noaai asked (OK, I sorta begged) for a piece of April's decision making process….not sure if I'll jump to her actually making the decision but I've been dying to write a piece of this vaycay within the vaycay…as usual, typing this I only know the framework of the story. And as ALWAYS this is probably only pieces of scenes or arrr scene….AHHHH!

100 Encore, Day 78: "Bubbles"

"Can you bring me a notepad and pen, honey?"

"Nope…but I can bring you milk and chocolate peanut butter creme brûlée."

"Mmmm…that's a thing?"

"At this place it is." Jackson had decided on a hotel. April loved bed and breakfasts but the point of this whole week was to make her feel the opposite of "at home."

"Ok honey, you officially made a good choice." She giggled when he rolled into the bathroom with the dessert and a champagne flute full of milk. "Really! Can I get paper and a pen?"

"No! We left dinner early because you were too much in your head. Relax…"

"Relax? You brought me here to make this decision and now you're saying don't think about it but you wanna know by the time you go back to the city so….what?"

"So enjoy this bubble bath…close your eyes…eat this peanut butter chocolate goodness…"

"Ok, no pen or paper. But will you join me in here and listen?"

He sighed. "Ok, but April…"

"It's my decision. I know babe. But you said you would listen. You promised…I mean, would you really rather be sitting inside alone when you can be in here with me?" She grinned and splashed him a little.

"No. I wouldn't." He finally relented, kicking off his shoes.

"So what did you want for your kids when you were growing up?" She asked, when he situated himself behind her.

"April, I said I would listen to you talk it out, that's all."

"Look, I know you'll support me either way…I'm just trying to get some feedback…why are you being like this, Jackson?"

"I didn't want to get married. I didn't think I'd have a family before you, OK? I never entertained a decision like this."

She turned to face him, fear in her eyes. "You didn't want…"

"Of course I wanted to marry you, sweetheart. I asked you…"

"I know! But Jackson, you interrupted my wedding and then…Arabella and…"

"I love you and the kids so much, babe! Why are you even questioning that right now?"

"Because this is a family decision, you're pretending like it's just mine for some reason…."

"Because it was your idea! You're the one who said 'maybe I should stay home…' I never even thought of that until you…"

"So you want me to keep working?"

"I didn't say that babe."

"So you want me to stay home?"

"I want you to be happy. What will make you happy, hmm?" He kissed her. "Tell me, I'm listening."

"Well they are all so young and this past seven months has been fun, really! It's hard work but they say all the time how much they love having me home. Tenley says all the time 'You jus' my mom' and she hugs me. I think maybe you should spend some more time with her, sweetie. I watch her watch you with Bellie and just…"

"OK, fine! No problem…Maybe I'll try swimming with her tomorrow…"

"…And I've been doing more lessons with them everyday…we started French and a little math and reading simple words with Bellie…I mean I know they go to the best private school but you went to boarding school and Harper…"

"Shhh…sweetheart, Harper isn't making this choice…"

"Well neither are you so…"

"It sounds to me like you want to stay home…"

"Well, I don't know about want. I love my job and I've worked hard to get where I am. I was fired twice! I mean I love it there and there is the daycare…that's what we were going to do with Braelyn right? It would've worked…right? We could always do that but babe do you think we could alternate shifts as much as possible so someone is always home? If I work I don't want daycare raising my kids. I want us to do it. Us, together."

"April, of course! When I'm not in Boston or at a board meeting of course I'll take care of the kids!"

"Oh, Boston and the board, I have to add those to my reasons to quit," April let out a long, defeated sigh.

"No….no you don't at all. Daycare is a reality for working parents…"

"My kids are not staying overnight in that daycare Jackson, never! I think it's great that we have that option and I don't judge those who use it but my children are coming home to sleep in their beds every night."

"OK, we can figure it all out…We'll handle it."

"Are you sure you could? You've been going to Boston a lot lately…You've never had all three alone…"

"Oh about Boston…there's a chance a plastic surgeon might win the Harper Avery this year, I'm cracking grandpa, I can tell, which would be awesome…"

"That's great, Jackson," she fed him a bite of creme brûlée, having just remembered it was next to her.

"Mmm thanks, but the rest is for you and baby," he said, after taking a bite. "I was hoping maybe the girls could come this year, what do you think?"

"I think no, Jackson…that's not a place for babies. They're such little babies, Jacks! But we can talk about it more later…"

"Mmm done talking, ready to relax?" he whispered in her ear.

"I think so, finally," she giggled as he kissed down her neck, letting her toes peek out of the water. "Thanks for listening to me."

"Did it help?" he asked more kisses.

"I think so." It was as honest as she could be with him. She wasn't quite sure he'd helped much at all, but she was grateful he'd listened to her talk though it, at least. And tomorrow was only the third day at the beach. She had some time. And she did feel more relaxed at the moment.

"Good. What can we do now, April? Do you have any ideas?"

She shook her head. "No? Really? I find that hard to believe. Can I wash your hair?"

"Nope," she said, finishing up her dessert. "I took a shower this morning…"

"I see…enough foreplay already?"

"I guess…" April shrugged, turning a little bit red. "It's kind of tight in here though, right?" She wrinkled her nose.

Jackson laughed at her innocence. There was so much he could say in reply, but it would make her so uncomfortable. The dirtiest she got was. "Please don't stop." When they were married, she went from "Oh goodness" to "Oh God," and that was progress enough.

He kissed her shoulder. "Yeah. Let's get outta here."

—-

He gently smacked her hand away from the towel she tried to grab when they stood up. "Unnecessary!"

"I've got bubbles all over me Jackson! I'm all wet."

He smirked, unable to resist this one. "That's the point. Besides, we like bubbles."

Jackson pulled her into his arms as she made her way out of the bathroom and into the bedroom, backwards. "We do?"

"Yeah, they helped protect our marriage secret and our girls like to blow them and they keep things clean and sometimes they reflect light and create little rainbows."

"They're created from pressure and they pop," April thought. But she wanted to relax. "You do look really sexy right now," she smiled, and let out a little gasp when he picked her up and placed her on the bed.

"I love you," Jackson grinned. He kissed a circle around her belly. It had never bothered her before, but for some reason this time she got sick butterflies in her stomach.

"Hey, you know what I noticed, when we were talking in the tub?" he asked, when he'd kissed his way up to her mouth.

"What?"

"When you were talking about our kids…you didn't say 'girls'…do you think it's a boy?"

"I don't know honey, I have no control over that." Thankfully he entered her while she answered. April was afraid there might be a tear in her eye, but she wasn't quite sure.

The thing about bubbles? From inside of one, the world looked blurry and confusing. She closed her eyes, so she could just enjoy the moment. She wasn't quite ready for this one to pop.