Summer is my favourite season. Most people find it too hot or too humid or too much. I love it. I have the time to take Riddle and Ronan to the park. I have time to keep the house clean and make real food and watch TV and play with my kids and it's the most wonderful time of the year.

"Oh no you caught me!" I screamed, throwing my hands up in the air and falling to the ground. Riddle and Ronan immediately collapsed on top of me, both laughing hysterically, which was a truly magnificent thing to witness.

"You all are getting so fast!" I cried, sitting up and tickling them so that they were rolling in the grass, kicking their feet. "And so big!" I cried again, helping them sit up and hugging them both to me tightly. I felt bad. Like I had somehow missed months. Like I hadn't had the brain power to focus and notice the little things. Like how Ronan could climb up on the couch by himself and how Riddle hadn't been saying no as much lately.

The Sun was high in the sky but it wasn't unbearably hot today. There was a light breeze and it had rained a few days before so everything still smelled fresh. There were other families out in the park and a small Bar-B-Q going on by one of the grills. The smell of hot dogs and chips drifted towards us.

"I love my smart boys." I smiled, releasing them so they could run back to the blanket and play with their cars. I crawled over to them as well, opening the basket and pulling out a peanut and butter sandwich.

"Are you hungry?" I asked them, zipping open the cooler and handing them their juices.

"Wan'" Riddle said, reaching for my sandwich before reinserting his cup into his mouth.

"Do you want one too Ronan?" I asked, turning to open the basket and pulling out the plastic wrapped plates of their food. Small squares of PB&J sandwiches and strawberries.

I didn't get an answer.

I turned back around and set the plate in front of Riddle. Ronan wasn't sitting where he had been.

"Ro?" I cried immediately, jumping up and spinning around. Oh god, oh god, oh…

"…Niall?" I asked, looking at the owner of the leg that Ronan was currently wrapped around.

"Hey Lily," He greeted, smiling. And I loved and had missed that stupid smile and then I was walking towards him and hugging him as tightly as I could while still being mindful of the toddler on his leg.

"I…you're here!" I shouted, stepping back while he reached down and pulled Ronan up, hugging him tightly and dropping a kiss onto the top of his head.

"I said I'd be here for summer." He stated calmly, walking past me to set Ronan down on the blanket, and reaching out to try and shake Riddle's hand. Riddle promptly rolled onto his back and started playing with his feet instead.

"I know but…I thought you'd…call or, or something this is…"

"A surprise?" He asked kindly, turning towards me and approaching very slowly. Like I might attack him or something. "That was the idea." He added, now no more than a foot away from me.

My breath died in my throat, my eyes flying to take in every single detail of his face and his voice and everything about this moment.

"I just…I keep thinking that one day I'll just stop hearing from you. You'll meet someone at a concert or something. I don't know. This still doesn't seem real I guess."

"Remember what I told you. On the phone?"

I blushed, thinking of the kissing bit but not sure that he was talking about that.

"You said a lot of things on the phone." I dodged, dropping my eyes before glancing over his shoulder to look at the boys. They were rolling around on the blanket.

"No. About this." He said, and my eyes didn't really have time to return to his face before his lips were on mine.

There was nothing explosive there. Nothing life-changing. It was just…nice. And warm. And he smelled good and I was sure there was peanut butter on my teeth but it didn't matter. I wasn't stressed out and he was here and it really was perfect. You don't need fireworks. Or at least, I didn't.

He pulled away shortly, just enough so that it was acceptable for me to open my eyes.

"That was…nice." I whispered, smiling at him and carefully reaching down to take his hand. This was all very new. All very strange. But his returning smile made me forget how to be nervous. "You wanna sit?" I asked, already pulling him back over to the blanket.

"Of course."

And so we spent the day at the park in the sun. He got burned. I got tanned. We ate peanut butter and jelly and played tag with the boys and when they got tired I took them home. He stayed and drank coffee and watched America's Next Top Model with me.

And I couldn't have wanted anything else in the entire world.

6 months later

"Hey." Was his casual greeting when I opened the door to Niall. He didn't ask to be invited in, just pushed the door open further and kissed me. I sighed and hugged him, glad for this one bit of sanity.

"Hey. I'm glad you're back."

"Acting up again?" He asked. I nodded as I heard Ronan and Riddle start fighting again in the living room.

"Boys!" I called, marching back to break them up and give them a firm talking to.

But I instantly forgot it all when Niall walked into the room and Ronan jumped off of the couch and ran to him, wrapping himself around his legs tightly.

"Daddy!" He screamed giddily, and I froze where I stood. Riddle got up next, seeming almost embarrassed as he walked over and wrapped himself around Niall's other leg.

Niall's face was frozen as he stared down at them. My heart lurched.

"I'm sorry." I muttered, walking over to pull them off. I thought I might be sick.

"No!" He shouted, holding his hand out to me. When he looked up he didn't look horrified though. Terrified maybe, but not horrified. There was something defiant in his eye. And there was also something that was beating steadily with…pride. "It's fine. They can call me that, if you'll allow it. I don't mind it. I actually kind of like it." He said carefully.

And I definitely didn't tear up when I said it was perfectly acceptable.

Two Years Later

"How was the signing?" I asked, closing the door behind him and locking it. It was late. The boys were sleeping.

"All right." He sighed. Toeing his shoes off he walked into the living room, shoving his hands in his pocket and turning around in a circle, taking in the decorations he had seen a million times before.

"Are you okay? You seem tense." I began, only to watch him spin quickly again towards me and drop to his knee. I jumped back a little, startled. "Niall what're you-"

"Lily Draven I've been in love with you for…well probably from the moment I met you in that hospital. I've been in love with your sons for just as long and I want you to marry me. I want to be their dad. They call me it already and I love it and I want them to be mine just as much as they're yours. And I love you and if I could think of any better way to say it I would but that's all there is. I love you and I want to do it for the rest of my life."

He slipped a ring out of his pocket and held it out to me.

I definitely cried when I said yes.

Three Years Later

"She's beautiful." He said, tears in his eyes as he stared at our daughter. Our beautiful, perfect angel. Emma.

"Why is she sleeping?" Riddle asked bluntly, reaching to very carefully touch her cheek. Ronan and Riddle sat on opposite sides of me on the bed, staring at their new baby sister.

"She's tired." Ronan answered him confidently, not moving to touch her but staring. Staring hard like if he stared hard enough he would be able to see through her skull and into her brain and know her that way.

"Why?"

"Being born takes a lot of energy. You slept all the time when you were a baby." I said.

"No I didn't." Riddle said, looking at me like I was crazy and somehow still managing to smile, displaying the gap where his tooth had just fallen out.

"Yes you did." Ro argued back, and Niall hushed them quickly.

"Quiet boys. You'll wake her. Why don't we go get some donuts for breakfast okay? Your mummy is very tired and we should let her rest okay?" He asked, already helping them off the bed so they didn't hurt me.

"Thank you." I mouthed to him, smiling when he leaned down to kiss me gently, and took Emma to place her back in the crib.

"We'll be back in a few minutes." He assured me. And left the room. My eyes didn't leave Emma until they came back.

Two years later

"What's his name?" Ronan asked, looking at the baby boy in my arms.

"Gavin."

"That's an ugly name." Riddle said, earning himself a firm nudge in the ribs from Ro.

"I like it." Ronan assured me, smiling. And all of the sudden I was crying because I could still remember when they were as tiny as Emma was now and now they were all big grown up kids. And I still loved my boys and they would always be my babies. And I already missed them even though they were still right there.

How fast would the next few years fly by? Soon they'd be in middle school. And in just five short years Gavin would start school and I couldn't help it because I wanted them to all just stay small. It was selfish but I never wanted them to leave me or not need me or grow up.

"I love you boys so much." I whispered and opened my arms. They hugged me willingly, only Riddle sighing a little bit at my emotional state.

"Good job love," Niall said from my side, still gazing down at Gavin, Emma napping on his shoulder.

"I love you too," I whispered to him as a tear took a stroll down my cheek.

"Wow. I love you too. I didn't think being in love with me warranted tears though." He mock winced. And I just smiled even more brightly and closed my eyes.

I was happy.