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Chapter 3
Han had not returned by the time she was ready for bed, so Leia stood in the almost-darkness of their room, considering her choices. She wanted to read from her datapad, as she did most nights before sleeping in Han's arms... or not sleeping, as proximity and caresses often led to more active behaviors. A warm sensation began to spread through her body as her mind drifted to the latter. But as lovemaking was a non-option in their current predicament, Leia turned her attention back to more realistic possibilities.
She could lie down on the bare mattress and try to sleep as she waited for Han's return, a wise idea given that the kids were early risers despite their late night. But after a full day of travel and kids and logistics, she felt wired rather than tired. She knew that if she closed her eyes in an attempt to drift off, her mind would do the opposite, bringing problems to solve and ideas to remember. And she would remain wide awake.
She could watch Holonet, but it would have to be on silent, and even then it would emit light, as would her datapad, no doubt attracting the attention of young eyes. Her ears attuned to anything that might relate to her children, Leia glanced in the direction of their sleeping arrangement. The rustling of sheets indicated that the kids had not yet fallen asleep, and Leia did not wish to encourage their wakefulness. She made her decision.
With a sigh of resignation, she turned to her right and entered her destination for the evening.
The fresher.
As the door closed behind her, the lights came on, flooding the small tile room with brightness. Leia squinted until her eyes began to adjust, then took a plush white towel from the shelf above the closed toilet, spread it on the lid for a bit of comfort, and sat down. Wondering what was taking Han so long, she looked longingly at the bathtub, imagining the soothing sensation of warm water, foaming bath salts, and her husband's hands working wonders on her skin.
However, given that the kids were still awake, she knew that a bath at this moment might not be a relaxing one. She picked up her datapad from the counter, selected a juicy article on the latest holostar gossip, and began to read.
Thunk. Thunk. Thunk. Even with the white noise of the air circulator, Leia heard kid antics and laughter.
She sprang to her feet and dashed into the dimly-lit bedroom just in time to see the giggling twins flop down onto their pillows and pull the blanket over their heads. Anakin lay face-down and spread-eagle in the middle of the still-vibrating mattress, pressing on it with his arms and legs as if attempting to stop the motion and hide the evidence of their misbehavior.
Leia wasn't fooled. She placed her hands on her hips and addressed all three of them. "No jumping!"
Then, she looked at Anakin. "Bed," she said sternly, pointing to his sleeping arrangement on the loveseat. His eyes flashed wide open in response, and he obeyed.
Leia looked at her children, now lying motionless. An Alderaanian saying played in her mind, one that she had heard from her parents on many occasions: "Never go to bed angry." Sensing their tension, her own irritation melted away, overshadowed by her unconditional love for them. She knelt beside the twins' pallet on the floor, pulled their blanket back from their faces, then tucked it snugly around them, kissing each of them on the forehead. Then, she made her way to Anakin's bedside and did the same with him.
Gazing at the three of them curled up in their covers, she prompted them. "Guess how much I love you."
Three little voices, well-versed in their mother's favorite children's story, chanted the next line in unison. "How much?"
"I love you to the moon… and back," she replied as she reset the lights, this time to almost total darkness.