So, this idea came to me this morning, and it didn't fit in my current story, but I thought it would be cute for Valentine's Day. I hope you enjoy this little bit of fluff.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012, 8:37 AM

Natalie started to slowly stir, the fuzziness of the world around her taking its time to fade away. Before daring to open her eyes, Natalie moved her hand over to the left side of the bed. When she found the space empty, the fog instantly lifted from her brain, and her eyes snapped open. Sitting up and looking around, Natalie saw that she was alone in the bedroom. Natalie swung her legs out from under the covers, and her toes hit the cold surface of the wooden floor. Natalie pulled herself out of bed and started her search. Finding their bathroom empty Natalie walked into the hall, stopping momentarily at the top of the stairs listening for any noise from downstairs. Hearing nothing, Natalie continued to pad softly down the hallway toward the door that was cracked open.

Natalie's heart melted at the site she found within those buttery yellow walls. There in the glider chair sat Adrian, a small pink bundle laying on his chest over his heart, held in place by his protective arm. Gracie was awake, but quiet, just looking up at her father with her big inquisitive eyes, as he softly spoke the words of Dr. Seuss. Adrian had turned the glider chair so that he could see into the crib and watch Lucas sleep as he read the nonsensical rhymes in a hushed voice to his daughter. Adrian was so engrossed in his task that he had still yet to notice Natalie standing in the doorway watching this beautiful moment between her husband and their children.

The spell was broken a minute later when Gracie started to wiggle and fuss. Adrian immediately started bouncing her slightly in his arm as he made soft shushing noises. "Shhh, Gracie girl, we don't want to wake your brother."

Turning to place a kiss on his daughter's forehead, Adrian finally saw his wife standing in the doorway. There she was with sleep-mussed hair, an old t-shirt, rumpled shorts, and bare feet, she looked so breathtaking to Adrian. Natalie's eyes were brimming with unshed tears as she watched Adrian with their children.

"What are you guys up to?" Natalie asked in a whisper.

"Just reading a little of the doctor together," Adrian answered as he closed the book and moved it to the table beside him before he secured his other hand around his daughter and stood. Walking over to Natalie, Adrian leaned over and kissed her softly on the lips. "Good morning, beautiful."

"Good morning," she murmured back, "what time is it anyway, it seems late for them to just be getting up."

"It's almost nine," Adrian said.

"Nine?" Natalie asked in shock and wonder, "I haven't slept so late since…" Natalie paused and thought for a minute, "I guess I don't even know when," she admitted. Reaching over and taking her daughter from Adrian's arms Natalie kissed her cheek earning a smile, "good morning happy girl, did you guys sleep late today?"

"Actually, she was up at four," Adrian admitted, "I got up and changed her and gave her a bottle and had just gotten her back down when Luke decided it was his turn to wake up. So, I did the morning routine with him then they were both up so we went down and had breakfast then bath time and he just went back to sleep about half an hour ago. I can't seem to get her to sleep anymore this morning though."

"Why didn't you get me?" Natalie asked, "You did the two o'clock bottles too," she realized.

"You seemed so tired the other day," Adrian said, "and I just thought a full night sleep would be nice for you, and it's Valentine's Day."

"Oh my god, it is." Natalie exclaimed in realization, "I am so sorry honey, I completely forgot. I am the worst wife ever."

"You, Natalie Teeger-Monk, are the best wife on the face of the planet." Adrian moved in and wrapped his arms around both of his girls. "And you don't need to give me a gift, I have you, and them, I am all set."

"Adrian, I love you so much," Natalie said with a sigh, "I still can't believe you let me get a full night's sleep, that might be the best gift ever."

"It's not even close," Adrian said gesturing to the tiny baby between them. Right at that moment, they were interrupted by the cries of their infant son.

"Why don't I take care of him," Adrian suggested, "and you take her and some books and things back to bed. We will be there in a minute, and we can all hang out together in bed for a while."

"Perfect," Natalie said as she already started to gather a few small toys in her left hand as Adrian picked up their crying son. Natalie looked over just as Adrian picked Luke up out of the crib, kissed his cheek, and held him close soothing his cries away. As Natalie walked out of the room back to bed, she whispered softly to her daughter. "You want to know a secret Gracie, you have the best daddy ever. That's not the secret part though, the secret, little girl, is that he didn't think he would be a good father. He is pretty great, though isn't he?"

Grace stared up at her mother as if she understood every word spoken to her and wanted to hear more. As her mother looked down Gracie gave her a big toothless smile. "You are my beautiful girl," Natalie said, carrying her daughter into her bedroom. Sitting them down on the bed Natalie laid her daughter in front of her and started to play with her with some of her toys. Adrian and Luke joined them a few minutes later, and for the next two hours the happy family relaxed and played and listened as Adrian read them stories. Eventually, the babies drifted back off to sleep each held in the arms of a loving parent.

Adrian looked down at his son asleep in his arms, then he looked over at his amazing wife holding their perfect daughter, and he knew that at this moment everything was exactly as it should be.

Well, that is it, I know it is super short and has no real plot. I just liked the idea that came to me of the perfect Valentines gift someone could be given is sleep, and then of Adrian being able to give that to Natalie in the future of my story if they have children.