Rise and Shine

Crawling out from the sheets, she decided to go downstairs to put a pot of coffee on. It was very early, much earlier than she was used to getting up, and when she saw that her in-law's bedroom door was still closed she was sure she would be the first one up and about. She figured Nick and Emma were still asleep on the couch because she hadn't heard any noises, so she threw on her pale pink, cotton, robe and made her way downstairs.

Jules had slept comfortably in Nick's old bedroom. She didn't even notice he wasn't asleep next to her because she swore she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. Jules and Jillian Stokes had left Emma and Nick asleep on the couch when they went to bed. They looked much too peaceful to move either of them. As long as they were comfortable, then Jules was happy.

She peeked into the living room in hopes to see them sleeping and snuggled up together, but they weren't in there at all. Turning quietly from the room, Jules crept into the kitchen and saw her daughter sitting on the counter next to Nick who was standing and leaning over a bowl of cereal. She smiled inwardly at how cute they looked together. Emma with her hair all over the place and her bare feet dangling down from the counter. And Nick managing to still look sexy even though he was just wearing navy blue sweatpants and a white Dallas Cowboys T-shirt. She wanted to walk up behind him and bury her face into his back to smell the fabric softener mixed with his scent; she was addicted to it.

Instead, Jules stopped in the doorway and leaned against the door frame. She watched as Nick took a bite of cereal and then grabbed another smaller spoonful and held it up for Emma. She opened her mouth wide and took a bite too.

"You took aw da raisins outta it, Dad?" she tilted her messy haired head and squinted her eyes at her father.

"What?" Nick looked over at her surprised, "No! No, I did not!" he said before putting another bite in his mouth.

"Why I didn't get raisins in dat?" she frowned suspiciously at him.

Nick chuckled at her.

"I made sure I gave YOU all the raisins, Em!" he defended himself.

Emma opened her mouth for another bite. She smiled as she chewed it and tried to tell him there were raisins in it this time but her mouth was too full.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, there were raisins this time, that's what you're trying to tell me, I know," he laughed and wiped her mouth with the back of his hand.

Jules loved watching the two of them eating breakfast together and bickering over who got more raisins in their cereal. They were absolutely adorable together. Jules continued to watch without being detected.

"Do you want anymore, Em?" Nick asked holding up the cereal box with one hand while the other arm draped over the front of his daughter to ensure she wouldn't fall..

"Little mo, little, okay?" she said holding up her finger in thumb showing she wanted just a little more.

Nick nodded, "a little bit more, okay," he repeated and poured some more in the bowl.

"I gotta get the milk, Sweet Pea, so come here. We don't want you to fall off now do we?" he told her scooping her up off the counter to walk over to the refrigerator. As Nick turned, both he and Emma spotted Jules watching them.

"Mommy! Hi, Mommy!" her daughter said loudly.

"Good morning, Baby," Jules eyes happily danced as she said it. "Why are you guys up so early?" she asked.

"Ask your daughter," Nick gave her a side smile and raised his eyebrows before looking over at Emma.

"She woke you?" Jules smirked.

"Nailed me right in the face with her arm," he shook his head at his daughter who was dangling from his hip. "Right, Munchkin? You tried to give Daddy a black eye?"

Emma didn't answer him she just tried to wiggle out of his arms so she could get to her mother. Jules walked closer and took her from Nick but leaned in to give her husband a kiss "Good morning" before grabbing her.

"You woke Daddy up, huh, pretty girl?" she smiled at her.

Emma smiled sheepishly back at her.

Nick opened the refrigerator for the milk and told Jules he made coffee if she wanted a cup. He reached back into the fridge and held up a bottle of French Vanilla creamer.

Jules smiled wide.

"I love your mother, ya know that?" she said excited that Jillian Stokes remembered to buy her the French Vanilla creamer she likes in her coffee.

"Mmm hmm," Nick answered and brought both the creamer and the milk back to the counter. Pouring milk into the cereal bowl he told Emma it was ready now.

"You know she can eat by herself, Nicky," Jules said, "She is playing you like a fiddle!"

Nick turned, looked directly at his wife and daughter, and smiled,

"I wouldn't have it any other way, Darlin'."

He reached over and took his daughter out of Jules' arms, placing her back on the counter next to him.

And the two of them went back to sharing a bowl of cereal.