprise. This is a complete 180 from this morning. He was adamant about going out tonight. "You took them to the pool today. That's progress. At least you weren't cooped up in the apartment all day long."

"Do you mean that?" I ask, suddenly flooded with relief and guilt.

"Of course," he says. "I shouldn't have pushed so hard this morning. You're stressed enough because of the pictures. I shouldn't have pressured you about going out. I was being selfish."

"Baby, you don't have a selfish bone in your body," I say.

"I shouldn't have pushed," he firmly says. I look up into his stormy eyes and don't know what to do. On one hand, I desperately want to stay home with the kids but on the other, I want to go out with my husband. I suddenly have a flashback to the first times I left both Tessa and Teagan with sitters. I never wanted to be in two places more in my life.

"Thanks for the offer," I say, "but we need to go out. I need to go out. Hell, I want to go out. Every word you said to me this morning was true. I've been letting my fear dictate my every move for nearly two weeks. I can't do that anymore. It's not good for me, it's not good for the babies, it's not good for the kids, and it's not good for us."

"Are you sure?" he asks.

"Absolutely," I say, nodding. "Call me intrigued but I really want to know what you have planned."

"You are hopeless when it comes to surprises," he says.

"Can you give me a hint?" I ask, playfully batting my lashes. "Please."

"Don't beg, love," he groans. "You'll make me hard."

"Oh, poor baby. We wouldn't want that now," I say. I reach out to glide my hand over the sizable bulge in his jeans, but he grabs it away.

"That's not playing fair, Mrs. Eaton."

"I never said I played fair, Mr. Eaton." I press my body to his and wrap my arms around him then run my hands down to his hard ass. I softly kiss the side of his neck, causing him to moan.

"Behave, love," he says, gently pushing me away. "I hear the kids coming." It's hard not to. They sound like a heard of elephants coming down the hallway.

"Mommy, I'm hungry," Tyler says as he comes into the room followed by his sisters. "When are we having supper?"

"Gavin will be here soon, and he's bringing pizza with him," Tobias says.

"But I'm really hungry now," he whines. "My tummy hurts." That catapults me back to the day he ended up in the infirmary with severe stomach pain and I never want him to hurt like that again.

"Let's go downstairs, and I'll make you all a snack to tide you over until Gavin gets here," I say just as the doorbell rings. "Well it looks like you don't need a snack after all. Supper's here!"

"Oh! Gabin hewe," Tessa says.

"Pitsa!" Teagan yells.

"Yeah!" Tyler says, taking off toward the stairs.

"Tyler Aaron," I scold and he stops in his tracks. He slowly looks over his shoulder at me. "Were you about to run down the stairs?"

"Maybe," he says, his eyes downtrodden. "I sorry, Mommy." The doorbell rings again.

"We better get downstairs before Gavin escapes with your supper," Tobias says. He scoops up a girl under each arm, making them laugh and plods down the stairs.

"Two days without your computer," I say.

"But, Mommy!"

"No buts, Tyler," I say. "You know the rules." His bottom lip tremors. "No running or you lose your computer."

"But I didn't run," he complains.

"If I didn't stop you, you would have run down the stairs," I say. "That's why you're only losing it for two days instead of a whole week. You ran towards the stairs."

"I sorry, Mommy," he quietly says. "I didn't mean to run. I forgot."

"You know you say that a lot, buddy." He looks up at me through damp lashes. "It should be easy to remember. It's our number one rule. No running in the house. Ever."

"How do I 'member?" he asks.

"How about you just walk everywhere then you won't even have to think about it?" I say. "Does that sound like a plan?"

"What about the park? he asks. "Can I run there? I do all the time."

"Yes, you can run at the park," I say.

"Okay," he sighs. "I try to 'member better. No running except at the park."

"That's right," I say, ruffling his hair. "Shall we go downstairs now?" He nods, and we slowly descend the stairs.

"There you two are," Tobias says. He's putting slices on paper plates around the table. "I was about to send out a search party."

"Tyler and I were talking about the house rules," I say. "Isn't that right?"

"Yeah," he murmurs. "I can't play with my 'puter for two whole days."

"You did run in the house," Tobias sternly says. "I think Mommy is being fair."

"Yeah," he sighs. "I was bad."

"No, Tyler, you weren't bad," I say, leaning over and kissing the top of his head. "You just forgot to follow a rule. Not following the rules doesn't mean you're bad. It just means you have to try harder next time."

"Really?" he asks, his disposition a little sunnier. I know he doesn't want to disappoint me or his father.

"Yes," I say.

"I'm sorry, Mommy," he says, throwing his arms around my neck. I hug him tightly to me. "I'll walk from now on. I promise." I let him go and e gets up to the table. He immediately takes a bite out of his pizza then looks up and me and Tobias. "Unless I'm at the park." I can't help but chuckle. I probably won't get him to slow down when we're at the park.

"That's right, buddy," I say, ruffling his hair then I turn my attention to our guest. "Thanks for bringing the pizza, Gavin."

"You're welcome, Tris," he says. "Can I talk to you and Four for a minute? In here?" He nods toward the living room.

"Sure," Tobias says.

"I didn't want to ask this in front of the kids in case it wasn't all right," he says.

"What's that?" Tobias asks, sounding more like Four.

"I talked with Avery and Callen earlier, and she mentioned wanting to stop by and see the kids," he says. "I know you don't want me to have company, so I told them I would check with you first."

"We have no problem if Avery and Callen stop by," I say, knowing Tobias shares my feelings. "They are welcome any time."

"I figured as much but I wanted to double check with you," he says.

"It was good of you to ask," Tobias says. "I appreciate it."

"I'll call her right now," he says, pulling his phone out of his pocket. "The kids will love it." He excuses himself to our entryway for some privacy.

"I suddenly feel much more comfortable about going out tonight," I say, looking up at Tobias.

"I do, too," he says. "I was okay with just leaving them with Gavin, but it helps having Avery and Callen here, too." He looks at the clock and says, "We better say bye to the kids and get going." He takes my hand and leads me into the kitchen where the kids are quietly sitting at the table eating pizza. They must have been starving to not be chattering away.

"Mommy and Daddy are leaving now," Tobias says. "You all be good for Gavin. Do what he says and don't argue with him. You know the rules." They nod in unison. We give each of them a hug and a kiss then tell them we love them.

"Gavin, Tyler can't play on his computer tonight," I say as we're heading toward the door. "He had it taken away for running in the house."

"Okay," he says. "I think we'll watch a movie or two if we have time."

"We'll be home around 1 a.m.," Tobias says, moving me toward the living room. "If you need us for anything, don't hesitate to call. We won't be far." That relaxes and intrigues me. I can't help but wonder what he has in store for me tonight. "Ready, love?"

"As I'll ever be," I say. I take one last look at the kids and blow them a kiss. Tobias lays his hand on the small of my back and leads me out of the apartment. We're quiet as we descend the stairs towards our offices. When we exit into the hallway, I freeze when he leads me right instead of left. "You promised we wouldn't leave the compound, Tobias."

"Do you trust me, Tris?"

"Of course, I do," I say with zero hesitation, "but you know how I feel about leaving the kids right now."

"You heard me tell Gavin we won't be far," he says. I nod. "If I took you to the Pit it would be farther than where I'm taking you now. You've got to trust me, love." I take a long, deep breath and slowly let it out.

"Okay," I say. He takes my hand and lifts it to his lips, kissing it tenderly. 'I'm glad you're giving this a chance. I'm confident that you'll have fun tonight. Zeke and I worked really hard on this." At his best friend's name, he and Shauna burst through the exit doors.

"Tris!" She hugs me tightly. "I know I just saw you this morning, but it seems like it's been forever. I'm so glad you decided to come out tonight. We need to double more often."

"I agree with that," I say, relaxing further.

"So, did Four give you a hint about what's going on?" she asks. "Zeke's been quiet all day long, which has to be killing him."

"Ha ha," he says, deadpan.

"No, but Four said we're going to love it," I say.

"I imagine we will," she says as she smiles at Zeke but she's undeterred. "So where are you taking us tonight, guys? I'm dying to find out."

"It's not far," Zeke says, taking her hand. Tobias drapes his arm around my shoulder and I wrap my arm around his waist wanting to be as close as possible. We walk around the corner of the compound into a dark alley. I huddle closer to Tobias, and he protectively kisses the top of my head. I don't think I've been this way before. Soon the alley opens up to a small grassy area at the back of the compound. I hear Shauna's sharp intake of breath just as I gasp myself. Before us is a romantic, candlelit picnic. The single shade tree is wrapped in soft pink twinkle lights. Around the perimeter of the extra-large picnic blanket are alternating antique jars of floating pink candles and colorful wildflowers.

"This is amazing," I say, wonder audible in my voice. How did I not know about this place? It's literally in our backyard. I turn in Tobias' arms, and he smiles lovingly down at me. "Thank you."

"For what?" He looks legitimately confounded.

"For all this," I say, motioning to our surroundings.

"It's not that much," he says somewhat shyly.

"It's everything," I whisper as I raise my lips to his. He kisses me soundly but doesn't allow it to deepen, not in front of our friends. I wouldn't want it to either.

"Thank you for agreeing to our date tonight, love. I know you're worried about the kids but we need some adult time," Tobias quietly says, his mouth against my ear. "I just want tonight to be perfect."

"So far, so good," I say.

"When did you have time to do all this?" Shauna asks, sounding just as dumbfounded as I feel.

"We made time," Zeke says. "Anything for our girls."

"We may have had a little help," Tobias says.

"Well, that, too," Zeke says with a deep chuckle. "I don't know about the rest of you but I'm starving. Let's eat!" I sit next to Tobias on one side of the extra-large wicker picnic basket and Shauna and Zeke sit on the other side. Shauna and I get comfortable as Tobias pulls out container after container of salads, fruit, meats, vegetables, cheese, and bread while Zeke passes out plates, silverware, and napkins.

"This looks amazing," I say as my stomach growls. "You're definitely not the only one who's hungry, Zeke."

"I know I'm hungry," Shauna says, eying the food like she hasn't eaten in days.

"How about a toast first?" Zeke says as a loud pop makes me jump. I didn't see the bottle of cider in his hand. He pours us each a glass then returns the bottle to the ice-filled bucket I hadn't even noticed.

"To good friends, good food, and good times," Tobias says, lifting his glass. We all toast then I take a sip. The tart bubbles explode on my tongue and I sigh.

"This is wonderful," I say. "I'm so glad you talked me into it, Four."

"We needed to get away," he says. "Even if it's only for a few hours."

"So where did you get all this food?" I ask after taking another bite of the pecan chicken salad I put on the fluffy bun. "This is divine."

"Mom," Zeke says.

"Hana made all this?" Shauna asks. "I guess I should have known. This salad is perfection."

"Yeah," Tobias says. "We considered takeout from the Italian place and premade sandwiches and salads from the store."

"But Mom volunteered to help us out," Zeke says. "What can I say? She loves me."

"You're so conceited," Shauna says, shaking her head and rolling her eyes but there is a content smile on her face. "What did I ever see in you?"

"I'm sexy," he says, wagging his brows at her. I spit the bite in my mouth out and nearly choke on laughter.

"Are you okay?" Tobias asks as he gently pats my back.

"Mm-hm," I giggle. "You two kill me."

"I'm glad I can be of service," Zeke says, lifting his glass of cider in salute. "I live to entertain."

"You live to aggravate the hell out of everyone," Tobias says, although he has a smile on his face.

"That, too," Zeke says. We all laugh.

"So, how are you feeling, Tris?" Shauna asks, motioning to my swollen abdomen.

"I think the morning sickness is finally relenting. At least I hope," I say. "I still have some nausea but it's definitely not as bad as it was just a few weeks ago. The worse thing right now is the fatigue. I've been napping more than the kids."

"Were you this tired with Teagan?" Zeke asks.

"No," I say. "This is definitely different."

"Maybe that means you're having a boy," Shauna says. "I know that would make Tyler happy. A baby brother is all he talks about whenever I see him these days." Tobias catches my eye, and he raises a brow. I nod.

"I think she's so tired because she's carrying twins," he says. He reaches out and takes my hand then kisses our joined fingers.

"Twins!" our friends exclaim in unison after staring at us for nearly a minute.

"Yeah," I say, unable to hide my joy. "Twins." My free hand lays gently on my rapidly growing bump. I watch as the smile on Zeke's face fades as does all his color.

"You're going to have five kids, man," he says.

"Great, you can add," Tobias dryly says.

"Asshole," Zeke laughs, regaining his composure. "I'd be freaking out." I think he just did.

"Believe me, we already did that," I say, remembering the stuttering, stammering, and laughing in the exam room that day.

"Definitely," Tobias says, giving me a small smile. "Once it sank it though, we knew we were doubly blessed." He leans over and gives me a soft kiss. "Love you."

"Love you more," I say.

"Not possible."

"You two make me sick," Zeke says then makes face gagging noises. "So in love. In a couple years you'll have 20 kids."

"Nope," I say, shaking my head. "Five is definitely our limit."

"She's making me get a vasectomy," Tobias says, surprising me.

"Oh!" Zeke says grabbing himself and falling over. He lies there moaning as we all look on. "Just hearing that hurts." Shauna laughs loudly at her husband.

"You had to tell him that," I say. At least it's just the four of us.

"What are you blushing for, love?" Tobias asks.

"I could ask you the same thing," I say.

"Actually, I have no idea why I said that," he says, "especially to him."

"I'm your best friend," Zeke says, startling me as he sits up. "You tell me everything."

"No, I don't."

"Yes, you do," he says.

"No … I don't," Tobias says.

"Admit it. You love me."

"Dear God," Tobias mutters, rolling his eyes. "You're nuts."

"Just like I said," he says. "You love me." We all laugh.

"Against my better judgment, yeah I love ya."

"See, Sunshine," Zeke says. "I got him to admit it." He grabs Tobias around the neck and kisses him on the cheek.

"Damn it, Zeke," Tobias says, pushing away his best friend. "Get off me, you jackass."

"Are you really considering a … you know?" Zeke's face is pinched as he gives Tobias the universal sign for cutting. He can't even bring himself to say the word.

"Thinking about it," he mutters, surprising me. We've only talked about this once, and he seemed vehemently against it. "Tris and I don't want another unplanned pregnancy."

"Well, you're braver than me," Zeke says.

"I always knew that," Tobias says. I laugh so hard I snort, which sets off everyone else's laughter.

"I'm so glad you made me come out tonight," I say, looking at my husband. "I really needed this."

"Still no word about what those pictures mean?" Zeke asks, immediately bringing the mood down.

"No," Tobias somberly says.

"Can we not talk about that tonight?" I ask. "I don't want to worry about what they mean right now. I'm having too good of a time."

"Well, the night is still young," Zeke says, "and we still have a few more tricks up our sleeves, right, Four?"

"Right, jackass," Tobias says and we all laugh again.