My dear friend RedWheeler updated her latest MaxMariam story recently, and it sort of spurred me on. I've had this half-finished since October of 2011, so it seemed as opportune a time as any to finish and upload it, especially with the introduction to Maddox in RedWheeler's new chapter of "Maybe" (which you should be reading if you are not). On we go!

Cuddle Couch Revisited

Mariam wasn't very comfortable at all but, even considering that, it was still an effort to keep her eyes open. She was sitting on the couch, a pillow shoved between her back and the arm, with her legs stretched out along the cushions. Her and Max's two year-old son was curled up beside her with his head resting against her ribs. After fussing and not feeling well for the better part of the day, he'd finally fallen asleep to the rhythm of her breathing and a three-hour Scooby-Doo marathon. His freckled cheeks were still slightly flushed from fever, but he was looking a lot better than he had at 4:30 that morning.

It should be noted that Mariam was lucky enough not to have to stay up from the time of Marlowe's first bout of sickness. Max had insisted he'd take care of everything until he had to go to work, so Mariam got an hour or so of extra sleep for which she was grateful. But that didn't mean she wasn't dead tired now.

Mariam took a deep breath and stretched as much as she could without jostling Marlowe. On the floor beside her, the family's two dogs lifted their heads curiously at the first sign of life they'd seen from the couch in ages. When nothing exciting happened, they plopped their heads back down onto the throw rug and drifted back into a state of unconsciousness.

Gently, Mariam brushed some hair out of Marlowe's face and felt his forehead, deducing that he'd need another dose of medicine before being put to bed that night. He was sleeping too peacefully to bother now, though, so she awkwardly leaned her head sideways against the back of the couch and tried for some shut-eye. It was hard to come by nowadays.

She wasn't even fully asleep when she heard the front door open and the dogs scrambling up to welcome the rest of the family home. She grinned at the sound of Max and Maddox greeting the duo that were, no doubt, scampering around them enthusiastically. She glanced down at Marlowe, very jealous to find him sleeping soundly. Ever since he was a baby he'd not slept the whole way through a night unless he was unwell – then he could sleep twelve hours easily, without waking once. He was at least amicable about it, never wailing like his brother had unless it was really necessary. Marlowe fussed quietly, kicking his legs and balling his fists when he'd needed something as a baby, and his cries, when they came, were blessedly low in volume. In recent years he'd taken to dragging his comforter into his parents' room and settling down in between them until morning. Judy thought they ought to break him of the habit, but Mariam and Max still considered him young enough to indulge him, so they left it be.

"Mariam?" Max poked his head into the living room, and smiled upon seeing his wife and son curled up together.

"Mommy!"

Mariam heard a backpack plop to the floor and two shoes fly against a wall. And then Maddox came zipping past Max, into the room, grinning from ear to ear with the dogs hot on his trail and making a nice ruckus.

"Kindergarten is a jungle!" he exclaimed, hopping up onto Mariam's legs none-too-gently.

Max caught Mariam's wince, and gave her swollen feet a quick squeeze each before chuckling and crouching down beside the couch to embrace her and kiss a still-sleeping Marlowe's temple. "Careful with Mommy, Maddox," he said, rubbing her belly tenderly. "She's got your little sister in here." He was rewarded with a few swift kicks to his palm, and his smile widened. "I'm pretty sure she takes after you, Mariam – she's a little firecracker!"

Mariam snorted and rolled her eyes.

"Let me feel!" Maddox enthused, pressing his hands to his mother's stomach eagerly. His eyes lit up and he looked excitedly from one parent to the other. "Her kicks are so little," he whispered.

"She's got little feet," Mariam murmured, softly ruffling her oldest son's hair.

"Smaller than Marlowe's even? Ow!"

"'M not small," a newly awake Marlowe pouted, sending a bleary glare toward his brother. Marlowe may have more closely resembled Max, but the heat in his green eyes was directly inherited from Mariam and Max was glad neither of his sons noticed his inappropriately timed smile.

"Mommy, he kicked me!" Maddox tattled, matching Marlowe's pout.

"Marlowe, sweetheart, no kicking your brother," Mariam chided.

The child in question moaned and curled closer to Mariam, resting his head on her chest.

"I think he's still sleepy," Maddox commented, laying down on the edge of the couch, forcing Mariam to steady him so he didn't fall. He was staring straight at Marlowe, who stared right back, and they seemed to have a brief, un-vocalized conversation before Maddox's broke eye contact and rested his hand on his mother's shoulder.

Max smiled at them, and tangled his hand in Marlowe's hair so he could rub his scalp with his fingertips. "How are you feeling Marlowe? Any better?"

Marlowe simply nodded, stifling a yawn and attempting to curl up even smaller.

"And how are you?" he asked, looking Mariam in the eyes.

"Tired," she answered quietly, mindful of their half-asleep children. "I don't think I can sit in this position much longer either."

"We'll fix you up," Max said, as he grinned and leaned in for a warm kiss.

"Ew," Maddox wrinkled his nose in childish disgust, eyes playful despite his obvious fatigue.

"Oh, c'mere, you rascal," Max laughed, snatching Maddox off of Mariam and tickling his stomach.

Shrill giggles poured out of the boy's mouth as he wiggled around in an attempt to escape. The dogs lifted their heads from the carpet where they'd settled, ears up and alert. Maddox's squirming only got worse, and he'd accidentally kicked Max in the chin at one point, immediately shrieking afterward when he was almost dropped. The dogs' stubby tails were wagging, and they were getting dangerously close to springing up and letting their voices be heard in the din.

As one of the dogs leaped into a play bow, Max began shushing the squirming child in his arms. The last thing he wanted to do right now was cause a commotion that entirely ruined the calm atmosphere. Mariam was giving him one of her looks – he sent her a cheeky grin.

Maddox, whose face was still rather red from being tickled into oblivion, caught his breath and set his head on his father's shoulder. They stayed in silence for a few minutes, Max gently rubbing his oldest's back.

"So," Max said with his eyes trained on Mariam's, "do you want to relocate? Or maybe just lay down?"

"Lying down would be nice," she answered, a smirk on her lips as she continued, "And then you can rub my feet some more, because that was too much of a teaser earlier."

Max laughed, and they shuffled the children around between them, intent on getting back to relaxation as soon as possible, but then Maddox had to use the toilet and Mariam thought Marlowe ought to just have his next dose of medicine sooner, rather than later, since he was somewhat awake. It was only after toilet trips, clothing changes, and afternoon snacks that the family reconvened on the couch. Mariam and Marlowe took up much the same position as earlier, the former simply swapping her propped up position for a more comfortable one. Max sat with her feet in his lap, massaging them, and Maddox was snuggled up against his side.

Max took the time to observe his family, and found himself smiling like an idiot at the picture they made, all cuddled up and asleep together on a couch that was very nearly too small for all of them. Marlowe's head was nuzzled under Mariam's chin, meds rendering him blissfully unaware to the world around him. Mariam herself had a softness about her when she slept, and her eyelashes curled against her cheeks just like Maddox's always had. Max blinked away unexpected tears – Mariam would call him a sap if she'd seen – and propped his feet up on an obliging ottoman. A short nap really couldn't hurt, he figured. And if they had to have a late dinner, there was no one there to judge them.