"So… what are we going to do?" Lindsay asked, hands on her hips as she looked around the quiet house. The kids were gone for the night at the Flacks for Teagan and Liam's birthday sleepover. Danny and Austin were spending time in the Bronx with their families and Mac and Jo had headed out of town for the weekend. She couldn't remember the last time that everyone was gone like this.

"Well, I could try to fix the washing machine while you stand there and laugh at me. Or we could go suffer through a few hours at the Laundromat."

Lindsay sighed and glanced over at him, grinning at his glazed over expression while read through something on the computer. His hair was a little messy and she was beginning to notice a little gray in it. He still looked the same as he always had in her heart but she couldn't ignore that the lines near his eyes were getting deeper. He wasn't really that old, but she already knew he was going to age well.

"So is that important there?"

"Huh?"

"What you're reading. Is it important?"

"Eh."

Grinning, she walked over and grabbed his chair, spinning it around and pulling him away from the computer.

"Babe, what are you doing?"

She gave a half shrug and sat down in his lap, leaning in to kiss him.

"Hmm, so you don't really want me to bother with fixing the washer?"

"I don't know," she answered, readjusting herself in the chair and kissing him again. They could have kept up like that for quite a while, if he hadn't leaned back too far, causing the chair to topple over backwards. They crashed to the floor and groaned in pain together, trying to disentangle themselves from the chair.

"Okay, so next time you get the wild idea to get frisky anywhere but the bedroom, what are you going to do?"

"Tell myself how dumb I am," Lindsay replied, finally standing up. "You okay?"

"I'm intact. We used to be good at this stuff."

"We're getting old and clumsy."

"So, wanna take this party upstairs then?"

"Nah, I'm kind of over it now. Seeing your life flash before your eyes kind of kills the mood."

He laughed and stood up too, sliding his hands into her back pockets to pull her close.

"We should probably do something about the laundry situation," he suggested. "It's piling up."

"Can you fix the washer?"

"I don't think so."

"Well, I guess it's the Laundromat then. Got quarters?"

"We can get some there. Hmm, laundry date. I can't think of anything hotter."

"Yeah, especially with the dryer on the highest setting."

He laughed and kissed her forehead then let her go.

"If you get all the kids laundry I'll go through the rest of the house and get everything else."

"Deal. Want to race?"

"Does everything have to be a competition-"

"On your mark get set go!"

She tore up the stairs and he shook his head, starting his search around the house for dirty laundry. Avery had a habit of leaving socks in weird places, so he spent quite a while checking in the couch and under the bookcases.

"I'm done with the boys room, you'd better get moving!" came a taunt from upstairs.

"Avery's room is going to take you ages!" he called back, heading up the stairs to get the bathroom towels.

"No, I made her put all her dirty laundry in the hamper this morning."

"Oh."

"Our room shouldn't take that long."

"Why?"

"Because we're grown adults who pick up our dirty laundry right away. Aren't we?"

"I'd better go up there and check."

She laughed and tossed one of Avery's shirts at his face while he went for the stairs, coming back with the clothes he'd worn yesterday.

"Okay, I think we're ready."

"Man, this is so romantic. The kids are gone for the night so we're going to go do laundry."

"Hey, part of our relationship is based on being unconventional."

"I guess that's true," she chuckled, following him down the stairs and putting all the dirty laundry into baskets. "And just think, once it's all clean, we get to fold it."

"I'm so excited."

Three medium sized washers were spinning with soap and water and Lindsay and Adam sat in the chairs across from them, almost mesmerized by the movement.

"We should trade our washer in for one of these ones."

"Hmm."

"And they only take fifteen minutes."

"Yeah."

"Linds?"

"I'm tired."

He chuckled and stood up to take the clothes out of the first washer, piling them in a rolling basket before taking them over to the dryer. He loaded them in then stood there for a few minutes, trying to figure out what type of cycle he wanted and how exactly to get it. The words had worn off the buttons and he had to try and guess which was which.

"I think it's that one," Lindsay said, coming up behind him and pressing a button in the middle.

"And what if it's not?"

"Oh well."

They stood and watched the clothes spin for a while, then went back to the washers to get the next load out.

"Hey, these are nice," Adam said, taking some lacy lingerie from the pile and holding them up. "I've never seen you wear them."

"You have seen it. You just have no use for them."

"Maybe you should wear them tonight. I'll be sure to appreciate it."

"Maybe I will. Of course you're going to have to give me something in return."

"I think I can arrange that."

She smiled and opened the last washer, reaching in to get the rest of the clothes.

"Think the kids are doing okay?"

"I think it's Flack and Jess we should worry about. Eight kids on a sugar high. I'm pretty sure Flack is crying in a corner somewhere."

"I'm not going to worry. It was their idea."

"We'll repay them sometime."

They started up the dryers then moved back to the chairs and sat quietly, looking out the window at the traffic and the city lights.

"Hey babe?"

"Mm-hmm?"

"I just want to tell you how much I love you."

"I love you too."

"How much?"

She thought for a moment before giving him a little grin.

"I love you one hundred times for every sock that has ever been lost in the wash. Ever. In the whole world, since the washing machine was invented."

"That's a lot of love, babe."

"Well yes, but it's you and how could I love you less than that?"

He grinned and leaned over to kiss her forehead, then pulled her into his arms and hugged her for a long time.

"You're amazing."

"I do my best. Hey, I bet these magazines have crossword puzzles. Do you have a pen?"

"Why would I have a pen?"

"I don't know. Because you always have random things?"

"I don't have a pen."

"Rats."

"I do have one of Ben's crayons though."

"I can't believe ya used my crayon wiffout permission!" Lindsay said in a perfect imitation of their middle child. "Dis is such a misuse of materials!"

"Where does he come up with the stuff he says?" Adam asked, finding the green crayon and handing it to her. "He's six years old, he shouldn't know the phrase 'misuse of materials,' or anything like it."

"I think he just remembers a lot of what we say. I find it funny that he said he was going to stop talking so much but he still manages to crack me up."

"Colton used to say funny things too."

"Yeah, but he was never quite as passionate about it."

"Why do we have a TV when we have the kids that we do?"

"I don't know. We should just start creating situations for them to be in and watch them try to work their way through it."

"Colton would ditch the other two and go it alone. Ben and Avery would fight and make up three or four times before they quit."

"Accurate," she laughed, turning in her chair to lean on the wall. She gave him a look and he smiled at her, motioning that she could put her feet up in his lap. "You know, this is kind of nice. Quiet, no kids."

"Yeah, it's not bad."

"Maybe the washer should break more often."

"Maybe but it's just circumstance that leaves us here without the kids. Normally they would be running around climbing into washers looking for treasure."

"These big washers would make really good cages," she said, only half joking.

He nodded and contemplated that for a minute.

"So how do you think this summer with all three of them home all the time is going to be?"

"Exhausting. We should get the boys into Scouts or something."

"I think they'd enjoy something like that. I don't know if they would love doing the same thing though."

"I'll think of something. And we're going to have to adjust work schedules again."

"You want to work more or less?"

"I think more. I feel like you do most of the working and I just get to be with the kids and not do the rest of it."

"Honey, raising the kids isn't easy."

"No, but it's fun. It's rewarding. I feel like I should be working more, like I got off easy or something."

"However much you want to work at the lab or at home, you do that. It doesn't matter to me either way."

"I think now that Avery's becoming so independent, I don't feel as guilty about leaving her. So maybe we can take the summer to think about it and see what works and then when everyone starts school again we'll know what we want to do."

He nodded and rubbed her knee thoughtfully.

"Are you happy?"

"Yes, very."

"I don't think you've ever answered that question any differently."

"I've never felt any differently."

"Good, then I'm doing my job."

"Yes you are."

He smiled and found her free hand, taking it in his and tracing the lines on her palm a few times before inspecting her fingers.

"You've got two crushes."

"What?" she asked, looking up from the puzzle. "Are you on crack?"

"When you get white lines on your fingernails, it means you have a crush. Two white lines. I assume I account for one of those, so who's the other one?"

"John Wayne, duh."

"Oh I see."

"So should I always have a white line on one of my fingernails for you? Enlighten me, how does my dead fingernail know what my heart is thinking?"

"Your heart doesn't think."

"Yes it does. Right now it still thinks you're adorable while my brain thinks you're very strange."

"No, I mean your heart doesn't hold your emotions."

"So when I say I love you with all my heart, that means nothing?"

"Well the sentiment is there."

"Sentiments are emotions."

"All I mean is that your emotions don't come from your heart. That's just where western culture places emotions. You know in some countries, they love each other with their kidneys. Or their liver."

"What point are you trying to make?"

"I don't know. How did we get on this?"

"You were staring at my fingernails."

"Oh yeah. So you have two crushes. It's your body's way of venting that feeling without acting on it."

"So people who cheat on their spouses…"

"I haven't thought it completely through."

"Are you saying that the white lines keep me from cheating on you with John Wayne?"

"Well…"

"Interestingly enough you have no white lines on your nails, which means you don't even have a crush on me. I'm hurt."

He scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"What I have for you is so much more than a crush. And why do you have to take my flippant comment and pick it apart?"

"I'm a scientist."

"So am I!"

She laughed and shook her head.

"I love you, Adam."

"I love you too."

"But with your heart?"

"Okay stop."

"I think we should do laundry more often."

Somewhere in the middle of folding laundry, stealing kisses and listening to Frank Sinatra, Lindsay curled up on the rug and fell asleep, using a stack of towels for a pillow. Adam knew she'd been tired lately, he'd seen the bags under her eyes that meant her sleep was full of dreams and she wasn't getting enough rest. He watched her out of the corner of his eye as he finished folding things, then swapped the towels for a throw pillow while he put everything away. She was still sleeping when he came back and he knelt down beside her, brushing her hair back and kissing her forehead before taking a blanket off the back of the couch and draping it over her. She stirred a little and he shushed her back to sleep, hoping she would stay that way for a while.

Quietly he went into the kitchen and turned the light on, looking through the fridge and cupboards for something he could turn into dinner. Pasta was quick and easy, and he knew there was some shrimp in the freezer that he could put in too. He found them buried in the back and tossed them in the sink to defrost, then turned on the radio and set to work.

He didn't tell anyone that he could cook well, he usually passed himself off as decent and breakfast foods and pizza, but he found it easy and soothing and Lindsay was really the only person that knew he wasn't just a man with a can and a plan. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that there were a lot of things about himself that no one knew but her. He wasn't sure if it was because he was a private person and didn't share much, or if he wasn't really aware of those things all the time, or if it was just because she'd stuck around long enough to find them out.

Dinner was done faster than he'd anticipated and he left it on the stove to stay warm while he set the table. After thinking about it for a moment he left the plates on the counter and went to the pantry, reaching up to the top shelf to find the candles. Lindsay usually set them out for holidays and had never burned them, but he figured she could always buy more later. He lit them and took them out to the living room where she was still on the floor, setting them down on the coffee table and trying not to wake her just yet. He went back into the kitchen and filled their plates, then used his elbows to turn off all the lights before setting the food down next to the candles.

"Hey sweetie," he said softly, kneeling down next to her.

"Hmm."

"I made dinner."

"Thank you," she whispered, her eyes still closed.

"You ready to wake up?"

"Mmm."

"If you sleep more now you'll toss and turn all night."

"Okay, I'm awake."

"Gotta open your eyes," he said, leaning down to kiss her.

"Okay. Why is it dark in here?"

"Candles."

"Did the power go out?"

"No, we're being fancy."

She gave a soft laugh and sat up, rubbing her eyes.

"You're not kidding," she grinned, looking at the plates of food. "Did you plan this?"

"No, but I seize every opportunity to woo you."

"Whoo-hoo."

They sat down together and ate slowly, whispering and laughing, taking the time that they were so rarely afforded. He watched the way her eyes turned golden in the candlelight, she cherished the feeling of his warm hand resting in her lap. He found ice-cream for dessert but they only made it partway through the bowl before she pushed it away and leaned on his shoulder with a yawn.

"Thanks for dinner, honey."

"You're welcome."

"And for finishing the laundry."

"Anytime."

"And letting me sleep."

"You looked pretty cute."

"You're wonderful, do you know that?"

"Only because you're worth it."

"I don't do nearly as much for you as you do for me."

"You still love me every day. That's a lot."

"It's not hard."

"Neither was making dinner. We're married so we're even. Okay?"

"Wanna go to bed?"

"Nope."

"You really-"

He silenced her with a kiss and slid his hand back to cradle her head as he moved them gently down to the floor.

"I thought we veto'ed this earlier."

"We can't fall off the floor. I think we're good."

"I won't argue with that."

"So does Austin have some kind of radar," he started, handing her the ringing phone. "That tells her when we're about to get busy and she calls to stop us so she doesn't have to hear about it later?"

"First, I don't tell her all that. Not every time anyway. And second, get busy? Who are you, Sean Paul?"

"Don't answer the phone."

"She'll call back if I don't."

"Fine, talk through this," he threatened, leaning down to kiss her neck.

"H-Hey Aust. What's up?"

"We escaped from the parentals earlier than anticipated and we thought you guys might want to go do dinner and a movie."

"We already did d-dinner."

"Are you stuttering?"

"No. No, I'm fine, I just… um… I think we're going to pass."

"Okay just last week you were saying that the four of us don't do anything without the kids anymore and now we are kidless and you're saying no?"

"No, I'm just… hold on a sec."

She covered the phone and pushed Adam's head up so she could look at him.

"Do you want a raincheck?"

"Are you serious right now?"

"We haven't done anything with them in a long time… we can put this off for a few hours, can't we?"

"So we could hang out with them for a while then come back and do this, or we could do this for a while and then do it again. Which one are you going to pick? Babe, we have no kids right now. We can do whatever, wherever."

"Fine, you talk to her then," she said, handing him the phone.

"Hey Austin, we like you guys and all but I was planning on spending the evening with my wife and only my wife, if you know what I mean."

"You two are like rabbits. Come see a movie with us, please? You can do the other thing any old time. Besides, we're arguing about what to see and we need tie-breakers."

"You know, you should have been a lawyer."

"I hate studying."

"Okay we'll meet you there in half an hour."

"Thanks!"

He hung up the phone and put it back on the table, giving Lindsay a look when she smiled at him.

"We'd better get going."

"Oh no, woman. I said half an hour to give us a little time."

She laughed as he leaned down to start the process again.

"Adam you're so romantic."

"I want nachos and a slushie and a box of Mike and Ikes," Lindsay listed, looking up at the menu board.

"I made you dinner!"

"Yeah, but that was over an hour ago."

Adam just sighed at her and went to stand in line with Danny while Austin giggled.

"You two had a quickie, didn't you?"

"So what if we did?"

"You're like teenagers."

"We can't help it, we like each other."

"That's better than hating each other. Go forth and fornicate."

"I can't believe you just said that."

"I'm feeling sassy today. Anyway, Flack called right before you guys got here. He said the kids all went to bed without arguing so we don't need to worry anymore."

"I still can't believe they wanted all the kids at once."

"You know Flack and Jess, they'll do anything to make their kids happy."

"That's true. They're brave."

"I was thinking we should take their kids some night and give them a break."

"Maybe next week."

"Okay girls we had to get the food so we get to pick the seats," Danny announced, handing a soda to Austin.

"Since when is that a rule?" Lindsay whined, knowing the guys would both go for nothing further back than the fifth row.

"Since forever, Montana. You two've just been too busy gettin' busy to come with us."

"See, he uses that phrase too!" Adam exclaimed, holding the theater door open. "Don't you ever mock me again."

"Alright babe, whatever."

The found seats near the front and settled in, Danny and Austin arguing over the amount of butter and salt on their popcorn and who always drank more of the soda.

"See Adam, aren't you glad we came?"

"Yes I am."

"I'm glad I married you. I could have ended up with a guy that chews his popcorn kernels," she teased, pointing at Danny.

"What a caveman."

"Hey Lin, can I have some of your Mike and Ikes? I'll give you some Good and Plenty's."

"I'll trade you one Mike for a Plenty."

"Done."

The girls made the swap and fell into conversation until the previews started.

"So babe, don't laugh at me if I get scared during this," Lindsay whispered, wrinkling her nose because Adam had finished her nachos when she wasn't looking.

"I won't, as long as you don't laugh at me if I get scared."

"It's a deal."

The lights dimmed more and the movie started, turning out to not be nearly as frightening as the trailers had made it out to be. Danny amused everyone in the theater by screaming in odd places and letting out a huge howl when Austin got fed up and dumped the ice from their empty soda on his lap. It was still a good night, and made them all think of the times before they had kids, when they could stay out late and do whatever they wanted.

"You guys want to grab dessert?" Danny asked as they left the theater, kicking the half melted ice-cubes under the seat so people wouldn't slip on them.

"No, I'm stuffed. I think I'm going to go home and sleep it off."

Neither Danny nor Austin noticed the look that Adam shot his wife.

"Okay then, but next time we're all sans kids, no flaking out early."

"It's a plan. 'Night guys."

Adam grabbed Lindsay's hand and they walked across the parking lot to the car. He held the door for her and she giggled at his chivalry, giving him a wink.

"Now, no more distractions," he said in the most stern voice he could muster as he started the car. "Is that clear?"

"Absolutely. Without protest."

"Good. Now, how fast do you think I can drive home?"