"We're going to my family's estate on Virgon for your sister's birthday. We would love to have you and your brother there if you can make it…No it's just going to be us for the week, Mona might come by for the weekend…Actually? Tuesday…I know you can't make promises…Love you too," Laura hangs up the phone and puts it on the counter turning around to see Aurora standing up in her high chair, staring at her over the back of it.
"Aurora! Sit your butt down this moment," Laura scolds. Aurora grins at her before slipping back down into her seat. Laura sighs and shakes her head as she brings over a bowl of cut up steamed vegetables, sitting next to the baby.
"Almost a year old and already trying to give me a heart attack," Laura tells her as she blows on a piece of broccoli before feeding it to her. Aurora hums as she chews, leaning her head forward to look at the door as it opens, Bill trudging through.
"Abababaabababa!" She squeals pointing at Bill as she looks at Laura.
"I know, Papa's home," Laura smiles, feeding her another piece of food. Bill smiles at the both of them, dropping a kiss on the top of Aurora's head before kissing Laura's lips, "Hi darling."
"How was your girls' day?"
"Good, we went for a walk down by the Riverwalk over lunch with Auntie Mona, and started backlogging some legislation for after the election," Laura tells Bill continuing to feed the baby, "What about you?"
"Cadet recommendations," Bill says, unbuttoning his tunic as he pours himself a glass of water, "Fleet assignments are next week."
"Oh, I called Zak and told him that we were going to Virgon for Aurora's birthday. He said he was going to talk to Lee and see if they could make it."
"Are they finally talking again?" Bill inquires as he sits down, wondering about the tiff his sons had been in over a girl Lee had dated previously, but who was currently dating Zak. Well, not necessarily the girl, but the fact that Zak had been chosen over Lee.
"Seemed like it. You know Kara hates how she pulled them apart."
"I know."
"How's Zak's flight training going?" Laura says, setting down the bowl finally and letting Aurora feed herself. Bill lets out a long sigh as he takes a long drink of water. "Kara doesn't think he has Viper in him, his knee won't be able to handle the cockpit. He's not going to fail probably, but he's not going to pass with high enough marks."
"What's he doing well in?"
"Logistics, data, mapping."
"Zak's good at math, processing things like that," Laura tells him as she gets up getting their dinner out of the oven and making them both a plate. Bill sits on one side of the highchair as Laura sits on the other, keeping a watchful eye on Aurora as she eats, "He'll be good at whatever he graduates in."
"It's still going to be a blow to him," Bill says as he starts to eat. Laura nods in agreement as she chews. Aurora holds a hand of squished broccoli out to Bill, babbling at him insistently, "She gets that from you."
"Does not," Laura protests with a grin as Bill wipes the squished broccoli off of Aurora's hand before kissing it.
"Thank you, butterfly," Bill tells her with a smile. Aurora grins at him and hides her face in her hands, "Are you being a bashful butterfly?"
Laura smiles as she watches the two of them interact as she finishes her dinner. She takes her and Aurora's dishes to the kitchen, rinsing them before putting them in the dishwasher. She washes her hands and dries them on a kitchen towel before coming up behind the highchair, running her fingers through her daughter's thick black hair, dislodging a couple pieces of food.
"Are you ready for your bath?" Laura asks as she lifts Aurora out, kissing her cheek, "Mama picked up some more of that sleepy time soap today."
"Mama!" Aurora exclaims, patting Laura on the cheek with a grin. Laura shifts her hold on Aurora and looks at her.
"What did you just say?"
"Mama," Aurora says again, pressing a sloppy kiss to her cheek before laying her head against her mother's shoulder. Laura takes a deep breath as tears immediately flood her eyes, kissing Aurora's temple firmly.
"That's right baby, I'm mama."
"Mama mama mama," Aurora babbles.
"I believe you owe me a hundred cubits, Commander," Laura laughs as she wipes a tear off of her cheek before carrying Aurora off to the bathroom. She stands her up on the edge of the tub and starts the water before undressing her. Laura plunks the naked baby into her seat, adding a couple drops of her sleepy time bubbles to the water.
"Only a few weeks before your birthday, and then you're going to be a whole year old," Laura tells Aurora as she washes her down thoroughly, "A whole year!"
"Hard to imagine isn't it?" Bill asks as he comes in, taking a seat on the floor next to Laura.
"It is, I feel like she's always been here," Laura smiles at Bill as she rinses the baby off, giving her a couple toys to play with.
"Ready for another?" Bill teases. Laura chuckles and flicks her hair over her shoulder as she looks at him.
"You're funny, most people don't know that, but you really are."
"I am well known for my sense of humor."
"Liar," Laura calls him out before looking at Aurora, "She is my heart and soul…she's all I'll ever need. The dawn of the rest of my life."
Aurora looks at Laura and Bill giving them a gummy grin before letting out a big yawn.
"There goes the sleepy time soap," Laura smiles. She reaches in to pop the drain before grabbing Aurora's towel, "Let me get her put down for bed and then I have something I want to talk to you about."
"Sure," Bill takes the towel from Laura, plucking Aurora out of the tub before wrapping her up in the towel. He presses a kiss to her cheek and forehead, "Papa loves you butterfly."
"Paaapa," Aurora yawns, switching to whining as she reaches for Laura. Bill smiles and hands the fluffy bundle over before kissing Laura's cheek and taking to the living room. Laura carries Aurora to her bedroom, setting her down on the extra bed as she gathers a diaper and pajamas. She dresses the baby gently before picking her up and going to sit in the rocking chair in the corner. Many a night had been spent in the rocking chair, humming to a sleepy, and sometimes fussy, baby as she nursed her way to sleep.
Laura strokes her fingers through Aurora's damp hair as she latches on, suckling at a lazy pace. Using her toe to get them rocking she starts humming a Geminese lullaby as she watches her daughter's emerald eyes start to drift closed. They rock for a while longer after Aurora falls asleep before Laura stops the chair with a skilled foot, standing slowly. Aurora turns away from her chest with a small whimper and a sigh as she settles. Laura fixes her shirt and carries the baby to her crib, lowering her in carefully before kissing her head.
"Good night baby girl, mama loves you," Laura whispers before slowly leaving the room and heading back out to the living room. Bill looks up from his book and smiles at her, holding a hand out.
"Asleep?"
"Milk drunk and snoozing away," Laura says, taking a seat across his lap before kissing his lips.
"You wanted to talk about something?"
"Mmm, so one of the things I'm backlogging is a museum effort about the war," Laura tells him, "But it's something I want you to start thinking about."
"Me?"
"Mmhm. The new defense grid is going to start being built soon, and one of the things they want to do for the museum is decommission a battlestar."
"And?"
"And based on how things are going at work for both of us and with the baby. I was thinking about suggesting Galactica."
"You want to decommission Galactica?"
"I don't want to per se. But if this makes it through committee, I think that we could be a little selfish for once," Laura shifts so she's facing Bill, resting her hands on his chest, "The way I see this playing out is that everything goes right, we get approval, Galactica starts getting transitioned…all of that happens, we'll be three to four years down the road and into another election season. An election season I don't want to be in. So, let's go out on a high note and retire."
"Retire?" Bill asks as he rests his hands on Laura's hips.
"Yeah. Neither of us have to worry about money. We could move up to the cabin permanently. And just...live our lives without all the bullshit."
"It does sound appealing," Bill says, massaging his thumbs into her hip bones as he thinks.
"I think we could make it work," Laura says kissing Bill's lips gently before resting her head on his shoulder, wrapping his arm around his back, "And then I'd get to spend every day with you...We wouldn't even have to get out of bed except to take Aurora to school."
"Madam Secretary...You don't have to seduce me for this."
"Oh I know," Laura smiles, pressing her lips to his neck, "Please?"
"Three to four years?"
"Three to four years," Laura affirms.
"I think I can make that work," Bill says, wrapping his arms around her and rubbing her back, "But...more skinny dipping in the pond."
Laura laughs and kisses his lips resting her forehead against his.
"I think we can make that work Commander."
"Good," Bill grins and kisses her back, slipping his hands under her shirt to run across the skin of her back.
[TBC]