"This is too much laundry," Lindsay sighed as her mother dropped another basket at her feet. "You love this don't you?"

"You have to wash baby clothes before you put the kid in them, Lindsay."

"I know. Remember when we were kids and you would punish us by making us pair up an entire basket of socks? That is why I hate laundry so much."

"I told you that you could cut your own switch, but you chose the socks. Your fault."

"I guess."

Anne smiled and joined her daughter on the couch, pulling a pile of freshly washed clothes into her lap. It had been a long time since she had done the baby thing, both as a mother and a grandmother, and she was thoroughly enjoying every second of it.

"Mom?"

"Yeah sweetheart?"

"Do you think… I mean, all bias aside. Do you think I'm going to be okay?"

"What do you mean?"

"As a mother."

"Of course I do. Do you think you won't?"

"I don't know. I feel like it's so much. And I don't know what to expect and I don't know what I'm supposed to do and I don't have all the answers."

"Oh Lindsay," Anne said with a chuckle. "My sweet, planning ahead, perfectionist, attention to detail, stubborn, naïve little girl. Don't you know by now that mothers don't know it all? Every baby is a crash course in parenting. And just when you think you've gotten the hang of it, another day comes. You are constantly playing the best game of catch up you have ever played in your life."

"Do you ever catch up?"

"Nope."

"I'm scared, mom," she confessed, looking down at her hands as her emotions got the best of her and trapped her words in her throat.

"Oh baby. Come here."

Lindsay scooted over as best she could, settling herself into her mother's arms, wishing for a brief second that her dad was there too so she could snuggle in between them like she had so many times before. They would playfully argue about whose girl she was, threatening to split her right down the middle. She would squeal with laughter as they tickled her, giggle as they kissed her cheeks, smile as she fell asleep in the safest place in her world.

"Lindsay Joy, you are going to be a wonderful mother. Besides being amazing as an aunt, you've done a lot of mothering to Taylor. Mothering that you didn't have to do, and mothering that was extremely hard. But you've done it and you've done it well. I am so proud of you every single day. You, my dear girl are the best thing about being a mother. You and those boys who surprised me with their fathering skills. Watching you kids grow up and fall in love and become parents, that's worth it all right there. And I know that I must have done something right to be able to see that. And someday, years from now, you're going to know that too."

"You're telling the truth?"

"Have I ever lied to you?"

"Once, when you told me it was sugar on the licorice, not sour stuff."

"Besides that?"

"No. Never."

"Okay then."

"I'm tired," she said on a sigh, wiping away the few tears that had fallen.

"Take a nap. I'll finish this."

"Are you sure?"

"Honey, take the sleep while you can. Besides, I've got to make you guys some more dinners and stick them in the freezer and I can't do that with your constant yammering in my ear."

"Thanks, mommy."

She laid down across the couch and watched as her mother finished folding the laundry in the basket. She just needed a little sleep. Maybe even just to rest her eyes. An hour, that was it.

When she woke up it was evening, the fall sunset streaming through the window and the sounds of cooking coming from the kitchen. She could feel a warm hand on her cheek and she opened her eyes to give Adam a smile.

"Hey," he greeted, leaning down to kiss her.

"Hey, workin' man."

"You look like that nap did you some good."

"I am a firm believer in afternoon couch naps, but I didn't think it would work as well without you."

"Well we can't both fit up there anymore, can we?"

"You'd better watch yourself," she warned with a smile.

"I went and picked up the crib bedding today."

"Can I see?"

"No, not yet."

"It's not a wedding dress, Adam."

"I know. I just want to put everything together before you see it. Problem?"

"Nope. That's fine."

"And I also want you to know that despite the fact that you're over three months away from having this kid, they've already started a pool on when you're going to go."

"Oh great."

"Flack says you're going to be a week overdue, Stella said a week early, Sid said the day before, Hawkes refused to participate, and Mac being the strict military man that he is hedged his bets and said right on the due date."

"Anywhere in that ball park and I'll be happy. Though if I go a week over, I'm going to kill Flack."

"I told him that but he just laughed. I am not sure he believes in hormones."

"Guess not."

"And I had to spend the afternoon processing a scene which I am sure I still smell like, so I'm going to go shower."

"Mmm 'kay."

He dropped a kiss to her forehead then left the room while she sat up. The baskets of laundry were gone and there was a pumpkin spice candle burning on the table. It smelled like fall and she couldn't believe how fast the last year had gone. They were almost up on their anniversary already.

She wandered into the kitchen where her mom was at the stove, stirring a big pot of something that smelled good.

"Hey sleepyhead."

"How long was I out?"

"A couple hours. I tried to be quiet but then I dropped a mixing bowl and you didn't move so I figured you were spoken for."

"I think the baby slept too because I usually get kicks to the lungs to wake me up," she commented, smoothing her shirt over her stomach.

"You get a lot of movement?"

"Yeah. Mostly at night and early in the morning and very little during the day."

"Sounds like you. I didn't sleep for the last month because you moved too much."

"Looking forward to that."

They finished making dinner together and were putting it on the table when Adam joined them.

"Hon are you too cold?" he asked, noticing the way she kept rubbing her arms.

"Yeah, a little, but none of my sweatshirts fit anymore."

He went into the bedroom and came back out with a zip up hoodie.

"Here."

"Thanks honey," she said, sliding it on and kissing his cheek. "You're the best."

"I try."

"Come on you guys this isn't fair," Lindsay complained, hovering near the door to the baby's room. "I don't think it's right for you guys to just go ahead and set up the entire bedroom and not let me see it at all. What would Emily Post say?"

"She would tell you to stop hovering and go put your feet up," Adam answered.

"But-"

"Lindsay, you heard your husband."

"I just want both of you to know that I am doing this under protest."

They both murmured their acknowledgment of her departure and she shuffled out to the couch, sitting down and feeling somewhat dejected. She'd had ideas for the room, but once Adam bought the crib it kind of became his thing. He'd been having fun, so she wasn't really upset, but she did wish she could have a little say in it.

Her phone rang and she practically dove for it, grateful to have something to do other than sit here and wait.

"Hello?"

"Hello, this is the Best Friend Telecommunication Center, now serving California to New York. To whom do you wish to speak?"

"Austin!"

"Your enthusiasm shocks me."

"It always does. So what's up? How are you doing? Did you learn how to surf yet? Are you coming home soon? I miss you."

"Wow."

"Sorry. But I really do miss you."

"I miss you too. Let's see what did you ask me? Not much is up, I just took a walk down to the beach and I'm sitting here watching the waves and I thought I would call you and tell you that someday before we're old, we need to make a trip out here. No boys allowed."

"I'm so in."

"And I'm doing a lot better. I just needed space to think and to get away and… I think I just needed to get out of town for a while. I've been in that city almost every single day of my life and I just needed to go somewhere new."

"I know the feeling."

"And I'm coming home on Friday."

"Yes!"

"I thought if you were free we could do something on Saturday."

"It's Kismet. I'm free all Saturday."

"Lunch?"

"That would be great."

"I'll come by around noon."

"I can't wait. I really did miss you."

"I missed you too. You have no idea."

"I have an inkling."

"I've gotta go. Andy's kids have grown accustomed to me tucking them in."

"Alright. I'll see you Saturday."

"I love you with my guts, Linds."

"Love you with my guts too. Bye."

She hung up the phone and nearly squealed with excitement. Two years ago they had barely known each other and now it felt weird to go a day without talking. The last two months had been strange, not having her best friend there to talk to about everything. But Austin had needed to run for a while, and Lindsay would never stand in the way of that.

"Hey Adam guess what?" she shouted.

"What?"

"Austin's coming home."

"It's about time. I was about to ship you out there with her."

"Shut up."

He walked over to her and pressed a kiss to her temple.

"I'm glad you're happy. You wanna come see the room?"

"Sure."

"And then later, wanna make out?"

"Don't say things like that with my mother in the house! And yeah, I do."

"You're my favorite."

"Thanks, baby."

She took the hand that he offered and stood up from the couch and hugged him, her belly almost big enough to get in the way. Life was good.