Hi lovely readers

Thank you all so much for the lovely reviews on the last chapter it means so much!

Since the last chapter, I have reached over 400 reviews. This might not be a lot to some fanfic writers but to me it means the world, thank you so much to every single person who has reviewed. I honestly love reading what you think so much and it totally inspires me to write more. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

This prompt was requested by a guest. I wasn't entirely sure what route to go down with this but I hope it's turned out okay for you. Thank you so much for requesting.

Enjoy reading.

Life before children was always so easy to take for granted. Amy loved her little family more than anything in the world but back when it was just her and Sheldon she hadn't quite realised or appreciated how easy they had it. With just themselves to think about everything was a breeze, everything was just simple.

The after school, after work rush was crazy, there seemed to be so many things to do and never enough time. Between homework, dinner, bath-time and bedtime routines it always felt as if Amy was chasing her tail. This was only made worse on the very rare occasions where Sheldon and Amy were having a date night.

"Mumma, do we have to go to auntie Penny's" Emily moaned from where she sat at the kitchen table, smears of tomato sauce on her cheeks from the spaghetti bolognese. Amy's choice of dinner for the kids tonight was quite possibly the messiest one out there but it was a meal that they both loved which ultimately meant zero complaints and full tummies.

"Yes darling. It's just for one night" Amy told her as she manically moved round the kitchen trying to tidy up. She looked over at her daughter, who at six years old had a way of making her feel guiltier than ever. She was sure every mother felt like this but it still didn't make leaving her children any easier. "You like going there. You'll get to play with Lucas and Uncle Leonard always lets you stay up much later than you should" she tried to reason with her but she was also Sheldon's child and at times reasoning and compromise was almost impossible.

"But I want to have movie night" Emily pouted as she twirled her spaghetti round her fork, her little legs swinging back and forth, still so small that her feet didn't touch the floor and just hovered in the air.

"We can have movie night tomorrow. You and daddy already talked about this." Movie night had become a Cooper family tradition. Amy never really had anything like that growing up and long before her children were her world, she promised herself that when the time came she would in-still some family traditions of her own and so Friday movie night became a thing. Every Friday night Sheldon would come home from work with snacks, they'd order take out and snuggle down on the couch to watch a movie, each one of them taking it in turns each week to choose a movie. Sheldon loved it as he saw it as his opportunity to create a love for superheroes amongst his children, it did also mean that on occasions they had to sit through a classic Disney but he never once complained.

Amy eyes moved over to Arthur, her littlest baby, who seemed more than happy to be clapping his tomato sauce smeared hands together. She often wondered how much he was aware of, what he understood and picked up on. At two years old, he was showing signs of being the perfect mix of both of his parents unlike his sister who was this confident, outspoken, ambitious and sociable firecracker that at times left her parents wondering where the hell she actually came from.

"Yeah I know" Emily rolled her eyes, when she turned six she also developed quite the attitude. "Daddy said you have to go out because it's your versary" she sighed.

"It's our anniversary yes" Amy told her, trying to keep herself calm. She was stressing out because they were due to leave in an hour, she was no where near ready, neither were the kids and Penny was due to pick them up in twenty minutes.

"I don't even know what means" Emily shrugged her shoulders. It was quite typical of Sheldon to just spout out words to his children and not think for a second that they wouldn't have a clue what he was talking about.

"Well your anniversary is when you get married" Amy explained, laughing as her little girls gasped loudly and turned around to face her, her mouth open and eyes wide with wonder.

"You and daddy are getting married today?" Emily asked, she was so full of excitement Amy almost didn't have to heart to tell her other wise.

"No we're already married" Amy was sure she already knew this. "Your anniversary you celebrate every year on the day you got married so on this day, eight years ago daddy and I got married" Amy explained. Despite her frantic rush and desperate bid to get ready on time, she made her way over to the kitchen table and sat down next to her daughter. In all of her six years, Emily had never really asked about their wedding and it filled Amy with excitement at the fact she could now share it with her.

"Oh. Like a birthday" Emily questioned as she shovelled more spaghetti into her mouth.

"Yeah, I guess so" Amy nodded. It still amazed her how much her children learnt, their little minds were incredible and they honestly did something new that Amy was proud of every single day. How Emily's little mind had made those kind of connections, she thought was amazing. "You know you're such a clever little thing" Amy wrapped an arm around her and squeezed her tight. For a moment she considered cancelling their plans, maybe movie night with the kids wasn't a bad way to celebrate their anniversary after all but then she quickly realised that she couldn't remember the last time she and Sheldon had spent any quality time together and they were going to be alone for a whole evening, a whole night and for most of tomorrow morning.

"Do you have pictures?" Emily asked eager to see what her parents looked like when they got married.

"You've never seen the photos?" Amy asked, surprised that this topic of conversation had never come up before. Emily pouted and shook her head. "Right well, we're not looking at any wedding photos whilst we're covered in spaghetti sauce" Amy laughed, "let's clean up first and then we can have a look. You can take a look too Arthur" she smiled at her little boy.

She didn't care that they were pushed for time, that quite possibly Penny would be rocking up soon and that they could be late for their dinner reservations. She needed to be present and to take this moment for what it was, something heartwarming and meaningful. Amy knew this was the case for most people but her wedding day was one of the very best days of her life and it made her a little sad to know that her now favourite people in the world were not there for it.

"Why don't you both go and clean up and double check your overnight bags and then we can look at some wedding photos" Amy knew their overnight bags were fine, she had packed them and subsequently triple checked them but she needed something to keep them busy for a little while longer whilst she cleaned.

Carefully Amy lifted Arthur out of his high chair and placed him down on the ground. Her heart melted as Emily took hold of his hand and led him upstairs. At times, Emily moaned about her little brother but Amy knew that deep down she was a very protective older sister and loved him whole heartedly. It made Amy so happy to know that no matter what happened in life they had each other, Sheldon had that growing up but she did not and it was important for her to know that her children weren't alone in the world and that they had a sibling to lean on no matter what. She knew that no matter how old they became Arthur and Emily would always have each other.

Just ten minutes later, Amy heard the tiny footsteps coming down the stairs. She was nowhere near ready and she was sure Penny was just minutes away but she was going to take this moment with her children because in less years than she would care to admit the last thing they would want to do was sit and snuggle their mother and look at photos.

"I think daddy is nearly ready" Emily told her as she came bounding into the living room, her hand still in Arthur's. "He smells funny" Amy laughed knowing exactly what she was talking about. The smell of baby powder and Amy's favourite aftershave on him, he always went a little overboard with the scent on date nights but Amy never had the heart to tell him.

"Look what I have here" Amy smiled, holding up the wedding album. Emily's bright smile was everything and even though she was sure Arthur didn't have a clue what was going on, he smiled too and melted Amy's heart. She patted the spaces next to her and soon had her children at either side of her, this was without a doubt her happy place, whenever she was with her children and all was calm, it was one of her favourite things.

Amy slowly opened up the wedding album, it had been so long since she herself had gone through the photos in here. As soon as her eyes landed upon the images, memories and feeling from that very day came flooding back, it was truly perfect, in every single way.

Emily gasped when her eyes landed upon her mother in her wedding dress. Amy loved that dress, she loved every single detail but what she loved the most was how it made her feel. She had never felt more beautiful. Emily reached forward, her index finger gently brushing across the photo, she seemed in complete awe.

"Mumma, you're so pretty. You look like a princess" she whispered, not once moving her eyes from the photo.

"Do you think so?" Amy asked to which her little one nodded.

"Daddy" Arthur chirped pointing to various photos of Sheldon.

"Yeah that's right, that's daddy" Amy smiled giving him a squeeze. They were both enthralled by the photos. Of a day that they were not part of yet so many of their family and friends were. They loved flicking through them and pointing out all of the people they knew. Emily especially loved the bridesmaids dresses and Arthur grew excited every time he saw his father.

"Where are we?" Emily asked after a while. She had that inquisitive look on her face that reminded Amy so much of Sheldon. She really was her fathers double.

"You weren't born yet" Amy explained.

"Am I in your tummy?" she asked.

"No, not yet. That happened a few years later and then a few years after that you came along" she placed a kiss to Arthur's head and secretly hoped that was the end of that conversation. She wasn't quite ready yet to have the 'where do babies come from' conversation.

"Daddy looks like he loves you there" Emily pointed out after a while of silence. The photo she was looking at was one of their first dance, Amy had her arms looped around Sheldon's neck and his were placed around her waist. They had both been so nervous about that moment but Amy remembered how once she was in his arms it was like they were the only people in the room, the only people in the world. It was such a special feeling, she knew in that moment that she had married the love of her life, there would never be anyone else.

"What's going on here?" Sheldon asked, he hadn't expected to come downstairs to find them all snuggled up on the couch. He thought the children would be occupying themselves whilst Amy got ready but if he was being honest she looked far from ready.

"Mumma is showing us your wedding photos" Emily smiled up at him. "Because it's your 'versary'"

"Mumma really should be getting ready" Amy announced once she'd clocked the time. "Why don't you look through the rest with daddy" Amy told them as she got up from the couch and handed the album to Sheldon.

"Daddy, you and Mumma look like a prince and princess" Amy heard Emily say she left the room.

—

"Happy anniversary" Sheldon smiled as he lifted up his glass of red wine, ready to toast with Amy.

"Happy anniversary" she beamed that smile back at him that sent his heart all a flutter. How had he, Sheldon Cooper found himself lucky enough to be married to this woman for eight years, not to mention the other six that they had been together before marriage was even a thing. He would never really know what he had done in life to deserve her, to deserve his children, his family, their little family. "Can you believe it's been eight years" Amy was clearly just as taken a back as he was. "It feels like yesterday doesn't it" she hooked a piece of fallen hair behind her ear.

She looked amazing. Incredible. Her hair was in loose curls cascading down past her shoulders and that red dress she was wearing was doing things to Sheldon that he didn't want to draw attention to over dinner. Despite the sudden rush to get out of the door once the children had gone, she really did look gorgeous.

"It really does" his memory served him well which meant that he could remember almost every single detail of their special day. "And yet so much as happened" he wasn't a father eight years ago, he didn't really think much of the idea but when little Emily came along, she changed his life in ways he could have never imagined, he didn't think you could experience that feeling, that instant rush of love, that feeling of your life changing more than once but four years after Emily's arrival, little Arthur came along and it had all happened again.

Watching Amy become a mother had only increased his love for her. People had often told him that would be the case and of course he was cynical but growing a baby and giving life to that baby looked pretty tough and he couldn't have loved her more. He couldn't have been more grateful to her for raising their babies for being the best possible mother she could, their children were so lucky.

"I know" she smiled that smile again. "Thank you for creating our little family with me" she reached across the table for his hand and gave it a squeeze.

"I'm not sure why you're thanking me. You're the one that did all of the hard work" he laughed.

"This is lovely" she gestured to their surroundings. "We need to do it more" they were both always saying this, after Emily had been born they had got into a good swing of having date nights but since Arthur had been born they were pretty non existent. Time together was so important. It was nice to just be themselves, not the neurobiologist and the physicist, not mum and dad but just Amy and Sheldon. How it had been, how it was always meant to be.

"We do" he agreed. Back when they first started dating it would have taken an awful lot of persuading and reaching some ridiculous compromise to get Sheldon to go on a date and now here he was actively agreeing.

"Emily was fascinated by those photos. She kept asking me where she was, I thought I was going to have to broach the whole where do babies come from conversation" Amy explained as Sheldon almost choked on his wine.

"Oh god, I'm not ready for that"

The waiter came to take their order and they stopped their conversation to order their starter and main course. Once the waiter had left Amy decided to very quickly check her phone, it was getting late and although she was sure the children would be asleep, she just wanted to double check no one had tried to get hold of her.

"Oh look at this" Amy gushed as she turned her phone round to show Sheldon the image that greeted. It was a picture of a card Emily had clearly made at Penny's, there were two people at the bottom that Amy could only assure were herself and Sheldon. The rest of the card was just a mass of silver and gold glitter. The inside was filled with Emily's handwriting in pink pen.

Sheldon's eyes scanned over the image before he smiled, really smiled. "I know she's ours but she really is so cute" he would never get over how special his children were.

"We're going to have to keep that one forever. The first little anniversary card she made us."

Thank you so much for reading! As always reviews are always appreciated and so welcome. I loved hearing your thoughts.

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