Chapter 31A
A/N "Just Fun"
I decided to add this chapter due to avoiding writing another chapter that was full of angst. Needed some joy and laughter in my life.
Saturdays were her favorite day of the week. Everyone wanted to sleep in and not start their day too early.
Suzanne opened her eyes to find she was practically sleeping on top of Benjamin. Her head was on his shoulder, her hair spread over his chest and her arm was pulling her tightly to his warm body.
It was a chilly April day and all she wanted to do was stay in bed snuggled up to his warm body. Just as the thought entered her mind, Will could be heard over the monitor laughing.
She slowly extracted herself from around Benjamin and put on some clothes. They had forgotten those when they went to sleep after a night of enjoying each other. She smiled when she saw her underwear hanging off the lamp on his side of the bed. They still had not grown out of throwing their clothes haphazardly around the room when their need for each other overtook them. They had found their clothes in some pretty strange places over the years.
She walked into the nursery and saw the most adorable sight she had ever seen. Lizzie was sitting in Will's crib playing peek a boo with him. She would cover her eyes and then drop her hands and yell boo at him. He would giggle uncontrollably at her and say "gain sissy." Lizzie would act like she didn't want to but she would and they were soon laughing together.
Suzanne could stand and watch her kids do this all day. She was smiling and didn't realize she had laughed out loud until both kids turned to her and said "Mommy."
She walked over to the crib and smiled down at them and asked them what they were doing.
"I heard Will wake up and I wanted to let you sleep, so I climbed up in here with him to play. He likes the peek a boo game, so that is what we played," Lizzie said.
"You are such a good big sister and thank you for letting me sleep," she said as she lifted Lizzie out and set her on the floor. "Ok, Big man, let's get you changed."
She changed Will's diaper and put him in some play clothes for the day. Lizzie took off to her room to change into some play clothes also.
She ran back into Will's room and told them, "Let's go dog pile daddy."
A smile came to Suzanne's face as she looked down at Will and nodded to them both.
They quietly walked down the hall to her bedroom and cracked open the door. Benjamin was sound asleep. They crept into the room and walked over to the bed. Suzanne nodded at Lizzie and she jumped on her Dad. Suzanne carefully laid Will on him and then jumped on him herself.
Benjamin bolted awake when a misplaced knee caught him in the stomach. He awoke to his family's giggles as they all piled on him. He reached over and started tickling Lizzie as she was trying to squirm away from him. He caught her foot and pulled her back to him and started tickling her until she was able to finally get away from him. He let her go and pulled himself up to lean on the headboard. He was glad that he had put his boxers and sleep pants on when he had gotten up in the middle of the night.
Suzanne had moved Will when Benjamin and Lizzie started getting too rambunctious. She was sitting on the bench at the end of the bed with a huge smile on her face. She was so happy. Her life was perfect and she just wanted to stay in this moment and enjoy it.
Benjamin looked down and saw her with Will snuggled up to her chest and tears leaked from his eyes. Lizzie was stroking Will's back talking to him. She was telling him in a few years he could have tickle wars with Daddy too.
Suzanne rose and sat Will on Benjamin's lap. "I am going to go cook breakfast, you entertain our offspring."
Benjamin turned Will around and was tickling him and blowing on his tummy. Will was giggling and Lizzie was jumping on the bed. Will caught the movement and turned to her and started laughing at her.
Suzanne walked out of the bathroom and shook her head at the antics going on on the bed.
Breakfast was eaten and Benjamin headed upstairs to get himself and the kids dressed for a day on the farm.
Once everyone was dressed they headed out to the farm.
Billy met them and told him the wagon was all loaded up and ready for them and that Ellen had packed one of her signature awesome picnics for them.
Benjamin handed Will to Suzanne once she was loaded up and then he jumped up and took the reins. Lizzie was sitting in the back, but was leaning on the seat looking out towards the front.
Suzanne could hardly wait until both kids were old enough to ride and then they could take the horses on outings instead of the wagon. Joe had started Lizzie riding about a year ago and she was a natural.
Benjamin drove them up to the picnic area that Eric had put in by the lake last year. He had cleared an area and put in a picnic table after he and the farm hands had put in a concrete pad. He finished it off by adding a cover to help cut some of the extreme sun in the heat of summer.
Suzanne set out the food once she fed Will and laid him down on a pallet for a nap.
Benjamin and Lizzie were down on the pier. He was teaching her to perfect her casting. He had started teaching her to fish in the fall, but this was their first outing this Spring. Lizzie was concentrating and Suzanne laughed when she saw her with her tongue sticking out looking determined at the rod and reel.
Suzanne looked down to finish putting together their plates. She looked up when she heard a loud squeak. Lizzie had caught a fish and was fighting to reel it in. Benjamin was calmly coaching her on what to do. She watched as Lizzie reeled it in and Benjamin reached down with the net to pull it out of the water. He reached in and pulled it out of the net so Lizzie could see her catch. Lizzie reached over and kissed the fish then tossed it back in the lake.
Benjamin laughed when he saw her actions and pulled her into a tickling hug. He gathered all their gear and Lizzie ran ahead so she could tell her Mom about catching her fish.
The family spent several hours at the lake and mid afternoon clouds started rolling in. They decided to call it a day and head home in case it started to rain. They didn't want to have to maneuver the wagon on the trails with the kids in it.
Lizzie had fallen asleep in the back of the wagon after lunch and Will had a nice long nap as well.
Just as Benjamin pulled up to their house, it started to rain. It was not a downpour, just a good slow soaking rain.
Lizzie had gotten her crayons and color book and was coloring at the kitchen table.
Benjamin was running a toy car over the top of the table playing with Will.
Suzanne finished cleaning up and walked over and sat down. She looked out the window and an idea came to her.
"Who wants to go play in the rain?" she asked, looking at Benjamin and Lizzie.
Lizzie was sitting on her knees and she jumped up and was yelling "Yes, yes."
Benjamin looked at her and cocked his eyebrow.
She smiled at him and nodded her head up and down.
Benjamin shrugged his shoulders and stood up. He handed her Will and walked to the closet by the front door and pulled out rain gear.
Lizzie pulled on her rain pants and jacket. She sat on the floor and pulled on her boots.
Benjamin geared up and then took Will from Suzanne so she could get dressed.
Suzanne dressed Will and handed him to Benjamin. He looked so cute in his gear. It was still a little big on him, but he would grow into it.
They headed outside. There were a few puddles that had already formed and Lizzie headed straight for them. Splashing in puddles was the best. She was trying to see how high she could get the water to splash as she stomped them.
Benjamin walked up behind her and splashed her with water. She squealed and took off running. Benjamin was hot on her heels chasing her.
Suzanne sat on the bottom step and set Will down on the ground. He reached over to a puddle and splashed his hand in it. The water splattered on his pants and face. He squealed and splashed it more. He turned to his knees and crawled over to a bigger puddle. When he slapped the water, it totally covered his face. He stopped for a second and Suzanne stood to go get him, when he squealed even louder.
This made her laugh as she walked over to him. She sat down on the ground and he slapped the water again splashing them both.
Lizzie and Benjamin were running around the yard throwing mud pies at each other.
They played for another hour, until Suzanne looked at her watch and decided she needed to start on dinner.
She handed Will over to Benjamin and walked up on the porch to take off her rain gear.
Benjamin and the kids played for a while longer and then headed into the house. He had removed their rain gear and left it hanging on the porch. He would give it time to dry and then clean it up and store it in the front closet.
After dinner, Benjamin cleaned up the kitchen while Suzanne took both kids up for a bath. Benjamin finished and joined them upstairs. Suzanne bathed Will first while Lizzie played with her dolls. Once he was clean, Suzanne ran a fresh bath for Lizzie.
Suzanne took Will in his room and fed him his nightly bottle and rocked him. Once he was fed she pulled a book from the shelf and read to him as he dozed off to sleep. All the excitement from the day had worn him out and he was asleep in no time.
Benjamin took over bath duties for Lizzie. Once she was clean he carried her to her room and dressed her in her favorite Snow White nightgown. He tucked her in bed and grabbed the book from her night stand. They had started reading The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Benjamin had loved the book when he was young and wanted to make sure his kids loved it too. Lizzie was really intrigued by it and would stop him and ask him questions if she didn't understand what he was reading about. She was a smart, inquisitive child and was learning so fast.
Suzanne was leaning on the door frame watching Benjamin as he read to Lizzie. She loved the sound of his voice. When they were in college, he would often read to her as they laid on his couch. His soothing voice and his hand running through her hair, often put her to sleep. He would still read to her when she was having trouble sleeping. A smile formed on her face as she watched how animated he was as he read to her. Lizzie was hanging on to every word he read.
Benjamin looked down and saw his beautiful daughter had snuggle up to his side. She was so like her Mom. She smiled in her sleep and slept best when she was snuggled up to him. He rose slowly and placed the book on the bed side table. He leaned over and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "Sleep well Baby Girl, Daddy loves you so much." He tucked her bedspread up around her and turned off the bedside lamp. As he turned towards the door, he saw Suzanne smiling at him. His heart skipped a beat. Whenever she looked at him like that his whole world stopped and his breath caught.
He smiled back at her as he took her hand and they walked out of the room. He pulled the door closed. Lizzie always had to have her door closed. She told him it was because the monsters would wake her up when they opened the door. He laughed when she told him, but always shut the door.
They walked hand in hand to their room to get ready for bed. They brushed their teeth side by side.
Suzanne was applying her night time face cream and examining her face.
Benjamin walked up behind her and circled her waist with his arms. He pulled her back into his chest. "Gorgeous, what are you looking for in the mirror? You are the most beautiful woman in the whole entire world. You are more beautiful today than you were when we first met."
She pushed off his chest and stood up, "You are just saying that because I gave you beautiful babies. Wait a few years, when the wrinkles start setting in you will change your mind on that."
He turned her around to look him in the eyes. He raised his hands to her cheeks. "My love you will always be beautiful in my eyes, wrinkles or not. I can not wait to grow old with you."
"Come on handsome, let's go to bed. I am tired. We had a fun-filled day. As I recall we had a fun-filled night last night also. I need some sleep," she told him as she took his hand walking towards the bed.
"We could have another fun-filled night tonight too if you are not too tired." He slid under the covers as she snuggled up to him. "Are you too tired?"
She looked up at him and scooted up and took his lips with hers taking his breath away. She pulled back looking up at him as if to say "What does that tell you".