Study Dates

Sarah peeked her head around the corner of the kitchen into her living room. The house had become unusually quiet in the last twenty minutes or so. It was usually a stark – and somewhat terrifying – indicator that her children (big one included) were up to no good. As if sensing her suspicions, the newest little baking away in her belly shifted and swirled, causing Sarah to press a hand to her rounded stomach as she tried to be subtle in her spying.

What greeted her sight was only half-surprising and quite a bit heart-melting.

Connor had taken over a decent portion of the living room floor, textbooks, and patient files surrounding him. His laptop was propped open on the coffee table, playing a video of a surgery. She wasn't sure if it was one of his surgeries and he was catching up on patient notes or if this was someone else's. Since he had begun his cardiothoracic fellowship, he had been delving more and more back into studying. It had been a long time since she had seen him so...studious. He usually preferred hands-on experience as his teacher over books and diagrams.

A nostalgic bug bit her as it took her back to the days when he would help her study. His messy scrawl had crept over her notes and flashcards back then– But it was the sight of their son beside him that really tugged at her heartstrings. His father's mini-me in every way, Callum's schoolwork was strewn about him in a similar circle. She spied his word search and handwriting practice sheet filled with his nascent penmanship. A small chapter book was open on his lap, his brow furrowed in concentration as he quietly mouthed the words he was reading. It had taken a while, but Callum was growing with leaps and bounds in his reading ability under his first-grade teacher.

Even their reigning princess kept to herself, though Sarah had to keep from giggling as she watched her daughter roughly color in a dancing bear, growling under her breath as she did so. Staying inside the lines or even having any patience to stay on one figure seemed too much to ask of Ellie. Chaotic even when she was still. Sarah wasn't sure who she got that from.

Sarah enjoyed the peaceful scene for a few more minutes, staring thoughtfully at her husband before she went back to her tea.

Two days later...

"Sarah...What?" Connor frowned, a little bewildered and more than a little impatient as his wife snagged his keys from his hand. He had thought she had left for home over an hour ago. She wasn't supposed to still be on shift.

Sarah tangled her fingers with his and she smiled almost shyly, "Calm down-"

"You promised to take it easy -"

"Connor, shush." She cut in again before he could continue his lecture about her working long hours and stressing her pregnancy, "I've been waiting for you, not working."

Maybe it was the long day he just had or the pile of case files he still needed to get to or the fact that he hadn't eaten since... yesterday, but Connor couldn't stop the stress from flowing from his tongue, "The kids -"

"Are fine. They're with your sister."

Connor frowned as she stared at him expectantly, "Did I forget an appointment? Is the baby, okay? Are you?"

"I'm fine. Baby's still cooking and no, you didn't miss an appointment" Sarah answered patiently, shy smile deepening as she shifted her bag to her other shoulder, "And I suggest you carefully think over the rest of your questions before you start to irritate me. You know how much I like it when you become a hovering over-protective cloud."

Connor huffed, but narrowed his gaze thoughtfully as he suddenly became cognizant of the fact that she had pulled him out of the hospital and into the parking lot...and she had his keys, "You're not driving us home."

Sarah kept her gaze locked on his as she pressed a button on the key fob and opened the driver-side door, "You're right, I'm not."

The bag was tucked into the seat behind her, and she slid inside with all the awkward grace a seven-month-pregnant woman could have. Connor was not amused as he stood firmly beside the door, not letting her shut it, "Sarah -"

"Just get in, Connor," Sarah demanded softly as she turned wide innocent eyes on him. He hated when she did that, it made him weak with the need to buckle to her whims, "I promise we're not going far, and you can take over driving afterward."

He stood for several long seconds before he finally caved and moved to the passenger seat, "Where're we going?"

"It's a surprise." She bit the inside of her cheek as Connor stared at her. She hated surprises. Connor knew this avidly after a few of his had gone horribly awry for her. So, she understood his hesitance when she was suddenly springing one on him, "You'll like it."

"Sarah, I have patient files to get through and I wanted to outline a few procedures that I'm still unfamiliar with -"

"I know." Sarah said, quirking a small smile at him as she pulled out of the parking lot, "You told me last night that you were behind... I promise you'll get what you need done. Just trust me please."

"I trust you," Connor said, an earnest light entering his blue gaze that made Sarah seek his hand.

He didn't protest any further as he linked their fingers and pressed a kiss to her knuckles, nor did he press for more information... even as his curiosity was beginning to rear its head. But Sarah was right, the journey didn't take terribly long as she navigated the streets further from the city and along the lake beaches. Somewhere between their home and the hospital, she pulled off onto a small service road that led to a paved patch that acted as a parking lot.

A sense of unease settled into his belly. It had grown dark and while they weren't miles away from civilization, they were in a secluded, not well-lit spot. He arched a brow at her, "Is this where you murder me and dump my body?"

Sarah didn't even blink, "No, I'll do that the next time we decide to visit Mexico."

Connor blanched, "Oh, that's comforting...The warning's appreciated."

She giggled, rolling her eyes at him, "You started it. Now come on."

Connor could only watch as Sarah did her level best to slip gracefully and quickly from the car with her rounded belly. He knew better than to let his amusement show, but he knew he failed as Sarah fell back into the seat with a huff and glared at him. She didn't drive his car for this reason.

"Shut up," Sarah muttered.

He couldn't contain his snicker before he left his spot to move around to hers. She looked at his proffered hand as if it was the most offensive thing in the world, but Connor had been through this before and just waited patiently. Like clockwork, she sighed and accepted his hand – albeit grudgingly. Already anticipating her next move, he reached back into the car and grabbed her bag.

"Thank you. Get yours too." Sarah murmured.

Connor nearly balked as the weight of her bag settled in his hand, "What do you have in here? Rocks?"

Sarah rolled her eyes and attempted to take her bag from him but was soundly rebuffed as he slung it over his shoulder, "It's not that heavy."

"You're not supposed to be lifting anything heavier than fifteen -

"Twenty -"

"Fifteen pounds." Connor reasserted sternly, a deep wave of anxiety swirling in his gut as he fought the urge to shake her. She needed to be careful, she knew this, "This is way more than fifteen."

"Oh, my God." Sarah huffed and quietly counted to herself as she tried to quell the irritation that her husband was steadily inducing. He was worth the aggravation. He was worth the aggravation. Her mandated mantra played on repeat as she resisted the urge to remind him that she wasn't made of glass.

"I'm being serious, Babe." That earnest note was back, but this time it was shaded by his frustration.

Sarah bit her tongue and reached out to him. Her fingers curled into the cotton of his jacket. Anchoring him to her, usually soothed his frayed nerves. Near instantly he relaxed under her touch, "Connor, I love you, but don't speak for the next five minutes. Then you can fret to your heart's content."

Questions, comments, rebukes, whatever instantly piled in his mouth. Sarah could see his struggle to honor her request. He wanted to know why they were here. What was she up to? Did she not think about taking care of herself when she planned whatever this was? She knew him too well. His worry and stress for her went through the roof every time she was pregnant.

Instead of waiting for him to break, Sarah grabbed his hand and led him down a dirt path. The sound of lapping water reached his ears and he realized they were closer to the lake than he realized. They rounded a corner, and the sight of a lantern-lit gazebo met their gaze. A small firepit had been put together next to a picnic table.

Sarah left his side, scuttling over to the pit as she peered around for something. A lighter appeared in hand a second later and Connor tilted his head quizzically as she lit the pit. The Chicago skyline loomed off to the side under the early moonlight... It was a beautiful sight and –familiar.

A vague memory of telling Sarh he used to run to the beach to clear his head and find peace whispered in the recesses of his mind.

"Babe?"

Sarah quickly came back to him, tugging him to the table as she silently pressed him to put her bag down. She pulled out an insulated lunchbox and Connor had to bite back a curse. No wonder her bag was so heavy. She pulled out a few more pouches and water bottles – plates and cutlery appeared next.

Then her laptop? Connor blinked, wondering what else she had in her clown car of a backpack. He needed to get her a smaller one. The fifteen-pound limit was obviously being ignored, "Sarah?"

She smiled nervously at him, "Okay, okay I know – you're confused, but get some food. I got that chicken thing you like from the Creole place on Lincoln and that Canadian beer you have to special order – but that's for when we get home."

Connor arched a brow, but his stomach growled as the scents of good hot food filled his senses. Sarah calmly passed him a plate as she fully lifted the lid of the lunch box. Her busy fingers were pulling the fixings for a salad out before he finished grasping the dish. Fried okra was nestled carefully in a tray next to the wild chicken and sausage gumbo – cornbread appeared from another pouch.

God, he was hungry.

He waited, making sure she filled her plate before piling up his. Sarah scoffed at him but silently acknowledged that her five minutes had come and gone, she would patiently indulge his overbearing protectiveness.

"Alright, so what occasion have I forgotten that you felt the need to whisk me away?" Connor asked as he tucked in next to her, "It's not my birthday – not yours either. Our anniversary was three months ago."

"No occasion." Sarah murmured, sipping from her water bottle, "You haven't forgotten anything. And before you ask, no bad news – no good news either."

Connor muffled a moan as the subtle spice of the gumbo filled his mouth. Creole wasn't one of Sarah's favorites, but he was glad she had opted for it. It was a good comfort food after a long week, "So, why am I being spoiled?"

A sad glint entered Sarah's gaze before she quietly pushed her plate away to face him. A seriousness tightened the air between them and made him sit a little straighter, "Because I love you. Because I don't spoil you enough. Because you take care of me always and I want you to feel taken care of too."

Tears lined her caramel eyes and Connor immediately felt his heart drop as he reached for her, "Babe - "

"No, Connor." Sarah sniffled, waving him off. She silently cursed her stupid pregnancy hormones for making her so emotional, "You've been working so hard lately. And – and I know you've been struggling to work with Dr. Latham and learn this new specialty. On top of that, you've been doing everything you can to help Callum with his reading struggles and get our wild princess to understand that she'll have to share you with another baby soon. You're always there when I need you. I don't want you to think that you're not a priority... Because you are, Baby. You matter."

Connor melted in the face of her ardent declaration. Feeling a little teary himself, he pressed a fond kiss to Sarah's temple as she enwrapped him in a hug, "Besides, I couldn't watch you eat another protein bar for dinner."

He snorted, laughing faintly as he murmured, "I love you."

"I mean it, you know." Sarah murmured into his chest, "You matter. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Same, Babe. Same."

They clung to each other a little longer before Sarah pushed away and wiped her eyes, "Okay, I loaded the procedures you wanted to go over onto my computer. I made flashcards during my break. I'm thinking once we're done eating. We can go over the specifics and I can quiz you on things you're not strong in."

Connor smiled slowly, "Study date?"

"Mmhmm, just like old times." Sarah nodded, "Claire is okay to stay with the kids until ten."

Connor's mouth moved silently, unbelievably touched by his wife's actions. He leaned down and stole a kiss because he really didn't know what to say.