"Pep honey, uh... since we've been talking about the topic of us selling out of the company and then taking it easy for awhile, there's… well there's something else I think I need to tell you about."

Pepper looked over at her husband with a small degree of concern. He had sounded unsure as well as nervous. What on Earth did he have to tell her about that would get him nervous beyond the idea of their future once they sold out of Stark Industries?

"What is it, Tony?" she asked finally when he didn't continue onwards.

"Um, I... uh..."

"Tony?"

He rubbed the back of his neck while he tried to decide how to start with what he needed to say to her. When he'd opened his mouth to tell her told her there was something else she needed to hear, and now there was nothing for him to do but to but for him to actually say what was on his mind .

"Okay, you know when Steve and I went off alone to have our little ?"

She nodded, "Yes?"

"Well one of the things I said to Steve while we were away was um... well told him was that after everything that's happened, Iron Man is... retired."

"You told him, what?"

"Iron Man is officially retired. I told Steve I am stepping down as a member of the Avengers."

She stared at him.

She couldn't help it.

For years and years she had wanted him to step down as Iron Man... or at the very least reduce his role as a member of the Avengers. But he never had, not even after the birth of their children. She'd be a liar if she said that their births were something she had really hoped would trigger a desire in him to take at least a few at steps back if it didn't make him step away the team altogether. But if anything it seemed like their births had the opposite since it seemed to have increased his desire to fight with the team. The only reason she could think of as the reason he would keep on fighting after their births was because he wanted to make the world a safer place for the two little precious lives they'd been blessed with. She knew Tony felt that as their father protecting them from the dangerous world was a responsibility to be taken with the utmost seriousness and one thousand percent dedication. She could not fault him for feeling that way. If anything the way he felt about their son and daughter made her loved him even more.

His uncertain voice interrupted her thoughts with an utterance of her name, "Pepper?"

She looked at him, realizing he was waiting on some sort of reaction from her. She swallowed, "So you're really retiring as Iron Man?"

"Yeah, I am. I mean I can't after what happened because it will be way too dangerous for both me and for the Avengers to stay in the superhero business." He laughed with a shake of his head, as though he had just realized what he had said "But it's always been way too dangerous, hasn't it? It doesn't take a genius like me to know that fighting with the team was always something that could've gotten me killed..."

And fighting with them almost did get you killed the first time you fought with the others, Pepper thought, while trying not to think of the sight of him going through the wormhole, guiding the nuclear missile away from New York and Earth.

He had been so close to never returning to her that day. If he had never returned to her that day, they never would have become husband and wife as they had the end of that very same year.. When she looks at him now, she thinks about how the last nine years could have been easily erased, and with them her children.

She can't imagine how different... or just how alone her life without him would have been. She doesn't want to imagine it. Neither doesn't want to think about how she also wouldn't be the mother now to two of the most sweet, wonderful, and beautiful children in the world.

She gets startled from her thoughts. Blinking she looked at him and she gave him a smile before she said, "Hi."

"Hi," he responds, a concerned look on his face, "Where'd you, Pep?"

"Oh I was just thinking," Pepper coyly answers, hoping he won't ask her for any details . Her hopes were quickly dashed.

"So what are you thinking about?"

"I was thinking about what happened in New York... about when Loki attacked... and about how you almost didn't make it out of that fight alive."

"I think what happened in New York is a good example not to mention reason why it's time that I retire as Iron Man. It kinda really illustrates part of the dangers that come with the superhero business doesn't it?"

"Yes... yes it really does," she agreed shuddering as she continued to remember and thought of him falling out of the sky. She was so thankful when the Hulk had just caught him before he could hit the ground. He'd been unconscious and falling at such a great velocity that there was no question in her mind the impact with the ground would have killed him. It had been fortunate for Tony, Bruce's fondness for him was not lost in translation when it came to the Hulk. If the Enormous Rage Monster hadn't caught him when he had... well she knew he would be sitting here beside her right now.

"Those days are behind me now, honey. I won't be suiting up to fight with the team whenever they get called to assemble again."

Pepper arched an eyebrow, "Are you sure about that?"

He gave her a nod, "Yes, I am sure. I am one hundred thousand percent sure. I know, my track record in the past hasn't been the best when it comes to not charging head first into a fight. This time though I have to I mean it. I'm at the point of No Return whether I like it or not because I can't fight with the Avengers anymore without putting the others in even greater danger."

"What do you mean by without putting the others in danger?"

"I uh think there would be a very good chance that someone would come after me during a fight."

"But why would they come... oh my! You think there are people out there who think you're actually guilty one instead of Morgan and Hammer actually being the ones who committed those crimes, don't you?"

"I don't think. I know and the reason I know is because people have always assumed the worst about me."

"Oh Tony, that's not true!" his wife countered.

With a shake of his head, he refuted her, "I think we both know that it is true, honey. Remember I was not only born with the last name of Stark but I had the lucky privilege of being born the only surviving son of Howard Stark. Neither one of those things helped me. Then to make it even worse, for years after they... they died, I was making an effort to making sure my own reputation would rival the one my Dad had. You know what kind of reputation I'm talking about. It's the one where I made everyone, you included, believe I didn't care about anyone or anything that didn't directly involve me making even more money or getting me whatever else I wanted."

Pepper sighed, "I think you are being far too hard on yourself, Tony."

"I am?"

"Yes, you are."

"Then why did everyone in the world believe I murdered all of those cops in cold blood just so I could kill the man who tried to kidnap our daughter?"

"Because they believed what the media was telling them what to believe about you? I don't believe your reputation would have had anything to do with it, Tony."

"Yeah maybe the media giving their completely non-biased opinions about me... maybe that would account for a lot of the people who thought I was guilty of the cold blooded murder of thirteen people but what about the jurors at my trial? They weren't supposed to have already decided one way or another if I was guilty or not before the trial."

"They believed you were guilty because of all the evidence the prosecution presented in court, Tony, not because of anything they have heard previously about you in the media."

"Are you sure about that, Pepper? Because I'm not."

"Yes, I am sure,"

"Why? Why are you sure?"

"Because I know you, Anthony Edward Stark. I know what kind of a man I married. I know the man I married isn't at all the man he led others to believe he was all those years ago."

She reached out, touching one of his cheeks, "I know because the man I know, love married, and is the father of my children has one of the most incredible, giving, and loving hearts I have ever known in my life. Yes, I know in the past you've worked hard at trying to make everyone believe you are actually the man your public reputation says that you are, but you are not, Tony. "

"If we sell out of the company, and it's still a big if for me at this point, just so you know that I am not letting you be CEO again! Not in a million years!"

"Good because I don't want to be the CEO again! Not in a million years! When I thought of this idea, I totally had pictured you continuing to act as CEO because I know how you're much more than capable of doing the job, Pep! And besides I can't see the board, whether it's at Stark Industries or if we start over, really wanting me to take back the reins of the company, can you?"

"No, not really," Pepper admitted after a second.

"No, of course not! They'd be certifiable if they'd wanted to take me back after your successful tenure at Stark Industries! Even with you having to put out a lot of my fires, you've still managed to keep things going in the direction they like. Plus frankly you seem to thrive on things that I always found mind numbingly boring! No, I'd much rather be in the shop-"

"Constantly threatening Dum-E and U by telling them you're going to donate them for this or that!"

"I do not constantly threaten them!"

"Yes, you do!"

"No, I don't!"

"Yes, you do!"

"No, I don't!"

"Yes, you do and before you deny it again, I say let's put in a call to JARVIS, and ask him about how many times you threaten the bots when you're down there with them!" She pulled out her cell as she spoke and started dialing.

"You do know that you are not going to be able to call JARVIS while we're out here, right?"

"I'm not calling JARVIS. I'm calling BRUTUS and asking him to put in a call to JARVIS for me!"

"Oh great! BRUTUS is going to-"

"BRUTUS, do me a favor and connect me with JARVIS please?"

"Certainly, Missus S, although is this something I can help you with?" the AI responded with what sounded suspiciously like an affronted tone.

Pepper rolled her eyes, and shot her husband an exasperated look.

"What?"

"Only you would create two artificial intelligences who rub each other the wrong way!" she told him before returning to the phone, "No, not this time, BRUTUS. I need to speak to JARVIS for this."

"Okay, I will connect you right away."

Boy, BRUTUS sounded really affronted now!

"How may I help you, Ma'am?" JARVIS's crisp British accent inquired over the line a few seconds later.

Pepper couldn't help but smile at the sound of the AI's voice.

"Mr. Stark and I were having a conversation in which Dum-e and U came up, and to be more specific, I brought up the issue of how many times they've been threatened with donation from Mr. Stark."

"Yes, Ma'am, is there anything specific that you wish to know in regards Mr. Stark's threats to Dum-e and U?"

"Yes, I wish to know if you've kept a record of how many times they've both been threatened with donation or with something else like being dismantled and their parts being used for something else?"

"Yes, Ma'am, as a matter of fact, I do. Sir has programmed me to keep a general record of the activities that take place in his workshop."

"Well, please do share, JARVIS," Pepper said, watching as Tony grimaced.

Tony saw her eyes widened a second later, "What? I still say it's not that many!"

Instead of arguing with him, she said into the phone, "Would you please repeat to Tony what you just told me, JARVIS?"

"Certainly, Ma'am."

In the next second, Tony found the phone pressed to his ear. He had opened his mouth to mute the AI but before he could get the one syllable out, JARVIS was rattling off a really large number.

Like a number that would rival the Stark family personal fortune past and present if such a number could be converted into actual cash.

"Okay, okay," he said, handing the phone back to her once JARVIS had finished speaking, "You've made your point. So I have threatened them both more than once over the years. It's not like I've actually carried through with any of them with either one of them !"

"Yet!" his wife sassed, and then she giggled as his jaw went slack, and he gaped a her.

"I… you don't seriously think I..."

While still laughing at her husband, Pepper thanked JARVIS and ended the call before she responded to him, "I think they do know it's not going to happen to them if it's not happened by now and you've been doing it for years. But I think maybe every time you threaten them, you might be hurting their feelings."

"Hurt their... oh come on, Pepper! You can't possibly be serious!"

"But I am being serious!"

"Honey, I love them dearly and I know I have called them my kids in the past but I didn't program them to have feelings like you, me, or one of our actual kids!"

"But they do! How can you say they don't?"

"Because uh they don't?"

"But they do, Tony! They really do have feelings like us! Or at least, I believe they're capable of expressing love like we can."

"You think they're capable of expressing love, how? In what way?"

"Well, while you were... away, the bots were sad because they missed you, Tony."

"And how do you know they were missing me? If anything I bet they were glad I wasn't there so they could have a few moments of peace without me grumbling at them or telling them I was going to donate them off to some city college!"

"No, relief wasn't the emotion I would ascribe to them at all . They actually did miss you, and the way they acted when they saw you after you came home, is proof of. And yes, I know about how they mobbed you in the workshop the night the others gave us a welcome home dinner."

The billionaire frowned, and then rolled his eyes, "Rhodey told you about that."

She nodded, "Yes, Jim told me all about it. He told me about how neither Dum-e or U wanted to let you go long enough so you would be able to talk to him. I think the fact they didn't want to let you go after seeing you again so soon... if that's not evidence that they missed you or that they love you, Tony, I don't know what is!"

"But they're machines, honey! I don't mean that in a derogatory way because I do love them. There have been times I wish I could have just interacted with machines for the rest of my life because I got along with them better and do you know why? Why I get along better with them, with machines, I mean? I get along with them better because machines don't have any feelings for me to hurt with anything I say or are dumb enough to do to them, that's why! And with my mouth... speaking before really thinking it out..." He trailed off, knowing she'd knew him well enough and he was willing to let her fill in the rest of that statement.

As she listened to him, Pepper's heart swelled with love for this brilliant genius of a man she loved and had married. For a man with such a brilliant mind, he could be such a self-depreciating idiot sometimes, especially when it came to himself. Like so many times before, she wished that he could see himself as she as well as all the others who loved him saw him: as being someone who was more than worthy of every ounce of the love he was showered with.

"You know what?" he inquired, interrupting her thoughts, "I know it's getting late, and we've only got a few hours left before we have to had back but I could use a nap. Wanna join me?"

She nodded, although she wasn't all that sleepy, "Sure."

"Wanna give the very questionable looking hammock over there a try?"

The middle of the hammock in question sagged in the middle in a way it shouldn't be, and between the fading as well as the dirt on it, Pepper didn't have any idea what color it was supposed to be anymore.

She shook her head, "No, I think we're better on spreading out the blankets and taking a nap right here."

"Boss, wake up! Yo, Boss! Wakey wakey up!"

"Tony?"

"Hmm?"

"Your watch is talking."

"Hmm."

"Tony!"

"Epic Wake Up call will play in ten seconds unless Boss says he's awake. Ten... nine... eight..."

Pepper's eyes snapped open at hearing the AI's warning, and she slipped out of her husband's arms, sitting up, "We're awake, BRUTUS! Cancel Epic Wake Up call!"

She had been subject to hearing what Tony had named Epic Wake Up one other time before and that one time was more than enough thank you very much. It was a mixture of many of the heavy metal rock songs, and every other loud, obnoxious sound Tony could find rolled into one long, ear bleeding symphony. Thankfully the one time she had heard it, it had been when they were completely alone in the penthouse because she knew it would have made both of the kids cry out of fright for a solid week.

Yes, it really had been that horrible!

"Sorry, Missus S, but I need to have confirmation from the Boss himself to cancel. Six... five..."

She considered trying to get Tony to wake up long enough to cancel the wake up but she knew she'd just be wasting the time she had to be covering her ears. So instead Pepper covered her ears, and then prayed the EWU wouldn't make her ears bleed as nearly as much on an open tropical island like it had when they were in their closed up bedroom.

"Three... two..."

"BRUTUS, cancel EWU!"

"Canceling, Boss!"

Tony laughed when he heard his wife give an audible breath of relief, and then he exclaimed "Ouch!" the next second when she smacked his shoulder. He opened his eyes, and rubbed his shoulder as he sat up beside her, "Hey, what was that for?"

"For faking being asleep the entire time, that's what!"

"I wasn't faking."

"You weren't?"

"No, I wasn't."

She had reached out to start rubbing his shoulder where she had smacked him, and had her mouth opened to apologize when he amended what he had said.

"I wasn't asleep the entire time, only for most of your little exchange with BRUTUS."

As soon as his words sank in, Pepper stopped rubbing his shoulder, and lightly smacked it again as she glared at him. The glare held no heat as she was also trying not to laugh at him. She held it together for a few more seconds, then leaned over to kiss him while she was still laughing. Her laughing soon stopped as their kissing very quickly intensified, and once again they got lost in each other.

"Boss, it's been twenty minutes since I woke you and the Missus up. If you're going to make it back to the -"

Hearing the not so subtle reminder of the island AI, Tony pulled away from his wife long enough to call out an irritated "Mute!" He moved his head closer to Pepper again to return to what they'd been doing before BRUTUS spoke up, but found himself groaning instead when she pulled away, and before she got up.

"I can't believe this day is almost over with," she said, holding a hand out to him.

He took hold of her offered hand, got up, and then wrapped his arms around her waist as she turned around to look at the waterfall again. After a minute, he murmured in her ear, "Same here. It went by way too fast, didn't it?"

"Yeah."

They stayed that way for another few minutes, then after giving his wife's neck one last kiss he said,"I guess we better pack up and head back. They'll probably be back in the next hour, hour and a half."

Once they parked the jeep close to the dock, Pepper and Tony walked over to the beach near it, and entwined in each other while they waited. Their long wasn't very long, for within five minutes of arriving, they got the first sighting of the boats on the horizon. With time they steadily grew bigger and bigger until they reached the docks and slowed down. They stayed where they were until the the small boats had tied been tied securely to the dock, and the walkways were extended into place.

Their friends' exhaustion from the day was obvious, so neither Tony or Pepper attempted to strike up any conversations with them as they disembarked. They just nodded, and watched as the adults shepherded their exhausted children along towards the bungalows, while keeping an eye out for their own. When they finally spotted their son and daughter, it wasn't a surprise to see them in the same state as all the other kids were in.

The second he spotted Eva laying ragdoll limp against her Uncle Jimmy's shoulder, Tony hurried forward towards them.

"Hey," Rhodey said quietly as he transferred the little girl into her Daddy's waiting arms, "She had a lot of fun today but she wore herself completely out."

Tony cupped the back of his daughter's head, he pressed a kiss to the top of her head before he replied in a voice as soft as his friend's had been, "I can see that." His eyes widened as Thor joined them carrying Ethan in nearly the same fashion his little sister was.

Pepper went over to them but didn't try to take her son from Thor, and he didn't try to hand Ethan over to her. Brushing back hair from his forehead, she asked in a near whisper, "Thor, would you mind taking him inside and putting him in bed?"

Thor smiled, "Nay, of course not,"

"Thank you," she murmured, stepping back so he could pass.

"This way, Goldilocks," Tony said, nodding goodnight to his best friend before he started leading the way inside his and Pepper's own bungalow.

"Thank you, Thor."

The Asgardian gave them a smile and a nod then left them alone to return to his own family.

Pepper watched him walk across the way towards the bungalow he was staying with Jane, their kids, and Darcy for a few seconds. She had been about to turn around when she felt a pair of arms slip around her waist, and felt warm breath in her ear.

"They're completely down for the count tonight, so what you say about us going for a stroll on the beach?"

She reached up to touch one side of his face, and kissed the side of his mouth before she asked, "What if the kids wake up?"

"BRUTUS will let us know. Right, Broo?"

"Yes, Boss."

"Come on, honey," Tony persisted after she didn't say anything, "I'm not ready to call our day over yet. Please?"

Pepper turned around in his arms so she could look at him and asked, "You're not tired?"

"Not even a little, are you?"

"No, not really."

"Then let's go for a walk on the beach."

Biting her bottom lip, Pepper asked, "BRUTUS, are the kids still asleep?"

"Yes, Missus S. They're sound asleep."

"And you'll us know if they even show the slightest indication of either of them waking up?"

The AI sounded more than just a little offended when he responded, "Haven't I always, Missus S?"

"Of course, you have, BRUTUS. It's just-" Her voice was cut off when Tony placed a hand over her mouth.

"Come on, let's not get Broo's servers all twisted in a knot, and go for our walk already." Tony was grabbing her hand and leading the way out of the door when they heard the AI sputter.

"Get my servers twisted up in a knot! Why of all the wiseguy things to say, Boss! Why I oughta-"

By now Pepper was laughing so hard at the indignant look on her husband's face that she was almost too weak pull him towards the beach where he wanted to take a walk.

"I love..." she began when she finally had enough to speak again, "How all of your AIs have such major, epic sassitudes!"

"Sassitudes? What the...?"

"Yes, you know sass plus the word attitudes."

"Sassitudes, huh?"

"Yep, sassitudes."

"I don't think I've ever heard of sassitudes before now."

"Well, I am sure I'm not the one who made it up but I haven't ever heard the word before either… at least I don't think I have and what difference does it make anyway?" Pepper knew the answer to her question before she finished speaking it because she could see the gleam in her husband's eyes.

"Oh, no difference. I just wanted to see how long it'd take you to say something is all!" Tony answered, laughing the entire time.

Any other time, she might feel some mild irritation at his teasing, but not right now. Right now she was enjoying hearing the sound of his laughter again, that she couldn't help but join in with him. In a little while after both of their laughing fit passed, she could feel as tears filled her eyes, her gaze lingering the remaining mirth on his face, "I love you."

"I love you," he said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders before he began guiding them down the beach.

They walked in silence for a while, just enjoying the warmth of the breeze coming off the ocean as the cool tide danced around their feet. Pepper laid her head on his shoulder, one arm wrapped around her husband's waist, her fingers securely intertwined with his. They stopped walking to watch the stars as they began to appear on the indigo velvet of the heavens.

"What I'm about to say is not a definite commitment to anything," she said, breaking the pleasant silence, "And I feel like we'll still need to talk about this, like a lot, but when we go back to New York, I think that maybe I would like to explore other things I can do other than being the CEO of Stark Industries."

"Do you think doing other things will include us, I don't know, possibly selling the company?"

"I have no idea. Like I said, we will still have to talk about this a lot once we're back in New York. But right now, after the six months long nightmare we went through, I just feel like I want all the time I can get with you and the kids. I wasn't joking when I said it was going to be hard to let you out of my sight for awhile. Like for example, the few hours you were gone to talk to Steve in private… they were not easy on me."

"Yeah, being separated from you right now isn't easy me either."

"So unless I want to have you and Eva tag along with me to work everyday after I go back…"

"What would be so bad about that? And what about Ethan?"

"He'll be in school. There would nothing bad about having two of the three loves of my life with me. But you'd be a distraction. Plus there is the fact that I don't think it'd take you or Eva all that long to get bored with being there, and when that happens…"

"What? You think we'll do something?"

"I don't think, Tony. I know you would!" she retorted with an eye roll, just picturing all of the mischief her husband and daughter could get into together, "Anyway, our future in the company is something for us to talk about when we go home and not before."

"Yeah, let's forget about this for now. We've only got a few days left here with everyone, so let's make the most of it, starting with Bruce and Betty's wedding."

"Speaking of which, we should probably be heading to bed soon, don't you think? I know we… or rather you agreed to not do extravagant for their wedding, but there's still going to be a little work involved if we're going to get what little we have to get ready for their afternoon nuptials."

"Yeah, I guess it's time to call it the end of the most day amazing with my wife."

A few minutes later they walked back inside their bungalow, and although they trusted BRUTUS to have reported if either of their kids woke up, they went to check up on them anyway. Pepper went to check on their little girl while Tony went into their son's room, and that's where she found him a minute or two later.

He must have sensed her presence because he turned his head to look at her, his voice soft as he said, "I missed his birthday, Pep." He looked back at Ethan, and felt her standing beside him.

"It's not your fault, Tony."

"Maybe not but it's something I swore I would never do to him." He didn't need to say aloud again that celebrating his birthdays with him was something his own father never did with him.

"But you didn't do it to Ethan, Tony. The only two people we have to thank for it are Morgan and Justin Hammer. They're the reasons we missed our little boy's birthday!"

Before Tony could give whatever response he was going to give to what she had said, Ethan stirred in his sleep drawing his parents' attention. They held their breaths, worried they had awakened him. But Ethan only snuggled up to his Iron Man pillow, and sighed as he continued on with sleeping.

Releasing the breath she'd been holding, Pepper whispered, "I think we've better continue this in our room before we wake him up."

"Yeah," her husband agreed with a nod, "I'm going to go look in on Eva first and I'll be in there in a few minutes."

"Okay, I'm going to go get ready for bed."

"I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Okay."

Pepper was still in the middle of her shower when she felt the cool air hit her back. She looked over her shoulder to see her husband reaching out to turn on his faucet on. She continued to watch him a moment before saying, "You can come over here with me, you know. I wouldn't mind it at all." He smiled at her, shut off his shower, and walked over to her side of the shower where she moved out of the way so he could step under the spray of water.

She heard him mutter, "Mmmm, that feels good." and Pepper didn't doubt it did. She had noticed how since he had returned home from prison, Tony really couldn't get enough of hot showers. He had told her while he was in prison, that while he was allowed two showers a week, they were always lukewarm at best, and were never hot like he liked them to be when he showered except for one time.

Since she was closer to being finished with her shower, Pepper just watched him for a few minutes. Finally after figuring out how to say what she wanted to say, she broke the quiet by beginning with, "Tony?"

"Yes?"

"What you were saying in Ethan's room just a little while ago. I…"

The soap in his hand stilled in its progress, and he looked at her, "Pep?"

Pepper swallowed, "Don't blame yourself for missing Ethan's birthday. It wasn't your fault."

"Yeah, I know."

"Do you?"

"Yes."

"Then why do I have a hard time believing you're going to keep beating yourself up over this in the future?"

Tony shrugged, and placed his hand on the shut off valve, "Are you finished? With your shower I mean?"

"Yes, I'm finished."

He shut off the water, and turned in her direction, expecting that she would have already exited the shower. Pepper hadn't moved an inch from her spot. Instead she had a look on her face that said she wasn't satisfied with only getting a shrug as an answer from him, and Tony knew if he didn't say what she wanted to hear they'd be here awhile.

"Look, honey, I get what you're saying. I'm not at fault. My head's already told me that Morgan and Hammer are to blame for the fact that the number for me being with my son on his birthday will always be one lower than his actual age."

"And your heart?"

He sighed, his shoulders slumping a little, "It's arguing with my head. Loudly."

She had guessed as much. Stepping even closer to her husband, she laid her hand on his chest over the spot where his heart was, "Tony, you have such an amazing and good heart-"

"I don't know about that, hon-"

"Let me finish, please."

"Sorry."

"Thank you. Now as I was saying, you have such an amazing and good heart," she paused, sensing he was wanting to dispute her words again but instead made himself keep quiet, "And I suppose because of this I can understand how your heart keeps saying it's your fault when it isn't, and it's because your heart is as amazing and good as I said it is. Do you hear me?"

He nodded, and sensing she wasn't finished yet, kept quiet.

""I know you wanted to have a perfect record when it comes to our kids for things like always celebrating their birthdays with them, and I am sorry you missed Ethan's eighth birthday. But you know what? As far as I am concerned, you still have a perfect record, and always will because you want to always be with them. I watch you with them and you are such an amazing father with them. Stop tormenting yourself over something you had no control over. Okay?"

"Okay, I'll try."

"No, don't just try. Do it. Give your heart its marching or-"

She never got to finish her sentence as her husband's mouth crashed against hers.