Anonymous: "Could you write a prompt about jackson and april telling Julian about how they met/fell in love?"

Because I needed happy last night when I tried to write this yesterday

100 Encore, Day 55: "Real"

"I don't wanna read a bedtime story."

"No? Alright….night J, get out of my bed then, please!"

April sighed. "Jul, this makes me sad. We're in the big bed all cozy and this might be the last night we get to do that before Bowen gets here. I thought you'd like this but by all means if you wanna get to bed early, go. Daddy will tuck you in." She pulled back the covers on his side.

Julian groaned. Sometimes he wished his parents could read his mind right away before they got so bossy. "I said I didn't wanna read one, but you can tell me one to-gether, not in a book. Play da story game like I do in school."

"Oh how do you play?"

"OK I will start the story but I only doin' the first part acause I tired an' you apose to do the tellin."

"Geez, bossy." April turned as much as her body would allow her and shared a glare with Jackson.

Julian just ignored them. "I firs' so I start da story. Once upon a time there was a mommy…And now it's mommy's turn next acause I done wit my part so I tap her and she says whatever she want to…"

"Well if there's a mommy there, there's a daddy there…But it's your turn again little man because I don't know what story you want.."

Julian sighed. "Tell how you meeted and falled in love, duh!"

"Oh J….you know that story…we were best friends and then one day your mom had a crazy day and she kissed me."

"He wants the real story babe, and he's about to be a big brother. I think he can handle it. Let's start over…when we met…" Julian was not going to know the full story of his parents' relationship for many years. But he could hear how they met and…April didn't even know the story of how they fell in love. Maybe this was their chance to discover it together.

"Yeah daddy…I can handle it!"

"How we met, huh? Let's see…once upon a time two people started work on the same day together and while we were watching an operation, our mean scary teacher was asking us questions and I got mine wrong…." He tapped April's shoulder.

"And I just helped you out with the right answer. I didn't know you were related to Harper Avery! Avery's a common name, babe!"

Jackson considered himself tapped in. "So mommy gave the right answer and then the boss doctor embarrassed me in front of all the other interns because your Nana and my grandpa were such famous doctors…"

April cut Jackson off. "But then at lunch time mommy went over to daddy and said sorry. That's always what you should do when you embarrass someone by accident, OK Julian?"

"OK, mama but you guys are not followin' the tappin' rules."

"Oh bud I don't think that rule is gonna work with us. Just listen to this story…So when mommy was apologizing she was getting flustered and embarrassed herself so I invited her to sit at the table with the friends I made that day. And she actually laughed at a few of my jokes and so I thought she was pretty cool."

"And you thinked she the most beau-i-ful girl you ever seed?"

"Yeah J, I did." Jackson put his arms around April and his daughter and kissed her neck. They both knew that wasn't exactly the truth, and no matter what he said, it would've been difficult for her to hear.

"You thinked daddy was the handsomest?"

"Yep," April blushed, because her answer was the truth. But she felt the kisses on the back of her neck and saw the huge grin on her son's face and felt blessed.

"When you falled in love wit my daddy?"

"Hmmm…I don't think you ever stop falling in love with someone, Julian…" April tried to buy herself time. "But I think I started to fall in love with your dad one day when we were best friends and he told me the kind of wedding he wanted me to have…he told me he'd marry me in a field with butterflies and all our family there."

"But he didn't." Julian frowned. You wedding pic is a selfie acause you was only there."

She shrugged. "Things change, J…"

"My turn?" Julian nodded eagerly. "I think I fell in love with your mommy at first when she wasn't even there."

"Daddy, don't be redic-a-lis." Julian wrinkled his nose and yawned. April followed.

"Yeah daddy…that is ridiculous."

"I think I started to fall in love with her during the few weeks when she went back to Ohio because when she came back I was happier to see her than I have been to see anyone else in the entire world." Julian giggled. "And then I fell in love with her all over again when she said she'd marry me and again when you came out of her belly."

"And again when Bowen comes and again when she kissies you and again when she make choco-peanutty brownies?"

Jackson nodded. "And again and again and again and again."

April turned and pecked her husband's lips and then pulled her son as close as her huge bump would allow for snuggles. There was no place better in the world to be than between the two loves of her life.

"You happy with those stories J? Better than a book?" Julian nodded, eyes closed, too tired to say anything, and soon fell asleep.

Jackson started to get up to put him in his bed. He didn't like Julian spending the night in their room.

April reached out her arm to stop him. "Pleeeaase just let him stay here tonight…we don't know when she's coming and he's so…peaceful. Just let us cuddle."

"OK, babe. Just tonight. You know you are the most beautiful girl in the world, right?"

She grinned. "You don't have to butter me up more just because you didn't think I was the prettiest girl at the lunch table."

"You were though…it just take me awhile to see…"

"I know. Sleep babe, you have work tomorrow."

"I never stop falling in love with you, that part was true."

"Jackson, relax. Our story is real, it's not the fairytale variety. And I wouldn't have it any other way." As she drifted to sleep though, April felt like it was close enough.