A/N: Hi guys! Welcome to my first ever non-Downton fic. I am so excited to be bringing you this Gilded Age downstairs story. I love Mrs. Bruce and Chef Borden's relationship, and I decided to write this fic after talking to my bestie about how good of a mother Mrs. Bruce would be if she had been able to. With this fic, we are giving her that. I hope you enjoy!

Chapter One

As Clara Borden walked– or should she say waddled– into the kitchen, she was immediately entranced by the sight of her husband fussing over a sauce he was making. He always paid so much attention to detail, and she admired that side of him. When he noticed her presence in the room, he turned his attention away from the stove however and gave his wife a smile. "Clara, will you sit down? You need to get off your feet," he reminded her.

"Josh, I'm perfectly fine," she insisted, "I'm pregnant, but I'm still capable of doing what needs to be done."

"Oh, and what needs to be done that you haven't already done?" he asked, calling out how on top of things she always was.

"Not much," she admitted.

"Then, come and sit down and have some tea, love," he insisted.

"Oh alright," she said, pretending this was a big acquiescence rather than the needed respite it truly was. She sat down with a small contented sigh and smiled at her husband when he handed her a cup of her favorite tea blend. "Thank you, dear."

"I heard that sigh," he noted teasingly, "you clearly needed this break."

"That sigh was because I love my husband making me tea," she quipped back before adding, "But I suppose I do feel better off my feet."

"See, I told you so," he remarked before pressing a soft kiss to his wife's nose. "You need to be more aware of your limits. It's okay to take breaks. It's for the babies."

She interlaced her fingers with his atop her bump as she thought about what he said. It was true she had a tendency to go nonstop in her work, especially as she was making preparations to be out of work for quite some time when the babies were born. The doctor had warned her that being pregnant with twins at her age would require some substantial recovery time, but he had also assured her it was not uncommon for 41 year olds to have babies either and therefore nothing she couldn't handle. She had been excited when she learned she was expecting several months ago, and even more excited when she was told there were two babies growing inside her. She couldn't wait to bring these little ones into the world and raise them with her husband. It had always been his dream to have children, and she was determined to give that to him. Their babies meant so much to him, and if she needed to take a few extra breaks to help them, she would.

"You're right," she admitted, "our little ones are more than worth it. I will have to get used to slowing down a bit."

"Does the tea help make it worth it?" he teased.

"The tea and the company does," she said, pressing a light peck to her husband's cheek.

"I love you," he whispered, running his hand along her cheek until he cupped her chin in his palm.

"I love you, too," she said, leaning in slightly for a proper kiss this time.

Their lips met then, expressing their love to one another, their tongues seeking permission to take things further. However, they heard the shuffling of boots and quickly ended things before they were caught out. Soon enough, Mr. Church and Adelheid appeared in the doorway.

"Your husband finally talked some sense into you, eh?" Mr. Church teased, taking a seat across from the couple at the table. He was constantly telling her to sit down, and he was glad to see she was finally listening, even if he wasn't the one who said it this time.

"Yes, I suppose he did," she admitted with a chuckle. "I know I can be quite stubborn and stuck in my ways, but it was time for a break. And the babies certainly made sure I knew it."

"Do they kick a lot?" Adelheid asked, intrigued. Clara smiled. She loved the young woman's curiosity about her condition and didn't mind indulging her with some information from time to time.

"Not as much at the moment, actually. I gather they're running out of room in there. There's still some movement of course– especially when I'm trying to sleep, unfortunately– but it's not quite as frequent as it once was."

"Oh. Well, if you need to get some sleep, there's an extra bed in my room upstairs if you want to have a rest before dinner," the girl offered.

"Thank you, Adelheid, that's sweet of you to offer," Clara responded with a smile. She was grateful for the younger woman's concern and compassion, although she had to admit she didn't really plan to take her up on it. It seemed a bit of an imposition– and certainly not one a superior should place on those who worked under them.

Josh, picking up on his wife's mixed emotions and taking them as a sign she wanted to move the conversation along, switched the topic of discussion. Conversation flowed freely after that for a little while before Mr. Church announced he needed to go start the preparations for that night's dinner party and Mr. Borden got up to go resume his cooking. When her husband arose from his seat, Clara followed. Once they were alone, Josh took that as his cue to try and speak to his wife about what was on her mind.

"I know you don't want to take Adelheid up on her offer, but I think you should," he told her.

"I just feel bad. She deserves her own space without me pushing in."

"You're not pushing in if she offered," he reminded her, "And besides, you need to rest. You said it yourself that the babies want you to take a break. Go take a nap."

"Alright," she said, giving in. "But I expect to have plenty of pot roast set aside if I don't make it down for our dinner."

"I'll make sure there's enough for all three of you," he said, gently placing a hand on her stomach once more. "And when we go home tonight, I'm going to draw you a hot bath with lavender so you can soak, and then we'll sit together on the settee and relax."

"That sounds heavenly, honestly," she admitted with a contented sigh. "Can I have a foot rub, too?"

"Don't push it," he joked with a smirk before relenting. "Of course you can, love, and your favorite scone, too, for dessert."

"Have I told you how much I love you lately?"

"Only 400 times," he teased, pressing a kiss to her temple, "But I'm not complaining."

"I love you."

"I love you, too. Now, off to bed with you."

"Okay, okay, I'm going," she said, putting her hands up in playful surrender as she walked towards the stairs. She was grateful for this opportunity to rest and to have a husband who loved her so much he encouraged her to take it.

Josh was truly the most loving husband she could ever ask for, and she knew that no matter where their lives went from here, they would face everything as husband and wife. Twins were sure to be a challenge at times, but it was a challenge they would take on together. And it was worth it to bring new little lives into this world. Little lives that were a symbol of their unity. Little lives that would make their family grow. Little lives that she couldn't wait to watch blossom.

That's what they were doing, wasn't it? They were blossoming.

And nothing could be more perfect than that.