No more sleeps
"Mummy, Mummy."
"Five more minutes Ava please."
Abby watched her sister frantically shaking her mother's shoulder. "Mum, its ten o'clock."
Imogen was instantly awake. "What? It can't be." She looked at the clock on the bedside table. "How did I sleep that long? How did you sleep that long?"
"We didn't. We've been awake for a couple of hours. We went into my room and did some drawing then I got them dressed and made some toast. Granddad said that your breakfast is nearly ready so we thought we'd better call you."
Still not believing the time, Imogen grabbed her robe and slippers. "Where's Zara?"
"Downstairs. You get ready and we'll see you down there. Come on Ava."
"But…." Ava was hopping up and down as she watched her Mummy leave the room.
"Shhh, downstairs now."
Ten minutes later Imogen had followed Abby's instructions and was heading downstairs wearing jeans and her favourite purple jumper.
"Morning Dad, sorry I kept you…..Oh."
Constance laughed with delight as the woman she loved ran into her arms, "Hello Darling, it's so good to see you."
"But you're not due until later today? How?"
"Neither of us could wait any longer. We left the party as soon as we could, got a few hours sleep and then flew home early. It was entirely worth it to see your face, all your faces."
"Your father nearly dropped the teapot when we walked in." Amelia added from where she was sitting with Ava in her lap.
Imogen watched as Constance bent down to pick an excited Zara up. "And you little one, you seemed very pleased to see us."
"Missed you."
"Oh I missed you too and I can't wait to hear all about your week. Let me sit down and have some tea and you can all tell me what you've been up to."
Over tea, orange juice and toast Constance heard the edited highlights of what had happened while she was away. School-wise she wasn't surprised that Clara had been playing up and was more than willing to take the appropriate actions. Nobody got away with threatening her wife, even in a so called "joking way." As for the girls they seemed to have behaved but past experience told her that may not have consistently been the case. Still, Imogen would fill her in on the rest later on.
They were all very interested in hearing about the time in Canada of course, wanting to know about what they had seen and the people they had met. Constance was a little shy in talking about her lectures but Amelia had no such reservations.
"She was marvellous. So many people wanted to hear her speak that they had to bring in extra chairs. And everyone knew about all of you, you were a very popular topic of conversation at the dinners and parties we went to."
"Really?" Ava asked happily.
"Of course, we had to tell everyone about our family. We showed them pictures and they all said how pretty you and your sisters and your Mummy are."
"What about me?", Tom teased.
"You needn't worry, she's left a sizeable Tom Drill fan club in her wake." Constance couldn't resist getting her own back.
"Yes well.", Amelia blustered. She may have gone on just a little about her handsome husband but really, who could blame her? "Girls, will you help me with my bags, there might be a little surprise in them for you."
Of course it was Tom taking the bags but Abby dragged her sisters along, knowing her mother's needed a couple of minutes alone.
"I wanted to look really nice when you arrived home.", Imogen whispered before receiving the proper kiss she had been dying for.
"You look beautiful, I love that you still wear the first jumper I ever bought you. Oh Darling, I missed you so much. I'm so used to sleeping alongside you, having you to share my thoughts with every single day. I didn't like not having that, especially when I had so many things I wanted to tell you about. So I wrote them down when I couldn't sleep and even though they may not make sense, I thought you might like to read them."
"Of course I would." Imogen loved the idea. "But please tell me you weren't lying awake every night?"
Constance shook her head, "No, I found it hard to drop off but I found a technique that worked. I thought back to the days before we moved in together, you know when we would share a bed but not every night. Back then was when I started to sleep properly, probably for the first time ever, because even though you weren't with me I knew I had someone in my life who loved me and I felt safe because of that. That's not to say I want to spend any nights apart from you though."
"I know, me neither. Those days seem so long ago but still like yesterday in some ways but look at everything that's happened since then. It feels so good to hold you, you give the best hugs and I've missed them so much. I'm so proud of what you've done and I know the girls feel the same, you're inspiring them so much. And me."
The next few minutes were spent exchanging kisses and whispering special words.
"So everything went well while I was gone?"
Imogen bit her lip. "There were a couple of things but nothing you need worry about, I'll fill you in later. Right now I just want more of those kisses and cuddles you promised."
Constance raised an eyebrow, "Is that all you want?"
"Hmmm, definitely not, although I know I have no chance of having you to myself today or tonight. But I believe a couple of hours with Granny and Granddad are on the cards tomorrow morning and I'm going to show you just how much I've been missing you."
"That's just what I was hoping for. Darling, I have to tell you something. They've asked me to go back."
"Oh." Imogen tried to keep her voice neutral. "Are you going to go?"
"Well, I thought we would go. All of us. It's in July and school will be over. I know it would mean a plane journey but Zara will manage, especially if we get an evening flight. I thought we could extend our stay there for a week or so and then go somewhere in Europe at Easter. Amelia's already spoken to Tom and they'd like to come too. We'll have babysitters and I can show you off like I wanted to this time. What do you think?"
Imogen wrapped her arms around her wife, "I think the Drills are going to Canada on their summer holidays."
Constance breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh good. And regarding other plans we've been discussing, I think three years is a good gap between Zara and a new baby don't you? And around summer could be a good time to start trying. I have to tell you, that picture you sent of Ava and Zara asleep together really reinforced what I already wanted, I looked it at so many times yesterday and thought of one more little girl lying there with them. I'm just hoping that a week alone with them hasn't caused you to change your mind?"
"Hmm, well there was a couple of times during the week where I might have but no, nothing could make me change my mind. Especially if we get another who's anything like the three we have. They're pretty amazing, like their Mama."
"Thank you, but you're the amazing one. My perfect, beautiful wife."
Imogen grinned, "I may not be so perfect, I have a little bit of an injury you might need to help me with." She whispered about the bruise Zara had caused the previous Sunday that still hadn't fully faded.
"I really thought she'd grown out of that. Don't worry, I'll kiss it better as soon as I can." Constance smiled as she saw Imogen bite her lip, always a sign of excitement from her love.
They could already hear the girls coming down the stairs and loosened their hold on each other, just a bit as the trio burst back into the room.
"I can forgive the soppiness, just today.", Abby was so happy her Mama was home, and Granny of course. She had loved seeing her parents looking so happy to be back together and getting one of Mama's hugs after a few days without one had felt so good.
"Mama, I have a secret.", Ava was giggling as she beckoned Constance down to her level and whispered in her ear.
"Say that again little one." Constance kept her face impassive as she listened to the story again. "Oh that's a very interesting secret, thank you for telling me." She stood up, lifting Ava to sit on her hip before smiling at everyone. "I do believe I promised you presents."
"And kisses and cuddles." Ava added, taking advantage of her position to get a head start on the kisses.
"Oh yes. And while we're doing that Mummy can tell me just how Zara came to be running through Assembly naked."
Imogen looked around for support but Tom had conveniently vanished. "Well, if I had to guess I'd say it was the same way Ava came to do it that time we were visiting my Aunt and Uncle in Ireland. Maybe you can remind me how that happened, after all she was with you."
"Touché my love. Now, I have six days worth of cuddles that I haven't even started to make up for. I knew this before I left but I cannot live without my girls, thankfully I don't have to. Are you coming?"
Ava and Abby were eagerly following their mother but Zara stayed behind for a second, clearly keen to tell her Mummy something.
"Mama's home."
"I know Sweetpea, and we're all very happy about that aren't we?"
Zara thought for a second before raising her hand, indicating she wanted to be picked up. "Mama and Mummy make me happy."
Imogen kissed the serious looking face. "Me too Sweetpea, and you and Abby and Ava make us both the happiest we could be. Let's go join them. But first, do I get a smile."
"Yeah." Zara burst into a big grin and cuddled closer to Mummy as they walked into the sitting room.
Ava had been right in what she'd whispered to her sister earlier that morning. When they were together, everything was great.
A/N I know, I know, fluff central but I wanted to write something sweet that maybe brightened up a dull January. Thanks everyone who read and reviewed, as always it means a lot.