Just before 7am on Tuesday morning, Matt awakens and glances at the clock. Betty is snuggled closely against him, with Matt emitting a deep sigh, followed by a smile, as he hears Kristin talking softly to Rosalina in the nursery.
"Betty, sweetheart, it's morning and Kristin will be at our door at any moment to let you know that Rosalina is ready for her breakfast," Matt softly whispers into Betty's ear as he kisses her neck.
Rolling over reluctantly and kissing Matt fully on his mouth, Betty opens her eyes and comments, "Back to our work schedule already. It seems like our vacation was 3 days not nearly 3 weeks."
"Yes, our time with family and friends went too quickly, but at least neither of us "officially" has a 40+ hour work week," replies Matt as he and Betty both sit up and stretch.
"True," replies Betty. "On the other hand, between our jobs at Dunne, planning our wedding, and starting our own magazine we will certainly have some long days."
"At least the nights are just for us, with no work, Good Works magazine or wedding distractions allowed," adds Betty with a smirk as she gets out of bed.
"Then we'll have to start those nights extra early since our couple time is something that we both deserve and will help us relax and forget about other obligations for a while," retorts Matt as he goes into the bathroom.
"I think I'll nurse her in here," Betty tells Kristin when she opens the door.
"You both go into Dunne today, correct?" Kristin asks her as Betty sits down in the recliner.
Letting out a sigh of relief as Rosalina nurses, Betty answers, "Yes, Matt usually stays until 2 or so depending on what needs to be reviewed. Now, we both feel better. Her stomach is full and my chest less so."
Matt, who has finished showering, comes out of the bathroom in a towel and turns around quickly, blushing as he announces, "I forgot you might feed the Princess in here, give me a moment, I want to burp her."
Having trouble stifling a laugh, Kristin says, "I'll go get a light breakfast started. We'll all need to remember that I am here during the week."
"Thanks, and you are correct we didn't have any live-in help for the last week or so and there are different rules when we are not the only adults in the house," replies Matt as he comes out of the bathroom in his robe.
"Well, I'd hope so," responds Kristin with a smirk as she hands him Rosalina.
Kristin informs him as she leaves the room, "Locked doors and robes are usually sufficient for making both the couple and myself comfortable as well as avoiding embarrassing situations."
As Rosalina lets out several resounding burps, Matt glances at a grinning Betty and states, "The look on your face when I came out of the bathroom in just my towel suggests you thought that was funny."
"I found your blushing sweet," Betty tells Matt, reaching up and giving him a brief, light kiss.
As Betty continues past him on her way to the bathroom, she slyly slips her hands inside his robe and runs her hands across him, making him gasp in surprise and groan as well.
"It was actually tempting to help you lose the towel, but that would have been pushing it too far and might have led to us needing to find a new nanny," she adds as she closes the bathroom door.
Laughing out loud at the thought with Rosalina giggling herself, Matt calls after her, "Yes, that would have been too much and I'm glad you decided against providing Kristin with a view of certain body parts that are meant only for us."
Matt places Rosalina on a blanket on the floor with a few toys while he gets dressed. Betty exits the bathroom in her robe, with Matt grinning at her as he watches Betty put on her underwear.
Blushing slightly, Betty says, "Seemingly, you want your own personal show this morning."
Raising his eyebrows and embracing Betty as he runs his hands gently down her back, Matt answers, "I am always ready for a private viewing, but everything else will need to wait until later since you need to use the pump, eat, and get on your work clothes so that we get to Dunne on time."
"Well, that will be one advantage to having our own magazine, we will get to set our hours and can work from home when we want to," comments Betty as they head downstairs.
After several kisses and hugs with Rosalina, Betty gives her to Kristin and they leave for work. They arrive at Dunne with about 10 minutes to spare.
As they pass by Kelly's desk, she smiles at them with Betty telling her, "Rosalina seems very comfortable with Kristin. Thanks for recommending her."
"You are more than welcome," replies Kelly, "I'm glad you are back. I was asked to be the general receptionist quite often while you were away and that feels like a demotion from being your assistant."
Kelly informs them, "Betty, you, Mr. Dunne, and David have an 11:00am meeting about the present issue of the magazine. Matt, there are several articles for you to review."
Giving Matt a quick kiss before he heads to his desk, Betty whispers, "Nothing like hitting the ground running is there."
"You wouldn't want it any other way or you'll start thinking about other things, such as our wedding, without meaning too," teases Matt.
Betty's meeting with Mr. Dunne and David ends around 12:30, with the three of them, after some lively discussion, in agreement regarding the focus of the present issue.
"Would you like to get some lunch?" David asks Betty.
"Thanks, but I have to use this," remarks Betty as she pulls the breast pump out from under her desk.
"Still breastfeeding, that is impressive. My wife had to stop at just over 3 months with both of ours because she wasn't making enough milk," says David.
Matt, who has entered the room, states, "I actually picked up several sandwiches, since so many people have asked for details on our trip back to the US and about the wedding."
Glancing lovingly at Betty, Matt continues, "With the help of Rosalina, Betty has managed to have our baby's diet consist only of breastmilk so far, even donating some to her sister and our niece, Rosemarie, too."
"Your support and creaming skills have assisted with that," Betty tells Matt, leading him to turn a dark shade of red and smile.
"I think I'll take you up on that sandwich offer. I am among those who want all the gossip on the Suarez-Hartley wedding extravaganza along with whether lasik is worth it or not," responds David as he taps his glasses and then leaves the room.
"You are definitely my permanent assistant when it comes to the pump," jokes Betty as she gets ready to hand him the various pump parts so that he can rinse them.
"A part-time job with viewing benefits," retorts Matt as raises his eyebrows and looks at Betty's chest while she puts her clothing back into place.
"Your bra strap is showing," indicates Matt as he gently puts it back under her blouse and gives her a sweet kiss.
"You don't seem to have a problem with my being topless for a few minutes, but I can't do that indefinitely or I'll be accused of sexual harassment or end up on the front page of a tabloid," jokes Betty.
"Of course I enjoy seeing you without clothing, but work is not the place for either of us to indulge in that too much or, as you said, we'll be newsworthy for the wrong reasons," replies Matt.
Lunch is enjoyed by all. People inform Betty and Matt that Mr. Dunne has volunteered the company jet for those who want to attend the wedding. The various staff are excited to learn about the hotel discount since then the trip, which will be the first for many to the United States, may be within their respective budgets.
"Are you going to register at any stores in England?" asks David.
"Actually, yes, with the help of my father, Selfridges, Harrods, and John Lewis will be among the choices. We do have to get moving on selecting the actual items since the wedding invitations go out in about two weeks," indicates Betty.
Matt whispers to Betty, "I am glad we've reserved the bigger ballroom since we may have more guests from here than we expected," with Betty nodding in agreement.
When lunch ends, Betty tells Kelly, "We want to speak with you privately for a moment."
"Sure," responds Kelly as she follows Betty and Matt into Betty's office, looking slightly worried.
"We have a favor. Would you be a bridesmaid in our wedding?" Betty asks her.
Letting out a sigh of relief, Kelly excitedly replies, "I'd be honored! I was actually concerned for a moment that you were going to tell me you were going to start on your own magazine immediately and not need me anymore."
Matt tells her, "We didn't mean to scare you. When the time comes to start our magazine, we might very well try to convince you to join our team."
"I may take you up on the offer, since I foresee some international travel involved and enjoy a challenge. I'll let you get back to work now," comments Kelly as she leaves the room.
The rest of the day passes quickly, with Matt remaining at the office for its entirety due to the number of articles he is asked to review. Kristin brings Rosalina to the office at closing time. Those who are still there admire the blossoming baby, who is more than happy to socialize after she finishes nursing. Kelly tells Kristin about being a bridesmaid in the Suarez-Hartley wedding, with the sisters ecstatic that they will have "girl time" in NYC.
After arriving home, Betty makes a quick call to Christina and informs her that the bridal party will be 16 people plus the bride and groom. They assure Christina that Kelly's measurements will be sent to her shortly. They also email their families back in NYC letting them know that things are fine and they'll keep them updated. Betty and Matt manage to get a few minutes of relaxation in before going to bed, glad that they have Wednesday to recover from their long and tiring, yet productive first day back at work in 2011.