Just after 7:30am, Matt wakes up upon hearing Rosalina starting to make noise through the baby monitor. He sighs, pulls Betty close to him, and then gently rouses Betty with a sweet, yet sensual kiss.
"Mmm… I like this, my own special alarm clock that I actually like hearing and turning on," murmurs Betty as she runs her hands across Matt's back and then his front, resulting in him taking a deep breath.
"So, we actually get to start the morning with our own personal celebration, since you fell asleep last night and we didn't get to end New Years day the way we had planned," teases Betty as she continues to touch him.
"You have no idea how badly I wish that were the case as I clearly enjoy you turning me on," responds Matt as he stops her hands. "Unfortunately, our daughter, who is getting louder by the moment, would not be happy if we delayed her morning meal."
"Well, by the feel of you, I believe how much you would like couple time is rather obvious. But, apparently, we'll have to wait and welcome in 2011 in London in fine form," comments Betty as she runs her hands across Matt one more time, causing him to emit a groan and playfully swat at her behind as she gets up from their bed.
"I'll help you two get settled and then I'll go take a cool shower since you are now not the only one who is engorged this morning," announces Matt, with both of them laughing at his obvious signs of arousal.
"Yes, you need to tend to us and then yourself since ladies do come first," says Betty with a smirk as they enter the nursery.
"Do you want to go out for breakfast today?" Matt asks Betty as he hands her a freshly diapered and hungry Rosalina.
"Sounds great!" exclaims Betty. "Let's go to Joe's Diner since it is hard to find that great mix of food in London."
"Excellent choice-we haven't been there in a while. I'm going to go shower and try to get some relief from your wonderful massage skills. I should be ready to play with Rosalina while you use the pump and get dressed," indicates Matt as he starts to leave the room.
Betty retorts, "So, if I want to, I could have a 3rd career other than being a writer/editor or a wet nurse."
"I wouldn't say that exactly. Your massage skills are superior, but I think we need to keep them between just the two of us," calls Matt over his shoulder as he departs the nursery.
After Rosalina has eaten and both adults have bathed, they prepare to leave the townhome. The extra layers of clothing given the cold weather remind them of the benefits of staying in, but they decide that the outing is worth the hassle. Betty and Matt both select brunch like meal items, taking turns holding a curious Rosalina while their spouse eats. They get several compliments on how cute Rosalina is from fellow patrons and staff of the restaurant, which they accept graciously. They arrive back at the townhome at 11am. Betty nurses Rosalina and then lays her down in her crib for a nap.
"Other than finishing packing and making sure that the townhome is secure while we are away, what else do we need to accomplish today?" Betty asks Matt as she snuggles next to him on the couch.
Giving Betty an erotic kiss that makes her gasp and takes her breath away, Matt suggests, "We should probably see if your Dad wants to come over for one last visit with Rosalina, and us too, for about a month. We can then review the wedding invitation with him to make sure he is OK with it and make sure he is feeling included in things since you are his baby girl."
"I'm certain he'll be extremely happy with the wording on the invitation, but it is probably best to run it by him anyway. I do want him to feel he has an important role in our wedding, I wouldn't be who I am today without his guidance, support, and belief in me," comments Betty as she picks up her phone.
Around 2pm, Betty answers the door and gives Ignacio a big hug as she says, "Papi, I am so glad you are able to spend a couple of hours with us before our flight. We want you to see the online version of the wedding invitation and get your ideas for the wedding."
Giving her a kiss on her forehead, Ignacio replies, "I can never have enough time with you, Rosalina, and Matt, your nearly 3 weeks here in the States have gone by so quickly."
"Good afternoon, Ignacio, I have the invitation on the screen right now if you'd like to see it," Matt informs him.
After reading the invitation several times, Ignacio says, with his voice cracking slightly, "The invitation is wonderful, with Rosa's name on it something I wasn't expecting but an incredibly nice gesture."
Hugging Matt and then her father, Betty tells him, "Papi, that part was Matt's idea and we agree that it is an excellent way to honor Mom's memory."
"Thank you, Matt, for recognizing how important Rosa is to us, even as time has passed. This invitation helps her be there to celebrate with us," Ignacio softly states as he continues to hold Betty in his arms.
"No thanks are necessary. I believe Rosalina is waking from her nap, I'll go get her and let you two have a few minutes of father-daughter time before Betty nurses her," indicates Matt as he leaves the room.
"Any ideas as to what song you want for our father-daughter dance at the wedding?" Betty asks her father.
"You are letting me pick it-that is great! I'll pull up the research I did for Hilda's wedding before she told me what we would be dancing to. Butterfly Kisses, Unforgettable, and Wind Beneath My Wings are my preferences off the top of my head. Your sister was a bit more controlling about it, imagine that," jokes Ignacio.
"I want to make sure you feel included in all aspects of the wedding. While Matt's parents may be paying for it, the wedding is a family event and we all have important roles in its success," responds Betty.
"She's ready for you," Matt informs Betty as he brings a squirmy Rosalina into the family room.
Smiling at Rosalina as she takes her into her arms, Betty states, "I'll be right back. Perhaps you two can start looking at stores that would be good to have a wedding registry at, keeping in mind we need some stores in England too."
"Yes ma'am," reply both men, virtually in unison, which makes all three adults laugh.
"I actually found this website, which allows you to have multiple stores listed on the same registry," Matt informs Ignacio.
Ignacio says, "That sounds like an excellent place to start and easier for your guests who are coming from all over. You can also then wait a bit before putting items on it but not delay the invitation being mailed out either."
Matt indicates, "From looking online, Selfridges, Harrods, and John Lewis are pretty big chains in England."
"Those sound good, the more choices the better. The ability to do things online certainly brings a different spin to wedding planning," comments Ignacio.
"What about Macy's and Williams and Sonoma from this side of the Atlantic," suggests Ignacio as he looks at Matt's web search.
Matt replies, "Both are fine with me, and perhaps we'll add Bloomingdales and Saks 5th Avenue as well, since one thing we don't have yet is china and, with our magazine, we'll likely end up doing some entertaining and need more than one set of formal dinnerware."
"Full and happy baby," announces Betty as she enters the room and places Rosalina in her father's arms.
"Show me what you two have come up with so far," continues Betty as she sits down in Matt's lap, with him wrapping his arms around her waist, leading Ignacio to grin.
As Ignacio plays with Rosalina he tells her, "If your Mommy and Daddy aren't careful you are going to have a younger sister or brother very soon."
"Dad!" exclaims a blushing Betty who remains in Matt's lap, "Don't worry about that. If you must know, we decided on an option at my follow-up OB appointment that is good for 5 years. We both want Rosalina to enjoy her time with us before adding any competition in a planned manner next time."
"I always knew you were highly intelligent, so I'm sure you'll like what Matt and I came up with for the registry," teases Ignacio as he plays with a cooing Rosalina.
"Intelligent as long as I agree with you, I suspect," retorts Betty with a smile, "and, yes, I do think this is a great start."
Betty gets on the floor to play with her daughter and father while Matt excuses himself to focus on the rest of their packing. About an hour later, Ignacio glances at his watch and sighs.
"Mija, I have to leave to get to Frankie's on time. I'm glad we had this final time together before you all left. Email or text me when you arrive tonight to let me know that you are all safe and sound," states Ignacio as he embraces his daughter.
"We'll miss you Papi, at least it is less than a month before we are back for a long weekend," responds Betty who gets a bit teary as she hugs her father.
"We'll make sure to use the videophone so you won't miss a thing," adds Matt as he escorts Ignacio to the door.
"Harder to go back than you thought?" Matt asks Betty as he wraps his arms around her.
"Yes, for some reason harder than after Thanksgiving. I'm glad to know we'll be back within the month, even though our few days in NYC will be "work" related to our wedding," responds Betty as she rests her head on his shoulder.
They eat a light dinner, since air travel sometimes irritates Betty's stomach. A van, rather than a car, arrives to takes them to the airport since a limo would have insufficient space for all of their belongings. The flight to England encounters a bit of turbulence, which all three Suarez-Hartley's manage to sleep through. They arrive at their London home at 6am British time, with all of them taking a several hour nap after they get settled. Kristin comes over mid-afternoon on Monday, with Rosalina taking an instant like to her. Betty and Matt are both glad that they have Monday to recover from their international flight prior to returning to work on Tuesday morning.
Excusing themselves and going to their bedroom earlier than usual, they glance at each other lovingly as Betty locks the door. Coming over to the bed, Betty straddles Matt's lap as she kisses his neck and sultrily whispers, "I expect you are willing to help me welcome us to England in 2011."
"Of course I am," responds a wide-eyed, broadly smiling Matt.
As they touch each other with increasing urgency, Matt pulls away slightly, and murmurs somewhat breathlessly, "I want us to take our time and savor making love with each other, but being with you, and feeling your skin beneath my fingers, drives me crazy!"
"Well, then we need to buy our own psych unit because my stomach is in knots just from looking at you. Our touching each other, whether it be gently or feverishly, makes me feel like we are soaring through the air and has me wishing that our feet will never be on the ground again," responds Betty with a gasp as she leans her body into Matt.
Burying his face in her hair as he inhales her scent, Matt emits a groan as he softly says, "Let's take that flight together."
They kiss deeply and passionately, sending jolts of desire through both of them. Trembling expectantly under each other's touch, they gaze lovingly into each other's eyes as their hearts, bodies, and minds become one, wanting such dazzling pleasure and total unity to go on forever.