'My phone rang just as we pulled into my garage, and I recognized the number right off the bat.

"Hi Pam, how are you?" I asked, looking at Andy who had a surprised reaction on his face.

"Hi Kate, I'm doing okay. Listen, I was wondering if you could us a favor tonight? Jim and I have to go see our realtor about finding a house in Austin and sign some papers. My mom is feeling under the weather and I don't trust many people in this town. Is there any possible way that you could watch Cece and Phillip?"

"Andy's with me tonight, but we'd be happy to. What time should I be at your house?" I saw Andy raise an eyebrow in curiosity out of the corner of my eye. "How's 6:30?"

"We'll see you then!"

That evening, I knocked on their front door in case the kids were napping. Andy stood behind me with his hands in his pockets, humming to himself. I looked over my shoulder at him and grinned.

He smiled back, reaching to wrap me in his arms and planting a kiss in my hair.

Jim opened the door, "Hey guys! Thank you so much for doing this for us." He held the screen door open for us as we went inside.

Going into the living room, Pam was putting some items in her purse from the couch. She looked up and grinned her pretty grin in gratefulness. "You are so amazing, thank you for doing this!" Pam got up and hugged me before moving on to Andy.

"Don't worry about it, Pam. We're happy to do it. I just wish you guys weren't moving." I replied, making a face at her.

"I know it. I wish we could've known each other longer, and that the kids would've had you for a teacher." She bit her bottom lip and made a face, and I could see her eyes were starting to get wet.

"We shouldn't be longer than a couple of hours. There's beer and drinks and food in the fridge so help yourself to whatever." Jim offered, coming up to his wife and putting a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Phillip is napping. He should be up within the hour. Cece is playing in her room." Pam told me as they headed for the front door.

"No sweat you guys, we'll be fine." Andy replied as the daughter Halpert came into the living room.

"Uncle Andy and Kate are going to watch you for a bit while Daddy and I go do something." Pam told her, leaning down to pick her up and kiss her cheek.

"You buy me new toy?" She asked, grinning cutely.

"Maybe if you're good." Jim replied, winking and kissing her other cheek.

"Come on, Cece. Let's go check out your cool toys!" Andy said excitedly as he took the little girls hand and they went into her bedroom. Jim and Pam took the opportunity to exit the house with a wave.

A wave full of hope and promise for the future.

"Geez Phillip, why don't you actually get something in your mouth?" I teased the young toddler as he fed himself small pieces of green beans.

It was going on 8:30, and Jim and Pam were still out. The process was taking longer than they anticipated.

Kate and Andy didn't mind though. It was nice playing house for a little bit.

"Uh, I think someone needs a bath." Andy proclaimed sheepishly, carrying Cece into the kitchen covered in markers.

My mouth dropped open- the girl had marker ink everywhere.

On her clothes, on her skin and hair…

"What in the world happened?" I asked incredulously before wiping some of Phillips mess off his cheek.

"Uncle Andy had to use the commode and left her alone for a minute." He replied guiltily.

I scoffed, "Rookie mistake there Bernard."

He shrugged a shoulder, "I'll get it right next time."

"If they let you have a next time." I laughed.

"I mean my own kids." His look softened a bit, and it was one of the most vulnerable and sweetest looks I'd ever seen.

My heart ached. I wanted a baby so badly.

"Well Cece, should we give you a bath?" I asked the girl who was shyly resting her blonde curls against Andy's shoulder. I committed the image to memory.

"I don't know!" She replied cutely with a smile.

I winked to Andy, standing up and handing a towel for Phillip to him. He passed Cece into my arms and I quickly blew a raspberry on her cheek.

She laughed wildly, "Bath time!"

"You know it! Come on crazy girl!" I replied.

I stopped in the doorway of the kitchen and looked back at Andy sitting beside Phillip's highchair.

He winked, making my heart thump.

The smile that slowly spread on his face was one that held so much promise for the future.

"…The sun has set, and sleepyheads all across the land are tucked into their cozy beds. Rabbit is snoozing in the weeds, and Duck is snuggled in the reeds. Bear is nestled in his cave, and Otter is rocking on a wave. But there's one little sleepyhead who's not in his bed. Where, oh where, could he be?"* (excerpt from Sleepyheads by Sandra J. Howatt)

I looked up from the page to see Cece cutely snoring in her toddler bed. I could faintly hear the front door opening and shutting signaling the return of Jim and Pam. I had been reading on the floor beside her nightlight so I quietly got up and snuck out of her room, closing the door softly behind me.

I went back into the living room and found Pam and Jim sitting on the couch talking with Andy who was rocking Phillip in a chair. I grinned and waved at them, "How did everything go?" I asked excitedly.

"Oh my gosh we found the coolest house! We put an offer down, so hopefully they'll take it." Pam replied, pulling out her phone and showing me the online listing.

"Wow look at those hardwoods!" I commented, and then gasped when a picture of the kitchen popped up. "Oh my god I'm going to visit you just to cook in that kitchen."

"Right!" Pam giggled.

"I can't believe you guys got both of them to fall asleep at the same time." Jim commented, glancing over at his son snoozing on Andy's shoulder.

"It's a gift." He shrugged his unoccupied shoulder. Pam decided to put him in his crib, so she took him off Andy's hands and bid us goodnight, thanking us again for babysitting.

We said bye to Jim and showed ourselves out. I handed Andy my keys and let him drive.

Inside the dark car, my mind was trying to figure out how to tell my new boyfriend that I wanted a baby. I watched the last of the sunset out of my window as we drove. I felt his hand slide into mine and squeeze gently. I squeezed back playfully but kept my eyes on the horizon to my right.

"You're pretty cute with a little kid." He commented boldly.

"I'm always cute." I joked, stealing a glance for a moment. His smirk was visible under the passing street lights.

I sighed, figuring I might as well be honest. "I really want a baby so damn bad."

He was silent for a few moments, so I dared to glance at him.

Andy was grazing his bottom lip with his teeth, and I immediately regretted my verbal diarrhea.

"Um, I'm sorry that popped out."

He squeezed my hand and smiled kindly, "Don't be sorry if that's how you feel." "You don't just say things like that to a new boyfriend, though! Jesus!" I couldn't look at him for the rest of the car ride.

Ten minutes later we pulled into my garage and he shut off the engine. We sat in stilled silence for a few moments before I reached for the door handle.

"Kate," he said softly, and my hand hovered mid-air. Andy was staring straight ahead, his face casted in partial shadow from the light in the garage.

"I want a baby, too…just as badly as you. I would have a baby with you tomorrow if we could," I smiled a bit at this, "but I don't want to screw this up. You and me. Let's give ourselves time. If things keep going the way they are, let's talk about it around…" he stopped to think of an appropriate time down the road.

"Christmas." I offered.

He smirked and nodded, "Deal."

I stuck out my hand teasingly, "Let's shake on it."

"Hmm, I can think of something better than that." He yanked my hand so that I went flying toward him. Our lips met in a tangle and the ache in my heart instantly melted away.

"Maybe I'll get a dog." I thought out loud as I lazily flipped through a Victoria's Secret catalogue. My feet were resting comfortably in Andy's lap as we lounged on the couch. He was flipping through the satellite menu, trying to find something to watch. He landed on House Hunters with a defeated toss of the remote.

"What kind of dog?" He asked, running the pad of his thumb over the top of my foot.

"I dunno, maybe a Lab or a Golden Retriever? I wonder if the shelter has anything."

"We could go tomorrow and look if you'd like." He offered.

I rested the catalogue against my chest so I could look at him, "We don't have to. I'm just talking silly."

He shrugged in defeat and moved my feet out of his lap so he could stand up. "I'm going to have a glass of wine, would you like one?"

I nodded happily and watched his backside as he went into the kitchen.

Something was nagging at me in typical woman fashion.

"Andy?" I could hear him pop the cork on the bottle of white that had been in the fridge.

"Yes, m'lady?" His voice echoed off the tile floor.

"You weren't freaked out about the baby talk were you?"

"On a scale of one to ten, maybe a two at the most. But babies are a big deal regardless."

"Okay,"

He came back into the living room with the wine in each hand, handing me one. I sat up and thanked him, taking a quick sip.

"Why do you ask?" He wondered, looking at me intently. He sat beside me and slipped an arm over my shoulders.

"I just…I haven't been in a relationship in so long I don't want to fuck it up. The honeymoon stage is such a sensitive time I don't want to do or say the wrong thing."

"Don't worry about things like that. It takes a lot to get me to leave."

I gave him a questioning look.

"Want me to show you?" He offered. Andy grabbed the remote and switched to the DVD player. The doc DVD menu flashed on the TV screen. Selecting an episode entitled The Duel, he settled back against the couch and replaced his arm around me.

"Did you really love Angela that deeply?" I asked him after the episode ended. My head rested on his shoulder comfortably- it was quickly becoming my favorite place in the world.

He took a breath, and I could tell he was contemplating. "I think I thought I did. In hindsight, it was probably an ego thing." "Oh,"

He planted a kiss in my hair and I snuggled into him deeper. A long yawn escaped me, and I closed my eyes for a moment. "Shall I take you to bed, m'lady?"

"Take me to bed or lose me forever!" I quoted with a Texas twang in my voice.

Andy let out a laugh, grabbing my hand and leading me the way.