January 24th, 1997

"All right, this week I'd like to get back to where we left off a little more chronologically," Isaac said as they settled in for Cal's fourth appointment with the man. "Given the revelations we discussed last time in regards to how much of a role she is in your stability, let's talk about your relationship with your wife."

Cal felt himself relaxing a little into the chair. Three weeks since his first appointment, and as much as his brain felt a bit stuffed full of things to think about, some of what he had been holding onto for decades really did seem to be easing in his mind. Not necessarily the issues he had thought he was coming for, but he supposed anything that lessened his overall anxiety and stress had to be helping.

"I assume you mean the whole thing, then. Not just how we're doing now."

"We'll get to now," Isaac nodded. "But when we spoke two weeks ago, we had just gotten to the point where you were officially dating, for the second time."

Cal nodded. "After we got back from the war, we saw each other pretty much every day. When I was on leave, she would bring her work over for the weddings she was planning, and take over half of my apartment, though she always cleaned it up when she was done. It was so peaceful and domestic, just spending time together even if we weren't doing the same thing. We went out on dates too, of course, but it was so different from anything I'd ever experienced. When I stopped fighting getting closer, it was easy and right. Not that we didn't disagree on things, but we didn't really fight at the time. Even if we'd started, I'd probably have backed down just to keep the peace," he admitted. There had been little to fight about then, and Alyse had been so patient, coaxing him along and teaching him about love, and what living together in a functional relationship could be like. It had been so easy when it was just the two of them. "I got more confident about that as we went on, but she was very patient with me."

"How long did you date?"

"About a year and a half. Best year of my life up to that point. I think we both knew from the start we were in it for the long haul. The only question was when we'd make it permanent, and I figured she was just waiting on me. Not that anything I knew had ever prepared me for how to propose, other than a few stories from guys at Headquarters, and a few sappy movies I'd seen on dates."

Isaac smiled over his water glass. "Obviously it went well."

"Corny as anything, and it didn't go quite as planned, but yes." Cal smiled back. "Though the moment Alyse kicked into wedding planning and house-furnishing mode I was more than a little overwhelmed. Even watching her plan other people's weddings, and State Dinners, I had no idea what was really involved outside of having attended a couple of ceremonies as a guest for military buddies. We also needed somewhere to live that would fit both of us since we both had tiny apartments. I would have been happy to just let her plan it all, but she kept insisting on asking for my actual opinions and preferences, especially on the house."

"A reasonable expectation. Good for her."

"It did make it feel more like our space. It was the first time I'd lived somewhere that felt like a real home. Just the two of us, and the cats."

"I like cats. We have two."

"That's how many we had at the time, though we've had a couple since." Cal sipped his water. "Honestly at that point I couldn't imagine life getting better. I had everything I'd ever wanted, for real."

Isaac nodded thoughtfully. "What about children? Obviously, you have two, but how did you feel about the possibility of becoming a father? Did you two ever discuss parenthood before that?"

Another complex, loaded question that seemed to come right back to his youth. "After the mess with Valeria, I couldn't see myself in the role of being a father, not when I couldn't imagine finding a woman who would love me back, not the way I thought I'd loved her. So, I did my best to avoid getting any of my lovers pregnant. I figured the last thing I needed was kids I didn't plan for, and couldn't be there for, and the women I was with didn't either. As I got older, it also occurred to me that I didn't even know how to be a father. Not a good one. My old man was a bastard I hated. I couldn't stand the idea of raising a son who might hate me like that, or that I might screw up as badly as he'd screwed me up. Or if I had a kid, that he'd be as messed up as I was."

"Did you ever consider that you might have a girl?"

"Honestly, it never crossed my mind. I don't know if my parents never tried for more, or if they just couldn't have any, but I think it's better that I didn't have any siblings or they would have suffered as much as I did." Cal had never asked his parents why he didn't have any brothers or sisters. Looking back on it, he wished he'd asked his mother before she died. As it turned out, there were a lot of things he wished he had managed to find out, but not until well after it was too late. "I never asked, and both of my parents were dead before Alyse and I were a couple, so by the time I thought about it, there was no one to ask."

"And your conversations with Alyse?"

"I knew she wanted kids eventually, and she knew I had doubts. We babysat her brother's kids several times, and she was always a natural with them. Even though I couldn't really see what kind of a father I would be, I knew she'd be a great mother, and I mostly resigned myself to the fact I was going to do everything I could to learn to be the father my old man wasn't, and try not to do any of the things he did. Fortunately, it took us a couple of years before she got pregnant, so I had some time to get used to the idea."

"How did you feel when you found out she was pregnant?"

"Excited, nervous… terrified if I thought about it too hard. Mostly I just focused on making sure Alyse was comfortable, and did whatever she asked with getting everything ready."

"And during that time—your early marriage, her pregnancy—how much would you say you were drinking and smoking?"

For just a few minutes, he had almost forgotten the reason they were talking about Alyse, and any of this at all. "Drinking… not much, not that I thought about it. I just… didn't drink as much. I wasn't going out to hang out in bars, no reason to really; and we've never kept a lot in the house. Even with the baby coming, I think I handled it pretty well."

"And smoking?"

He wished he could answer differently. "Less than the war. I was down to just a couple a day most of the time, since I was trying to quit. Though that wasn't fast either. Probably would have been quicker if I'd tried harder."

"Still, you did succeed there."

"Eventually." It was something, at least. "I managed to quit entirely right about the time Charlie was born. At least, he was still an infant. Gloria was young enough she doesn't have any memories of me then." And if he'd had it his way, they'd have never found out about it at all. "By then, I wasn't as scared of having a son. Gloria was so easy, at least as babies go, that I had a little more confidence that I could at least keep kids alive. I would have done anything for her. Of course, I still would. I love my children, and my grandchildren."

"But it didn't stay that easy."

Cal couldn't help barking a laugh. "No one ever said raising kids was, or maintaining a marriage. Life got busier. I got promoted, had more responsibilities. Alyse's career took off. The kids got older, started school, got busier. Gloria, well she's always been easier than I ever had any right to hope for. Charlie… he's always been a handful, even when he was trying to be good. He never tried to get in trouble, he just has a talent for doing it anyway. The older he got, the more I could see myself in him and… a lot of those traits drove Alyse and I both a little crazy."

"Did that cause friction between you?"

"That, among other things. I guess you could say the usual things that happen when you've been married a while, and life gets stale. Especially if you're discontented with things."

"And were you?"

"I was, sometimes. Mostly with work. Climbing the ranks and a cushy desk job meant I wasn't on missions, not unless they required someone of rank for the sake of authority. It was good for staying close to the family, but I was bored out of my mind, and I hate paperwork. I've never been good at sitting still, and instead of traveling, testing my skills in combat, using alchemy, I was sitting around on my ass getting fat and going gray."

"How did that affect your relationship?"

"Honestly, Alyse loved that I was home most of the time. It meant I was there for formal dinners, for the kids' activities, for all the social events she planned, and every State affair. I took the office promotion because it made her happy. But… the busier everything got the less time there was for us and… with the kids getting older, she was more concerned about making sure they were raised right, got all the experiences they needed and… there was never really much time for intimacy. I'm not even sure she missed it, to be honest. It got to the point where if I tried to initiate anything and the kids were home, and awake, I was sure to get turned down flat."

"So, your priorities were in different places."

"It's not like I didn't agree that our kids didn't deserve as much time as they needed," Cal clarified. "But yes, in some things. The idea of them overhearing us embarrassed her. Meanwhile I was jumping out of my skin."

Isaac got a slightly knowing look on his face. "Sounds like the usual storm for a classic mid-life crisis."

"And… you wouldn't be wrong. Not that it was that dramatic, as those go. I've known a few guys who went overboard. But it was definitely a rough patch. Trying to agree how to parent teenagers…well that was probably the worst arguing we ever did. We both had entirely different ideas about how to handle Charlie, and I was fed up with work, and being overscheduled, and never getting a moment to just relax, or private time with Alyse, or even a mission that was interesting. We quarreled a lot. And… if it was particularly rough… emotions running high I'd… well I'd go hit the bar to cool off." Might as well just admit it now.

"What was your drink of choice, those nights?"

"Whiskey." As much as he enjoyed the flavors of many different brewed and distilled beverages, when it came to efficiency, it had never even been a question. "Which only ever made her madder at me, of course. But I was just so…frustrated, and fed up…and I couldn't seem to figure out how to talk to her anymore. Then I made her really mad by taking an out-of-town assignment she didn't want me to go on."

"Why did you go?"

"President Rehnquist had specifically asked for me. Wanted me to accompany him on a diplomatic visit to Creta. It was exactly what I needed. A great mission, a chance to do something meaningful… and a break from everything at home." I had a good excuse to run away for a while, that's what I had.

"Did it help?"

"Honestly, there are times I think it saved our marriage. Not that Alyse would agree with that assessment." Cal shrugged, and took a drink of water. "We both had a chance to have a little space, and think things through, figure out priorities… miss each other. I started working out when I got back. Alyse put Charlie in therapy. And I… well I told her how I felt, really; what I needed. That I missed her. That I missed us. And we started to make more time for that. The occasional romantic weekend alone… more intimacy at home."

"So, things got better again."

"Slowly, but we were able to re-establish our relationship, and smooth out more of the family dynamic. That's about the time the Hashman Syndicate started trying to take out alchemists, and then, as your research probably showed you, they kidnapped Charlie. We both got shot up. Then the Syndicate also got behind that coup attempt in Xing, and of course we mobilized a couple of divisions to go over and help retake the government." Which had next to nothing to do with Alyse or his relationship, but it was the next major stress point in a life full of near-death experiences.

"That's also when Alyse got injured, correct?"

The first time he'd been truly afraid for her… with the previous exceptions of labor and delivery. "While I was in Xing, when they blew up part of headquarters. Up until then, before they attacked Charlie…before they attacked Alyse, I'd only ever worried about what would happen to them if I got killed. I…well I guess I just always assumed that I'd go first, given my line of work. Given I never thought I'd live this long. Not that I planned to die, but my track record for almost dying was already pretty high at that point."

"One could argue your record of surviving experiences that should have killed you was what was high." Isaac suggested.

"Anyway I…I think that's when it really started to sink in. When the fear took root. The realization that it was possible that I could lose one of my children, or Alyse, and I'd have to live with that loss for the rest of my life. I'd already lost so many colleagues, friends, and my mother… losing Alyse would have taken all my footing right out from under me. Having her in my life is what keeps me going. It doesn't matter if everything else is fine… if she's not. It was just a couple of years later when we got her cancer diagnosis. I did everything I could for her while she went through treatment. I took care of the kids, and the house, and her, and did everything I could to hold our lives together… but it was killing me inside, not being able to cure her. They almost didn't. I held together until it was over though. I couldn't fall apart. I had to pull through, because I needed her to focus on living. I didn't want her worrying about the rest of us too."

"But things weren't going smoothly at home either."

No, not at all. Cal finished his water. "Gloria was off at school, so it was mostly Charlie and me. And… no, neither one of us was handling the stress well. I only found out by happenstance that he'd started having sex with his girlfriend during their study nights. His way of dealing with things." Just one way they were alike.

"How did you handle that situation?"

"I told him a little bit of my own story, and tried to talk sense into him. I knew if I yelled or lost it with him, he'd never listen. There's enough of me in him that I figured that could only end badly. He said he understood. Honestly, the only thing I wish I hadn't told him was that they should come clean to her parents too."

"Did that turn out poorly?"

"It was a disaster." Cal reached for the carafe. "Her father reacted the way I should have expected, and didn't. He forbade her from seeing him, and threatened to send her to a different school if they didn't stay apart. Only, they were both more devoted to each other than I think any of us gave them credit for. They got caught making on out a school field trip, and got suspended. At that point, I couldn't think of anything else to do but ground him. Alyse was in the hospital with pneumonia, and her treatments were on hold until it cleared, while the cancer was spreading. Charlie took the grounding better than I expected. Alyse… well honestly when she found out I think she was too tired to be too mad about it all. She didn't blame me for it either."

"Do you feel like she should have?"

"I felt like she would have handled it better. Though, in retrospect, I'm not sure anything any of us did would have kept them apart. The harder her father pushed, the more they reacted the way I had wished Valeria would have when we were that age. And believe me, the irony is not lost on me on how that looked from the parent side. Only they kept acting like they weren't talking, and they started sneaking around their summer jobs. Then, somewhere in there, they got the crazy idea in their heads to just go ahead and get married as soon as they were legally old enough, without telling us until it was too late for anyone to stop them."

"You mentioned that before. You said she was pregnant."

Cal nodded. He could still remember only too well the sinking feeling of horror as Charlie and Shelby had called both sets of parents together to tell them what they had done, and the obvious—to him—swell of Shelby's stomach. She'd been such a slim bit of a girl then. "On purpose. They'd figured no judge would turn away a young couple about to become parents if they wanted to get married. They weren't wrong either. The first thing we knew about it, she was seven months pregnant and they had a fresh marriage certificate. Of course, her father blew up and threw her out. Not that she had planned to go home. They'd been saving up to try and rent an apartment. We talked them into moving Shelby in with us instead. Save their money, give them time to finish school and graduate. It was… complicated."

"Did it impact your marriage?"

"Not my marriage, unless you could say I made the smart decision that kept it together. It would have been a mess if I'd refused to go along with the plan Alyse and Shelby's mom came up with on the spot to have them move in with us. But honestly, it was the best idea. Certainly, it was too late to separate them. But… I can't say I handled it well with Charlie. I felt like I'd failed somewhere as a father that he'd felt like he couldn't come to me, and he couldn't be patient enough to wait until they were both old enough to do whatever they wanted no matter what her father thought. I was furious with him, and it definitely changed our relationship."

"I'm not going to ask if that was a particularly stressful time for you. I think you already know where the next question would be going?"

Cal sighed, but only mentally. "I wasn't doing any heavy drinking, but yeah… I can't say I wasn't having something in the evenings to relax at the end of the day, more often; a beer, or a glass of wine. At least the first few months. As we all got used to the situation, and living together, it wasn't so bad. And being grandpa to a newborn baby girl was a lot easier than being a first-time father to one." Abigail had definitely been the bright spot in those early months. "My son and his wife took finishing school seriously, and raising their daughter seriously, and so it looked like everything would turn out all right."

"You've mentioned before that there were problems later."

"Ones I'd rather not discuss, since they're not mine," Cal reiterated his previous stance. "But watching them go through their own rough patches was hard. Especially watching my son struggle with some of the same things I struggled with…and making his own catastrophic mistakes. They're fine now. In fact, they're the best they've ever been, but they almost split a few years ago. That was rough on the whole family."

"Did you feel responsible?"

"For my son's actions? Not for the most part. But it's hard, sometimes, to wonder how much of our negative traits carry through genes, or what we did as parents that did or didn't stick. I was not a fantastic parent, though both my son and daughter have told me as adults that they appreciated everything I did for them. The fact that they see me as a good parent, despite the times I know I screwed up, or was a terrible example, still astounds me sometimes."

"They acknowledge that we can be imperfect people, and still be good, caring people."

"Believe me, I'm grateful." Cal nodded. "I think we all get along much better now that they're both adults. If nothing else, they both have good taste in people. My son-in-law and daughter-in-law are both excellent people, and we get along." It could have been so much worse.

Isaac smiled before becoming more serious again. "That's good to hear. To comment though, on your quandary a minute ago. There is research into what traits do and do not carry through by genetics, rather than by how we're raised. While we can't say for certain on some things, it is believed that the tendencies for alcohol addiction are more likely in a child with an alcoholic parent. This can be that, and there some that argue it has more to do with the exposure and conflicts at home, but I feel that you should know that it's not just you."

"I'd heard that before." It was something he had thought about more than once, and that had worried him far more for Charlie than himself. He was grateful his son had the better sense to give it up young. "Somehow, it never makes me feel better," he added honestly. It wasn't as if they hadn't told them in school growing up that drinking was bad. Though they sometimes made it sound more like a moral failing, and none of the kids had been fools enough not to see what the adults in town actually did, especially by the time they were teens. A town made up mostly of poor men and women, working grueling jobs and living on so little. No wonder so many of them drank more than was good for them.

"Well… that's fair." Isaac nodded. "In any case, we're about at the end of today's session. Anything more current from this week you'd like to talk about?"

Cal shook his head. "Not really. No big revelations this week. Still sober. Can't say it was much easier than last week, but it wasn't harder either."

"Even small progress is progress." Isaac looked pleased. "I'll see you next week."

"Thanks." Cal braced himself to stand, using the chair and his cane to balance fully upright. "See you then."

January 25th, 1997

Ian sat at the conference table, feeling as if something momentous had just occurred. Of course, in a way, something certainly had, at least for their family. Somehow, Ian had never known that Silverman's Department Store actually had a conference room in the back, where Grandpa met with a variety of designers, managers, and other employees involved in the running of his store.

Today however, it held only family. As Bonnie had explained to him just a couple of weeks ago, Grandpa had definitely been ready to retire for some time, and now the business would be jointly owned by multiple members of the family. Thankfully, they wouldn't have to take over day-to-day management, and Grandpa would still be around for some time to make sure his promoted manager was ready to take on more of the tasks of running the store, and that the new owners knew what they were doing.

In the end, the signatories on the company included Callista, Ian and Bonnie, and Coran and Gale. Ted, Urey, and Reichart had all opted out. Ted and Anika for lack of interest, and Urey and Reichart partially due to distance, and partially due to having enough going on that they were also not interested. Urey had his own business he was already running.

The two weeks since the press conference had seen the fifteen minutes of infamy of Ian's mistake rise and fall again as other more pressing rumors in the world took over. That was always the way of it. He had gone back to laying low and following his usual good behavior, and he was once again boring. At least until the film came out, and he was good with that.

He just hoped Bonnie was as well. She certainly behaved normally in public. And even, around family, in private at a professional meeting like this one.

"Well, it's done," Grandpa Silverman smiled. "I'll make sure the lawyers handle the final paperwork handoff and everything appears to be in order. I'm so very glad the business will remain in the family for at least one more generation."

Coran chuckled. "Don't worry, Grandpa. I'm sure between all of us, we'll manage to raise at least one child with an entrepreneurial spirit who isn't interested in auto-mail."

"Let ours all get out of diapers before we start planning their careers," Ian suggested good naturedly.

"Of course. There's no rush." Grandpa nodded. "Well, it's not all that late. Do you all have further business this afternoon or do you have time for a little celebration?"

"We'd love to," Gale spoke up regretfully, "But we've got a consultation with a new patient in half an hour. We should definitely plan something soon."

"I'm afraid we'll have to decline as well," Bonnie spoke before Ian could open his mouth. He kept his shut, a little surprised. "But I agree with Gale. We'll do it soon. Maybe dinner in a couple of days?"

"We'll have to talk more," Callista pointed out, but she shrugged. "Sure, we can do it then. Though I'm available right now if you want to spend time with me, Grandpa."

Their Grandfather smiled. "Of course. I'll see about setting up dinner and get back with you all tomorrow."

The meeting broke up quickly, and everyone went their separate ways at the doors. "We had time," Ian commented as they returned to the car. "Didn't you want to join him?"

"Not much time," Bonnie objected. "And of course I did, but we'll need to pick up the kids soon, and the cleaning service is coming tomorrow for the first time, so I want to make sure the house is ready so all I have to do is give instructions tomorrow."

Ian had to admit he had almost forgotten about the cleaning service. "Both very good points." He flashed her a hopeful smile as he opened the door. "I hope that doesn't mean you and I can't find a little time this evening to just enjoy each other's company."

Bonnie did not smile back as they got in, and she buckled. "If everything goes smoothly this evening, maybe. Now that this is official, I have some extra planning to do."

Ian did not argue. After all of Bonnie's points about him not overworking so that they could spend time together, he would have called it unfair, except that Bonnie wasn't the one constantly taking up their free time. An evening was perfectly reasonable. Still, he had hoped that now that the media was quieting down, she might have thawed a little. What do I need to do to get back in good with you? "Of course. If there's anything I can do to help, let me know."

"We'll see."

Before the mess, Ian had been thinking that maybe, finally, they could resume intimate bedroom activities. They hadn't had sex since they found out about the triplets, and Bonnie had not once tried to initiate, so Ian hadn't pushed the issue. Now, however, he had to admit he missed that closeness. Before, they had resumed having sex as soon as she felt recovered from delivery. Now… as much as he had upset her Ian had to wonder how much longer they would go with nothing more intimate than a hug here, a kiss there. She didn't object to them cuddling in bed at night, but it never went farther.

It couldn't be because of concerns over getting pregnant again. Ian had taken care of that probability. Maybe his overwork—as much as it was for the family—had put this rift between them as much as his mistake. Maybe this new balance would help him make up for it. Whatever the case, Ian knew he had to come up with some way to fix it.

Bonnie wished today were nothing but a happy day. She was looking forward to the new business venture that they were embarking on. Though five of them had signed the paperwork today as partners, she and Callista would be handling most of the actual business end. Working mostly from the house, except when she came over to the offices a couple of times a week, would free up so much time that could be refocused on their family life, while still allow her to delve into projects that she was excited about.

If she could bring in more with her commercial designs, Ian wouldn't have to take on so many projects. Then, maybe, he wouldn't feel like he had to keep pushing himself to the breaking point. Bonnie couldn't entirely blame Ian for his frustration, and the stress that had pushed him too far. He needed to work less, but he felt like he had to provide enough, not just to survive, but to make up for everything they had spent purchasing and upgrading the house, and what they would need to feed and raise five children who were all relatively close in age.

Months of trying to take care of all of them, no matter who told him he needed to pace himself, to rest, had simply caught up with him. Now… he seemed afraid to say anything at all that might upset her. Even after she had apologized for her fury that he had gotten himself locked up, however briefly. Not only had it brought back every bad memory from her two previous relationships, but there had been an added layer of worry and fear for Ian himself. I thought I was over this. Maybe I never really will be.

With this, hopefully she could start mending the strain between them.

Unfortunately, this evening was not the best time. Though, if she got the work done fast enough, maybe she could manage to eke out enough time to do something with Ian. Even if it was just a little time together watching a show.

Unless Ian wanted something a little more intimate. Though Bonnie was beginning to doubt it. He had been so focused on everything else he had rebuffed her recent attempts to see if he was even interested. Ian… of all people, hadn't even noticed. Bonnie was beginning to wonder if he'd even notice if she just walked up to him naked and dragged him to bed.

Or, part of her wondered, maybe he was pretending not to notice because he wasn't in the mood. Whether that had to do with his constant working, and putting all his family energy into the kids—something they both did—or their recent butting heads, it was possible that some of the passion between them had just… cooled. And maybe that was to be expected, with so much to take care of in the day to day, but Bonnie found that she was missing it.

Maybe I should try something more blatant.

But what? The only nightgowns she had right now that fit were her loosest, most comfortable, but there was nothing about them she would call alluring. The very small number of flirty nightgowns she owned would look ridiculous on her if she tried to wear them right now. Maybe in a few months, if she didn't give up and buy new ones. Even months after delivery, and with exercise and healthy eating, she was beginning to think that she was never really going to look the same again. After Joanna and Zachary, that hadn't really bothered her. Now… well, it was frustrating. She had never considered herself particularly vain. But… what if Ian no longer found her attractive? He had always insisted his attraction was more than physical. He loved her. But love and sexual attraction were two different things. Even if he didn't find her as attractive as he had when they had gotten together, he'd never have said it. He wouldn't want to hurt her feelings.

Only one way to find out.

Not that she could put anything into motion immediately. Bonnie waited through picking up the children, feeding everyone dinner, and then accepted Ian's offer to get everyone in bed while she got the work done that was needed. Fortunately, by the time she finished, Ian had successfully gotten both of the older two to bed, and was in the process of trying to lull the other three to sleep. Leith was out cold in his crib. Samantha and Donovan were drowsy in Ian's arms, as he walked back and forth, with one over each shoulder.

"I don't know how you do that without breaking your arms," Bonnie admitted with a quiet smile as she watched him.

"I started when they were much smaller," Ian smiled back. "They've been a great arm and upper back workout." He turned, walking back across the room.

"Do you want me to take one?" Bonnie offered.

Ian shook his head. "No, I've almost got them down. I don't want to disturb either of them before they're out, or we'll be starting all over."

Bonnie couldn't argue with that logic. Donovan in particular could be tricky. "All right. Then I'll leave you be," she promised quietly, and slipped into their bedroom to plan her next move.

Nightgown ploy, or naked in the shower? As dense, or cautious, whatever the case may be, her husband had been lately, Bonnie had the feeling she might definitely need to go the more obvious route. Naked in the shower it is. Surely, once he got the babies down, if she were in the shower, he would poke his head in. Even if it was just to talk. As often as he had insisted through the years that she was irresistible, even when pregnant, he shouldn't be able to keep away. This is Ian.

It was as good a segue as any for a reconciliation, and to make it clear that she wasn't still mad at him about what had happened.

So, she slipped into the shower, turned on the hot water, and took her time getting clean. After all, she didn't need to rush. It was also the perfect time to luxuriate in her favorite soaps. By the time she had shampooed, conditioned, washed every body part, exfoliated every inch of skin that needed it, and fully pampered herself… Ian still had not so much as poked in his head or called her name.

This… might be problematic. Bonnie didn't want to call out loudly for him to get his attention. The number one rule in their house these days was do not wake the babies. But she was going to run out of hot water soon, or turn into a complete prune, and neither was in her plan for the evening. So, Bonnie gave up and turned off the water. Maybe Ian was just politely waiting for her to enjoy her quiet shower time. That wouldn't be unusual either, she supposed. She did not get a lot of child-free time to herself these days outside of work. Not that she would expect to, as a mother of five.

Her curiosity was answered as soon as she stepped out into the bedroom, to find that Ian had passed out, still dressed, on top of the covers on his side of the bed.

So much for that idea. Even if she woke him, which she would eventually if only so he could get undressed, she doubted Ian would have the energy for anything in bed. At least, anything more vigorous than cuddling.

Bonnie gave up, at least for tonight. She finished drying off, pulled on her nightgown, and tried to wake Ian. Instead of coming awake, he grunted slightly and rolled over. Bonnie shook her head, and settled into bed with a book. I did tell him he needed to get more sleep.