Emily sat on the couch with Clara slumped against her, fast asleep, her breath coming in cute little puffs against her skin. She glanced down at the girl, smiling tenderly, her heart so full in that moment. She loved these moments were she seemed so small and innocent and perfect, knowing all too well how fleeting they would be, how soon she would be grown and gone.
Clara had wanted to stay up until midnight to see in the new year and they'd agreed knowing she would never make it that long. Sure enough, it was now just after nine and she'd been out like a light since quarter to.
Emily's phone chimed and she glanced at the screen, seeing Derek's name flashing. "Long time, no see," she answered, turning on Facetime.
He chuckled. "You know I miss you, Princess," he teased. "Almost as much as I miss those beautiful little girls of yours."
"I see how it is," she teased. "Well, just so you know, I prefer Hank to your ugly mug."
Rolling his eyes playfully, he said, "I was calling to give you good news, but maybe I've changed my mind since you're so mean." He stuck out his tongue childishly, making them both burst out laughing.
"So, what's the big news?" Emily asked, "You having another kid?"
"Sort of..." he said vaguely. At her raised, brow, he gave her a deliberately pointed look, waiting for her to figure it out herself.
"Oh!" she exclaimed once realization settled in, "Really?"
He nodded, grinning brightly. "Savannah and I talked about it and we've decided that if I can help you grow your family, then I couldn't live with myself if I didn't do it."
Emily clapped a hand over her mouth to quash her brilliant grin. "Derek... That's... It's incredible. I can't believe it!"
At Emily's over-excited exclamations, Clara started to stir, blinking sleepy eyes up at her. "Mommy?" she mumbled.
"Hey, Bug, how about you shuffle off to bed? You look pretty snoozy," Emily attempted to convince her, hoping that she was too tired to argue. (It had never worked before, but there was a first time for everything.)
Rubbing sleep from her eyes, she asked, "Is it New Year's?"
"Not yet," Emily said, "But it's okay if you're too tired to stay awake."
Clara pouted. "I'm not tired!" she protested. Derek could be heard laughing over the Facetime call, which made Clara instantly perk up. "Uncle Derek!" she exclaimed, face far too close to the camera.
"Hello, Clare-Bear," Derek greeted her. "What trouble are you getting into?"
She giggled. "I'm staying up to New Year's!" she declared.
"I see that," he replied. "Do you have any New Year's resolutions?"
Clara thought on that, then asked, "What's a revolution?"
He chuckled. "Resolution," he repeated. "It means something you want to happen in the new year. A goal."
"Oh." A beat. "Well, I wanna have a baby brother... Is that a revolution?"
"Not quite. But I hope you get your brother. I think that would make your moms very happy," he said, smiling his million watt smile and tipping Emily a wink.
Clara nodded her agreement, blissfully unaware of the discussion that the adults were having without a single word.
"Okay, Bug," Emily interrupted, "Why don't you go brush your teeth?"
She pouted. "But..."
Emily sighed. "You need to brush your teeth, even if it's midnight," she insisted. "Now, shoo."
Once she was out of earshot, Derek said, "Precocious little thing, isn't she?" He winked. "Just like her mother."
"Unfortunately," she said on a sigh.
With a wide yawn, Emily climbed into bed shortly before eleven PM. "That kid is so stubborn," she said, "She tried so hard to stay awake, no matter how many times I tried to convince her to go to bed..."
"Better get used to sleepless nights again," Lucy reminded, gently teasing.
She nodded, rolled onto her side to nuzzle into Lucy's neck. "Derek's going to do it," she murmured, almost apropos of nothing.
"I know," she said softly, "Because you're smiling from ear to ear." She kissed the top of Emily's head. "You're going to have a baby."
Several moments of contented silence passed.
Then, Emily breathed, "Oh, wow..."
"You sound like it's all hitting you right now," she whispered.
"I never thought I'd be pregnant again," Emily admitted. "I never thought I'd have the chance and, well... I guess I'm scared."
"Of what?"
She sighed, shook her head. "That I'm cursed. That I can't have a healthy baby because of what I did."
Holding her tight to her chest, Lucy murmured against the top of Emily's head, "I don't believe that. I know you're going to provide a very good home for our baby until they're ready to enter the world."
Sniffling softly, Emily said, "You could have married anyone – someone without all this baggage – why did you choose me?"
"I didn't choose you," she insisted. "I never had a choice to love you, you were like a part of me from the moment we met." She tilted Emily's chin up to capture her lips in a tender kiss.
Emily gave a watery smile. "I've fucked up a lot in my life," she said, "But, God, did I do something right to have you love me."
"I do. More than anything."
"I know." She hummed contentedly. "Almost as much as I love you...enough to endure morning sickness and a sore back and labour and..."
Lucy just laughed. "Hey, I did it twice for you," she teased.
A mischievous smirk crossed Emily's lips, then she rolled them so she was straddling Lucy's hips. "I can think of something else you can do for me...twice."
Lucy raised a brow. "Oh, really? And what might that be?"
Emily growled low in her throat, then dove in to latch her lips on Lucy's throat, sucking a bright purple bruise to the surface as her hand crept up her thigh to brush her fingers against her clit through the fabric of her panties.