Summertime
June, 2019
Carrying in his arms a smiling eight-month-old little girl, dressed up in an adorable pink bathing suit with small white dots and a matching white hat, Mulder walked slowly along the porch on that hot and sunny summer afternoon. It was past four o'clock and now a soothing breeze was blowing to lower the temperature and allow some time out of the house. Both of them watched as a car crossed the property gates, heading towards the house, and finally stopped by in front of the porch.
"See, little one? I told you your mom is always impeccably on time no matter what!" He spoke in the little girl's ear, earning a baby sound and another cute smile in response. Like his daughter, he too was dressed up for a summer day: red Bermudas and nothing else.
He smiled, watching as Scully turned off the car and got out holding a briefcase containing medical records of the patients that she was currently treating at Our Lady of Sorrows Hospital.
When she saw both of them wating for her, Scully smiled with tenderness, her heart melting as the little girl's smile grew wider while she climbed the porch steps walking towards them.
"Hey you two!" She said, not missing Mulder's shirtless figure, his well-defined muscles and making a mental note of what to do with him later at night. Then, she turned to the smiling little one in his arms. "Oh, my God! Look at you, sweetheart! You're the cutest, most adorable little girl I have ever seen in my whole life!"
The little girl stretched two chubby arms as Scully talked to her and the doctor couldn't help but to let go of her briefcase and gather her daughter in a tight embrace, covering her face and little nose with tiny kisses while the baby made those happy sounds which only caused their hearts to melt for the hundredth time.
"Vogue points out that dotted bathing suits are this summer's hit, Scully." He said, enjoying the interaction between mother and daughter and secretly proud to think that they were his girls too.
Aware that for the first time in his life he had a real family.
"Mulder, when did you buy this? I haven't seen it before!"
"Amazon is scheduling deliveries. So, I picked a time and a day I knew you'd be at the hospital. It's meant to be a surprise, right little one?" He said, taking the baby's tiny hand and kissing its back.
Laughing, she surveyed the girl's suit and the hat and nodded in approval, her blue eyes shining with evident love. "It's absolutely lovely!"
"'Course it is, I'm a man with good taste!"
Still smiling, she nodded again and then turned to look at him. "But we don't have a swimming pool, Mulder."
With a smile in the corner of his lips, he placed both hands over her shoulders and gently guided her along the porch to the back of the house. "I'm glad you brought that up, Scully, because Grace and I have another surprise for you!"
"A surprise, Mulder?" She raised her eyebrows, always alert whenever Mulder mentioned that word, remembering all the crazy 'surprises' he made her all those years together.
"Yep! Like I said, Amazon is doing great with this scheduled delivery business…"
"Mulder…"
They finally got at the backyard, where now, besides the green grass, lied 25-inch high, roundish inflatable pink pool with a mermaid tail at its end. Filled with water, it was definitely too big for a baby but comfortable enough for older children or a short adult holding a baby to fit in. Right beside it, a lounge chair with a small side table and two glasses with orange juice.
Scully's mouth dropped open like he had expected.
"Easy and quick to install! Those guys left half hour ago. Just in time for us to get changed and wait for you to join the fun!" He spoke in her ear, amused at her surprised expression.
"Mulder!"
"It'll be her first swimming lesson!" He added.
"Wonders never cease with you, Mulder!" She said, shaking her head even though she was visibly amused with his idea.
"I made a calculation. You see, as she's still too little to be placed alone in those tiny pools, I thought it was better to buy a bigger one so you can both fit in as you're also… small."
Scully narrowed her eyes and gave him a pointed look, which caused him to chuckle with amusement.
"You wouldn't hit a man while you're holding an adorable baby girl in your arms, would you?"
"You cheat!" She whispered back, trying to hide her own amusement.
"C'mon, Scully!" He spoke with excitement. "Grace and I were just waiting for you!"
Still surprised, she looked at her impeccable combination of navy blue pencil skirt, blazer and white shirt, nodding her head in agreement. "Ok, I'll get changed then, I'll-"
"Scully, one of the many advantages of living in a house away from the rest of the human race is that we don't have neighbours. No one to watch what we do in our backyard. You and I have even tested that theory a few times before, remember?" He winked at her.
She rolled her eyes with amusement, images of them kissing under a summer rain right after they bought that house or lying on the ground on a warm night watching a meteor shower playing on her mind.
"Hold her for me…" She nodded, handling smiling Grace back to him. Mulder watched with a smirk as she removed her shoes and blazer, and unbuttoned her shirt, telling little Grace that she would swim with her even though she didn't have a bathing suit just as beautiful as hers. The skirt went next and when she was only in her underwear, she tickled the baby's belly.
"Now are you ready for your first dive, huh?"
The little girl's giggle and the way she placed her chubby hand against her mother's chest, as if associating Scully's lack of clothing to time for lunch, amused them both and Mulder couldn't help voicing what was on his mind as he contemplated the image of a nearly naked Scully.
"Everybody loves free food and…" His eyes travelled over her body and he added. "…free fun!"
He returned the girl to her mother and helped her to get inside the brand-new mermaid-swimming pool, filled with warm water and making sure to turn on the bubbling effect so that they enjoyed it the most. Grace's giggles became music to their ears and the little one wiggled her tiny feet and arms with excitement as her mother lowered her in the water up to her belly.
"And you two don't need to worry about safety. I also bought this chair and I'll be sitting here watching you both as your lifeguard. If you need any kind of assistance, just give me sign and I'll be at your side in a second."
Scully turned her head to look at him with gratitude and evident love, a love built along many years and a life filled with unimaginable adventures, personal tragedies but also and most recently filled with utmost joy, such as that moment.
"Come here, Mulder…" She said, placing the palm of her hand against his cheek and leaning closer so that their lips could meet in a soft kiss. "…our lifeguard. Yes, that's what you are." Scully whispered back once they pulled away.
Laughter filled the air on that hot summer afternoon as the trio gathered together, entertained with their baby daughter's giggling and big blue eyes open wide with surprise surrounded by bubbles.
The end.