December 7th, 2003

It was bitterly cold in Boston. The snow was almost knee deep after the snowstorm that happened last week. Moods were fried. Lily had started to pick up a few hours at work. It was only about fifteen or twenty hours, but it was nice to ease herself into the work. Lily stared out the window of her office. It looked so cold out there. Garrett walked into her office with a soft smile.

"Do you want to go home?" He asked. Lily shook her head.

"No. It looks like terrible driving weather out there now."

"You can at least go check on Maya at the daycare." He said.

"It's all right, Garrett." Lily chuckled, "Do I look like I need something?" Garrett shook his head.

"I just want to keep you happy so you don't leave us." He said.

"Leave you?" Lily sat up and frowned, "Why would I leave you?"

"Because of Maya." He said. Lily shook her head.

"I'm fine. Maya is in the daycare downstairs and she seems to be adjusting to that. Bug and I can check on her whenever we want." Garrett nodded as he pulled up a chair to her desk.

"Is everything else okay, Lily? I just want to make sure." He said.

"Everything is perfect." Lily smiled tenderly at him. "You and the others have made me feel very welcome."

"Good." He said, "Married life treating you well?" Lily nodded.

"Oh yes. It's amazing." She said, "I just…I never knew it'd be like this." Garrett chuckled softly.

"It's great when you can make it work." He said. Lily nodded.

"Oh yes. It is a lot more work then I thought it was going to be."

"Silly child." Garrett laughed, "Marriage and parenthood is tough work."

"Thanks for telling me now." Lily smiled, "I guess its time for me to pick Maya up and go home." Garrett nodded and got up.

"Go get your daughter and have fun. Cherish these younger years. They don't last too long." Garrett smiled softly.

"So I've been told." Lily smiled as she slipped on her jacket. "Have a nice evening, Lily." He smiled at her.

"I will."

* * *

"Sleepy little butterfly." Lily mumbled as she carefully got Maya out of her car seat.

"Let's hope she stays asleep so we can get some." Bug said.

"Hoping so." Lily walked up the steps to their apartment. "I really think Garrett is having a hard time adjusting to me being a mother." Bug couldn't help himself. He burst into laughter.

"Why on Earth would he care? He's your boss." He said. Lily frowned slightly.

"Because he's my friend too." She said.

"I know." Bug said opening the apartment door, "Just put Maya to bed."

"Yes, Sir." Lily mumbled as she shuffled to the nursery.

"Lily, I'm sorry if I upset you." He said following her.

"You didn't upset me, Bug." Lily said, "I just want you to be a little more nice towards Garrett, Okay?" Bug arched his brow.

"I think I am nice to him. He's my boss. I can't be mean to him. I might be fired if I am." Bug said. Lily chuckled gently as she laid Maya down in her crib. She looked at her husband.

"I know." She said wrapping her arms around him, "I'm so tired."

"Then let's go get some sleep. Maya will be up in three hours demanding for your breast." Lily laughed as they walked to the bedroom.

"I love being in demand." She said plopping down on the bed, "It makes a girls ego inflate." Bug smiled as he watched his wife undress. How did he ever become so lucky? This wonderful woman he had been pining for was his wife and the mother of his child.

December 21st, 2003

Bug kissed Lily's neck as she arched her back. She groaned loudly as Bug trailed his hand up her inner thigh. She gasped loudly.

"Oh god, Bug." She moaned. It had been so long since they had made love. Lily squirmed beneath his touches. She wanted him.

"I love you, Lily." He whispered looking into her eyes. He was fully excited. Lily's eyes sparkled at her husband.

"I love you too." She whispered just as Maya started to cry.

"Christ." Bug groaned. Lily frowned.

"Maybe she can wait five minutes." Lily groaned. Bug chuckled as he rolled off of her.

"Take care of her quickly and we'll continue this." Bug smiled. Lily got up and wrapped her robe around her. She shuffled to the nursery.

"Oh Maya, you could have waited for at least twenty minutes so mommy and daddy could have finished." Lily flicked on the light and smiled at her daughter. Maya was screaming her head off. "Oh sweetheart, what's wrong?" Lily picked her up and felt her hot forehead against her neck. Lily frowned deeply and felt her daughter; "You're burning up. Bug!"

"What?" He groaned from the bedroom.

"She's burning up." Lily bounced her daughter going into the room. "Get me the ear thermometer." Bug sat up.

"Is she okay?" He asked.

"She has a fever! Go get the thermometer." Lily growled.

"All right." Bug got up and shuffled to the bathroom. Maya was screaming in her mother's arms. Lily bounced her.

"It's all right, Darling. We'll make you feel all better." She whispered.

"Here." Bug handed her the thermometer. Lily took it.

"Thanks." She mumbled and put the thermometer in her daughter's ear. "We'll get this done, Darling and get you medicine." Bug scratched his neck.

"What kind of medicine are we suppose to give her?"

"Baby medicine." Lily said, "I guess." Bug ran his hand through his hair as the thermometer beeped. She glanced at it and sighed, "It's one hundred and one point five."

"We have baby medicine?" He asked.

"In one of the unopened gift baskets." She said. Bug nodded and went to her nursery. Lily started to strip her daughter, "We'll make you feel better, Butterfly."

"Found it." Bug said walking back to the bedroom reading the label, "We're suppose to give her one dropper full."

"Okay, get it ready for me." Lily rushed to the bathroom and grabbed a wet wash cloth. "We nee to get that fever down."

"Okay, Hold her please." Bug said kneeling down in front of them, "Open your mouth, Butterfly." Maya was still screaming her head off. "Here we go." Bug squirted the medicine in his daughter's mouth and she coughed. Her screams got louder.

"It's okay, Butterfly." Lily gave her daughter her bottle. "I don't know what else to do for her, Bug." He patted his wife's knee.

"We're doing everything right." He said sitting on the bed.

"Maybe the medicine will knock her out." Lily rubbed her daughter's back.

"I don't think it will." Bug said lying down on the bed.

"Maybe it will okay?" Lily lay down and placed Maya in between them, "Maya, listen to Mommy. You'll feel better if you stop crying and just relax." Bug put the wash cloth on her pudgy belly.

"Maybe I'll call my mother just to see if we're doing it right." He said. Lily nodded.

"Please." She said. Bug turned over and dialed her number.

"Ma, It's me…Mahesh…Funny. Its Maya. She's sick…I know she's loud." Bug sighed deeply, "One hundred and one point five. What should we do?…We did that…We did…She did yeah…That's all?…Great…I love you too…Sleep tight."

"Well?" Lily asked. Bug hung up the phone.

"She said we're doing everything right. Just lay here and try to sleep. She'll be fine in the morning." Bug said.

"What if she's not?" Lily asked.

"Then we will take her to the doctors." Maya's screams started to fade into whimpering sobs. Lily smiled softly.

"See? I told you the medicine would help her sleep." She said.

"Good." Bug and Lily lay there watching their daughter fight to stay awake. Lily sighed softly. She was so sad to see her daughter with a fever and sick. But she supposed that this would be the first of many sicknesses she would be getting.