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 Post subject: Family Confidential Episode II (Complete)
PostPosted: Wed Feb 12, 2020 8:00 am 
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Family Confidential Episode II:

Attack Of The Hormones




Prelude


Traffic.


Endless. Unrelenting. Traffic.


Willow dropped her head against the steering wheel, careful not to hit against the horn in case she added even more noise to the cacophony of traffic noises surrounding her on all sides.


It was hard to love even her beloved car on evenings like this when she hit rush hour and the long minutes ticked by with her sitting enclosed in it.


She was sure Tara and the kids had eaten by now.


She’d be lucky to even make story-time, with the thoughts of bath-time and pre-bed snuggles well and truly abandoned.


It had been a long day, a long week, and a long few months. She hated to miss some of the little pleasures that got her through it all. She picked up her phone to check in with Tara but put it down quickly when there was a surge of movement.


Thirty-seven arduous minutes later, she put her key in the front door of the place she called home and opened it, hoping to hear the rush of little feet that usually greeted her. Alas, there was silence and she glumly shut the door behind her.


When she turned back around, Tara was standing in the doorway to the living room, wearing a dress Willow loved on her; purple with elbow-length sleeves, just enough fabric to keep her warm on the mid-Spring evening with its soft fabric hugging her soft curves.


Willow was happy to see her but was lamenting the silence.


“Did I completely miss bedtime?” she whispered as she set her purse down and hung her key on the rack, “I was hoping to snag a cuddle or two.”


Tara shook her head.


“They’re with your Dad and Michelle.”


Willow straightened back up and spoke in her regular volume.


“Oh. Is everything okay? Were they being unruly again? I swear I think those kids have finally listened and turned on their angel side and then they go and ruin the ruliness all over again!”


“I don’t think that’s a word, sweetie,” Tara replied softly.


“Well it should be,” Willow grumbled.


Tara walked forward and took both of Willow’s hands.


“I know you’ve been so stressed out lately. I wanted to give you a night off and you know your Dad and Michelle, they jump at the chance to have the kids.”


“They do now that Robyn sleeps all night,” Willow replied wryly, “Only took twenty months.”


Tara squeezed Willow’s hands.


“Well, you don’t have to worry about that tonight. You can just relax.”


Willow’s face softened, not at the prospect of some much-needed sleep but by the lines on Tara’s face she decidedly couldn’t see. None of the pain or worry that had immersed itself so fully on her wife’s features for the past few months.


“You haven’t been having the easiest time yourself.”


“Well, we can share all of the good things tonight,” Tara replied with a crooked smile that shot right to Willow’s heart.


Willow almost melted on the spot. She stepped forward to drape herself across her wife in a warm hug.


“Good things?”


Tara just smiled again and silently led Willow through the kitchen and out to the back yard, where the small table that lived on their patio was set intimately for two, complete with candles and flowers in a jug to brighten up the dark tablecloth. Two roses, entwined, free of thorns.


“I made your favorite dinner.”


Willow thought she smelled the fresh bread to accompany Tara’s special slow-cooked chicken pot pie and was glad her stomach didn’t give away her sudden intense hunger. Her turkey sandwich — scoffed at lunchtime in her office while she tried to finish off some paperwork that never actually had an end — seemed like a lifetime ago.


Tara picked up an open but full bottle of red wine and poured Willow a glass.


“I got you wine for now…and chocolate strawberries for later.”


Willow was surprised; they hadn’t had much alcohol in the house lately but was grateful Tara had picked that day to get it. She took a slow slip, savoring how she could feel it relaxing her already, and put the glass back on the table.


“Both are much needed.”


She hugged Tara again, and saw over her shoulder that behind the table a blanket had been laid out with pillows in a perfect spot to do some stargazing; an activity they didn’t get to engage in often these days. In fact, she couldn’t even remember the last time.


She pulled back from the hug, hands caressing Tara’s shoulder blade and fingers caressing the nape of her neck.


“Tara…this is so sweet. It’s just what I needed.”


She went in for a kiss, which Tara returned, but only for a moment.


“One other quick thing.”


“I’ll tell you now, nothing will top cuddling with you on that blanket,” Willow replied, then raised an eyebrow alluringly, “Except maybe if we have an early night after…”


Her hands were creeping down toward Tara's breasts, but Tara plucked them before contact and held them between their bodies. She interlinked their fingers.


“This might,” she said softly.


Willow waited with a soft, expectant smile and Tara took a moment to fall in love with her all over again.


“You’re so beautiful,” she intoned with an adoring look and pressed their hands against each other so their palms squeezed together.


She inhaled a gentle breath, which exhaled through a blooming smile.


“You’re gonna be a Momma again.”



~Coming Soon~

Check Back Next Week For The Commencement Of This Fic!



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Amber Benson killed me once.

Check out my finished fics

Love, The SeriesTwo For Joy/21+/Joy To The WorldInevitable/Infinitely

Confidential EternalA Twisted DateDachsund Through The Snow


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 Post subject: Re: Coming Soon: Family Confidential Episode II (Feb 2020)
PostPosted: Wed Feb 12, 2020 12:29 pm 
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3. Flaming O
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YEAH,..OH YEAH! Bring it on! Loved all of the "Confidential" stories and can't wait to follow this one.
Blessings

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 Post subject: Re: Coming Soon: Family Confidential Episode II (Feb 2020)
PostPosted: Wed Feb 12, 2020 2:10 pm 
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Woohoo Laragh! Love this series.


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 Post subject: Re: Coming Soon: Family Confidential Episode II (Feb 2020)
PostPosted: Thu Feb 13, 2020 1:15 am 
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7. Teeny Tinkerbell Light

Joined: Sun Jan 19, 2014 7:01 am
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Yay for the return to the confidential-'verse!!!! :bounce :banana :applause
Big thank you :bigkiss for starting this story right after the end of "Inevitable" so I don't have to suffer a withdrawal! :wink

The Star Wars-Intro was absolutely hilarious! :laugh I could totally hear the intro-music in my head and almost laughed out loud on the train about the silly content (my favourites: "the Ruliness", "limited number of mothers", "former Queen of Nerdboo"). :rofl

Quote:
It had been a long day, a long week, and a long few months.

Quote:
Her turkey sandwich — scoffed at lunchtime in her office while she tried to finish off some paperwork that never actually had an end — seemed like a lifetime ago.

Boo that Willow obviously had so much stress at work for months! Beware of burnout...

Quote:
Willow’s face softened, not at the prospect of some much-needed sleep but by the lines on Tara’s face she decidedly couldn’t see. None of the pain or worry that had immersed itself so fully on her wife’s features for the past few months.

That part alarmed me even more. I was worrying that Tara might be seriously sick (because the kids are obviously healthy with merry unruliness and all).

But when Tara dropped the good news
Quote:
She inhaled a gentle breath, which exhaled through a blooming smile.


“You’re gonna be a Momma again.”

I was not only overjoyed but relieved of my concerns for Tara's health. Because her being pregnant obviously means that they did IVF again and now I just asssume that in her case it didn't work at the first, second (maybe even third?) try and that the failed attempts were the cause for her pain and worry.

I'm looking forward to the next chapter with Willow's reaction to Tara's revelation. Could you post it this friday, pretty please? :flirt


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 Post subject: Re: Coming Soon: Family Confidential Episode II (Feb 2020)
PostPosted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 6:00 am 
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Ms. Moderator Fantastico
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MotherD

Quote:
YEAH,..OH YEAH! Bring it on! Loved all of the "Confidential" stories and can't wait to follow this one.
Blessings


Blessings right back! Hope you enjoy how this one goes...it's a bit heavier but I hope still has the essence of them!

Thanks for commenting!

Northern Lass

Quote:
Woohoo Laragh! Love this series.


Thanks so much! Hope this one lives up to it!

Thanks for your comment!

Will's redemption

Quote:
Yay for the return to the confidential-'verse!!!! :bounce :banana :applause
Big thank you :bigkiss for starting this story right after the end of "Inevitable" so I don't have to suffer a withdrawal! :wink


I wasn't sure if I would have it finished, but I lucked out and finished writing it the same week I finished positing Inevitable.

Quote:
The Star Wars-Intro was absolutely hilarious! :laugh I could totally hear the intro-music in my head and almost laughed out loud on the train about the silly content (my favourites: "the Ruliness", "limited number of mothers", "former Queen of Nerdboo"). :rofl


:D :D So glad you enjoyed it!

Quote:
Boo that Willow obviously had so much stress at work for months! Beware of burnout...


This is a good point.

Quote:
That part alarmed me even more. I was worrying that Tara might be seriously sick (because the kids are obviously healthy with merry unruliness and all).


Rest assured, I am very unlikely to ever write about a life threatening illness for any of them!

Quote:
But when Tara dropped the good news

I was not only overjoyed but relieved of my concerns for Tara's health. Because her being pregnant obviously means that they did IVF again and now I just asssume that in her case it didn't work at the first, second (maybe even third?) try and that the failed attempts were the cause for her pain and worry.


You're thinking on the right track!

Quote:
I'm looking forward to the next chapter with Willow's reaction to Tara's revelation. Could you post it this friday, pretty please? :flirt


Oh jeez, I really was going to wait until next week but fuck it, you convinced me :lol

Thanks so much for your comment!



Update Directly Below

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Check out my finished fics

Love, The SeriesTwo For Joy/21+/Joy To The WorldInevitable/Infinitely

Confidential EternalA Twisted DateDachsund Through The Snow


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 Post subject: Re: Coming Soon: Family Confidential Episode II (Feb 2020)
PostPosted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 6:00 am 
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Ms. Moderator Fantastico
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TITLE: Inevitable

WRITER: Laragh

STORY RATING: PG-13 throughout but deals with adult and sensitive topics surrounding fertility, pregnancy & birth

DISCLAIMER: Willow, Tara and any other characters from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer franchise belong to Joss Whedon, FOX, ME and a whole host of other entities, none of which are me.

SUMMARY: They're in the family way again... (sequel to Family Confidential)

FEEDBACK: Absolutely!

NOTE: Apparently I can be suckered into anything, so here I am starting early :laugh I hope your Valentine's Day is as filled with as much love as Willow and Tara give us all and each other!

***


“You’re gonna be a Momma again.”




Eight Months Earlier




“Happy Birthday to you…Happy Birthday to you…Happy Birthday dear Robyn…Happy Birthday to you!”


Robyn slammed her fist right into the frosted ‘1’ on her birthday cake just in time for Willow to snap a picture and for everybody else to laugh. Robyn giggled as she brought a purple frosted finger to her mouth to taste, then used the rest to add a highlight to her hair.


Willow passed out slices of the second, non-smashed up cake, which Tara had wisely baked for the occasion, while Tara cleaned Robyn up and set her down on the ground in their back yard. Robyn started cleaning her sticky hands with her own spit and blades of grass.


There were quite a few people standing around enjoying cake and conversation but Robyn was quick to step up on her two little feet and toddle over to her favorite person in the world — her big brother.


She mumbled some ‘b’ sounds and JJ put his foot atop his soccer ball to stop it. He looked over at Alex with a grudging look.


“I gotta let her play. It’s her birthday.”


He kicked the ball to her gently and she rolled herself over it, giggling.


Tara weaved through the party-goers and made her way back through the sliding glass doors into the kitchen where she cleaned up her own sticky hands from all of the cake-handling. She cut what was left of the smashed cake into slices to fit into a Tupperware container for Robyn to have later (or, far more likely, for Willow and JJ to think they were sneaking it until it was gone).


She stepped back out onto the patio and craned her head around to see if any of the food or drink needed to be refreshed, then made her way across the grass to where Xander and Anya were sitting in lawn chairs, cooing over their very newborn daughter on one of her very first outings.


Tara sat with them on the third empty chair that the diaper bag had been sitting on and brushed a finger over the soft-as-silk tuft of blonde hair atop the baby’s head, casting a peach-ish glow around her locks that almost looked pink under the high summer sun.


“How’s little Megan doing today?”


“You mean Pixie,” Xander interjected in a doting voice toward his daughter.


“No, she means Megan,” Anya snapped in Xander’s direction, “I said you could give her a middle name, I didn’t say you could use it in front of everyone!”


Alex came running over then and started staggering around the place like he’d been attacked with something.


“Dad! She hit me with her pixie dust! The unicorns are coming!”


Xander jumped to his feet, picked Alex up under his arm and flew away with him making galloping sounds.


Tara smiled at the exchange but Anya looked less than impressed.


“They took my daughter and tricked me into giving her some kind of ridiculous, geeky name!”


Tara put an arm around the back of Anya’s chair, in a move meant to impart sympathy.


“Do you need a break? I’ll hold her for you.”


Anya immediately passed the baby over in her blanket to Tara’s more than welcoming arms.


“Thank you,” she said, looking around the yard for some kind of cooler, “Where’s the beer?”


“It’s a one-year-old’s birthday party,” Tara replied but almost immediately backed down upon Anya’s look, “In the fridge.”


Anya walked off and Tara settled the baby, smiling at her little yawns and feeling that swell in her heart when she gripped Tara’s finger.


“Hello Miss Megan Pixie Harris,” she clucked in that sweet and soothing voice only baby fever could inspire, “I’m glad you’re in our family. I’m glad we have a little cutie like you.”


The baby yawned and made some of those newborn mewing noises that could melt a stone heart. Tara looked over at her little baby waddling around and could hardly believe it.


It seemed like yesterday she was holding Robyn the way she was holding Megan now; watching her searching eyes and tickling her rosy cheeks.


The year had flown in, even more than JJ’s first year had, and Tara wished she’d savored it more. She loved watching her baby grow into a little girl but it tugged at the heartstrings too.


After a little while of baby-gazing, a shadow appeared over her. She looked up and her vision was blinded for a moment from the sun, but she eventually recognized Becky.


“Hey Becks,” she greeted, “You looked like Cousin Itt for a moment there in the sun with all the brown you have on.”


“Surprisingly, not even the worst thing I’ve been called this week. Kids can be very, very cruel. The ones I teach, not yours,” Becky replied, smoothing a hand out over her shirt, “We’re going to head home. Sorry to be a buzzkill, I’ve got cramps.”


“Time of the month?” Tara asked sympathetically.


“Cursed uterus,” Becky joked, but Tara could see she was in pain and deflecting.


She stood and gave a sidelong hug so as not to squish the baby.


“Thank you so much for coming, and for your gift. She loves bath toys. Want to bring some cake home? There’s a bunch of Tupperware on the island in the kitchen, just grab one on your way out.”


Becky smiled in thanks and Brian came up with her summer jacket, helping her into it. He gave a hurried goodbye and they headed off back through the house with Brian’s hand rubbing Becky’s back.


Tara smiled at how in love they were, even though she’d been so shocked when she first learned they were together. Then again, their extended family structure was nothing like she could have guessed it would be when she and Willow were still just a twosome in Boston.


Tara was contemplating whether she needed to move into the shade or if her body was giving enough cover to the baby, when Xander came by again, staying a safe foot away.


“Put on baby duty?”


Tara looked up, then down at the baby fondly.


“I offered.”


“So I don’t have to graciously offer to take her off your hands?” Xander asked sheepishly.


Tara’s lips curled into a smile on one side and she nodded toward their boys abandoning the soccer ball and picking a football out of the mess of outdoor toys laying on the lawn.


“Looks like the boys might need some teammates.”


Xander offered a salute of gratitude and started to move away.


“Hey,” Tara called, “Let Robyn score one.”


Xander gave a thumbs up and went to grab Jesse to give the game some volume.


Some of the neighborhood husbands started to join in, grateful to have something to do at a party most were dragged to by their wives. Angel, Xander, Jesse and the boys formed their team against the others.


Buffy often both participated and annihilated everyone else playing, but she was busy amusing herself with a NERF gun this time, pulling Willow into her antics to ‘get’ as many people as they could without anyone seeing them.


The neighborhood wives seemed to be the main target, as they all clumped together in their little clique to chat.


Willow and Tara weren’t particularly close to any of the neighbors, but they were friendly and the kids played together so it was understood that party invites would be extended around the block.


Tara was generally in charge of maintaining neighborly relations and things like the PTA, so she had to negotiate who should be invited where. Since Robyn wasn’t in school she had stuck to their core group of the friends and just the surrounding block of neighbors, as well as the doting grandparents of course.


Ira was staying out of the game but did take a knee to offer JJ his best tips and to cheer from the sidelines.


Xander stayed true to his word and passed the ball off to Robyn during a quieter play.


Robyn had to use her entire arm circumference to hold onto the ball, which she did, hugging it to her chest. She looked around at all the large people staring down at her and squeezed the ball tighter, taking a wobbly step back.


“Come on, Robyn, this way!” JJ called encouragingly, standing in the end zone, “Bring me the ball, Robbie, you can do it!”


The men parted so she had a path to walk down and JJ kept calling and encouraging her down. Robyn started to toddle, getting faster and faster on her uneven feet until she was right in the center of the end zone and everyone was cheering for her.


Robyn let go of the ball and squealed in delight, promptly bouncing down to sit on her diapered butt. She clapped her hands, then rolled over and crawled to hug JJ’s leg, cuddling it like it was her blankie.


JJ blushed but discreetly gave his sister a hug, under the guise of dragging her off to the side so the rest of them could keep playing.


Robyn seemed happy to revert back to being a spectator, clapping for JJ and playing with the grass.


Willow passed by and plucked her up, not liking her quite so close to the action. She squealed indignantly to be put down but forgot about it a moment later when Willow put her with Ella and Alice making daisy chains.


Willow chatted to Alice for a moment, then moved up the yard to Tara, falling into the lawn chair beside her.


“Great party, baby. Everyone is having lots of fun.”


Tara looked at her witheringly.


“I saw what you were doing with those foam gun things.”


“We were just messing around,” Willow replied with a shrug, “Who said toys were just for kids?”


“I didn’t want him to get that NERF stuff in the first place and now you’re playing with it,” Tara replied with a clucking tone.


“Chill out, honey,” Willow replied, standing again to avoid a lecture, “Smell some baby head or something.”


Tara frowned at first, but then took the advice and held the sleeping baby at an angle that she got a good sniff of that inimitable newborn smell. The baby stirred, so Tara stood and started to pat her back and bottom rhythmically as she walked around.


She said hello and exchanged some niceties with people who weren’t engaged in any of the games until the baby was soothed back to sleep. She decided to go and sit with Michelle instead of on her own again.


They shared a greeting and Michelle looked over the baby for a minute or two, appreciating her smallness. Tara took her back, getting quite comfortable holding her, and shook her head as she watched Willow run around the yard pretending to be a ninja with Buffy and those NERF funs again; a game that was turning heads away from the football.


“Remind me, do I have two or three children?”


Michelle placed a hand on Tara’s shoulder.


“That’s why you love her.”


“Mmm,” Tara lamented.


JJ and Alex were the first to abscond the football to take up NERF guns, crossing team lines at the same time as Anya returned.


“Thanks, Tara. I’m sufficiently inebriated to deal with the demands of motherhood now.”


Tara smiled almost sadly as she passed the baby back.


“She slept the whole time.”


Anya held the baby in the crook of her arm and covered her with the blanket as an evening chill started to set in.


“I bet the brat will wake up as soon as I touch her,” she said, having to wait exactly three seconds before the baby started to cry, “Told you.”


Tara smiled despite this; the affection in Anya’s tone couldn’t be misplaced – she knew it well herself. She excused herself and went into the house to get a drink.


She got a bottle of flavored from the fridge, twisted the cap off and let the cool liquid fall down her throat in all of its mandarin and pineapple goodness. As she secured the lid back on, two hands slid over her eyes and a perky voice spoke in her ear.


“Guess who?”


“My wife-child?” Tara asked, but without any animosity.


Willow leaned in so her lips were right on the curve of Tara’s ear.


“The person who loves you more than anything in the world.”


She dropped her hands and greeted Tara with a smooch when she turned to face her.


“Did it really bug you that much that we were having fun?”


Tara sighed self-deprecatingly and held Willow’s face in her hands.


“No. It bugged me that I was worried about what the neighbors would think.”


Willow held Tara’s wrists loosely.


“Hun, we’re already the neighborhood gays. I would have thought we learned a long time ago not to care what the neighbors think.”


Tara leaned in so they were forehead-to-forehead.


“That’s why it bugged me that I was worried. I should know better. I’m sorry I got frustrated at you.”


Willow just smiled and picked up some stray confetti on a nearby surface and flung it over Tara’s head.


“It’s our daughter’s first birthday party. Don’t worry about it. Don’t worry about anything.”


Tara could only smile and took Willow’s hand to walk back outside with.


There, they were greeted with an unexpected scene – almost everyone, including the neighborhood wives, had flipped to the NERF game and had split into teams to have enough equipment to go around.


Tara was stunned.


“Did I just walk into the Twilight Zone?”


Willow stood up on her tiptoes in excitement and took a foot forward.


“Buffy needs cover!” she exclaimed, then looked back and offered her hand, “Are you coming?”


If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em, Tara figured and took Willow’s hand as they ran across the warzone to tumble in behind Buffy.


The party went on until nightfall came and the kids all started to get tired. Everyone rounded their clan up and departed to their houses or cars.


“Great party, Tara,” Barbara, the most high-brow of their neighbors said as they were leaving, “Maybe you could host our Labor Day get together.”


“Maybe!” Tara replied with a bit of a forced smile as she thought of ways to get out of it. She gave the obligatory hug as they parted, “Thanks for coming.”


She ended her hosting skills as pleasantly as she’d begun them and everyone left smiling. She walked into the kitchen where Willow had Robyn on her hip and JJ was sitting on a stool at the island, both demolishing a grilled cheese sandwich.


“Habe own—” Willow started to say, then blushed and finished the mouthful, “Have one here for you baby.”


Tara came toward them, stopping to put an arm around JJ.


“Hey,” she said, and stole a cheek kiss before he could object, “Thanks for being such a great big brother.”


JJ blushed and avoided reacting, but was smiling.


Tara sat beside him and watched how mother and son ate in the exact same, hurried way. Even Robyn was taking the bites she was offered with gusto. It made Tara smile. She loved how they’d all found each other.


A couple of hours of cleaning and winding down later, Tara finished the major tidying and decided the rest could wait until morning. She went into the living room to be met with the flurry of wrapping paper that Robyn had torn and chewed on earlier, so she decided to get that gathered up too.


A few minutes later, Willow came down the stairs from tucking in JJ, still with a party hat on and a grin on her face.


Willow came up, intending to give Tara a quick peck, but the party hat fell forward over her nose and thwarted her.


“Whoops!” she said, taking the string from around her face and setting the hat down, “It was a great day, Tara. I know you did most of the work, but she loved it.”


Tara stuffed the last of the gift wrap into a trash bag and put it by the door.


“I had a nice day, too.”


She sat down next to Willow on the couch, who was looking through the photos taken that day.


“She’s getting so big.”


Tara watched the pictures go by, then put her palm on Willow’s forearm to gently lower the phone.


“Let’s have another one.”


“Another party?” Willow asked, confused.


Tara shook her head softly.


“Another baby.”


Willow laughed, but then she noticed Tara wasn’t. Her head reeled and her eyes slowly widened.


“Whoa,” she said, clearly shocked, “Where did that come from?”


Tara’s brow furrowed for a moment.


“Where does it ever come from? A place inside, a place in your heart. We always talked about another one someday.”


Willow made a flippant gesture with her hand.


“Yeah, someday.”


Tara was beginning to feel very rejected and scooted a little bit away whilst looking down.


“I’m not getting any younger.”


Willow looked at Tara and offered a slow nod.


“Oh. You want a baby,” she said with realization and a little chuckle, “Is this because you were holding Pixie all day? She’s a cutie, I have to admit. Clearly didn’t get Anya’s genes.”


Tara looked over to Willow, hurt spreading across her face.


“When you wanted a baby, I asked how could we do it. But when I ask, you talk down to me like I’m a child who doesn’t know their own mind?”


“Tara, are you serious about this?” Willow asked in disbelief, “Adding number three is a whoooolllle different ball game to adding number two. The space, for one! We’re out of bedrooms!”


“We always talked about remodeling the attic,” Tara suggested, but Willow was already up and swinging her hands about in a negative fashion.


“Tara, this is…it’s too soon.”


Tara seemed heartbroken by the exchange and could only repeat when she felt inside.


“I want a baby.”


“We have a baby!” Willow snapped, “Upstairs, right now!”


Said baby chose that moment to start shouting down through the baby monitor. Tara stood up, snatched it from the coffee table and turned it down.


“I know we have a baby, I love her more than anything. All I wanted was to tell you my feelings but clearly, they don’t matter.”


She walked off and up to Robyn’s room, where Robyn was standing in her crib, shaking her half-full bottle around.


“Omm-mee!” she greeted Tara with a gurgling smile.


“Hello my sweet girl,” she said as she approached, “It’s night-night time.”


Robyn lifted her arms out and produced a pout she most certainly learned from her other mother. Tara was fruitless to resist.


“Okay, one more story. It is your birthday.”


“Stow-ee,” Robyn cheered as Tara picked her up and went to sit on the chair in the corner with her.


Tara settled Robyn in the crook of her arm with her bottle and rocked her gently.


“Why don’t I tell you about the night you were born?”


Robyn looked up at Tara with those big, bright turquoise eyes that stunned everyone when they first saw her. Tara brushed some messy strawberry blonde locks from her daughter’s face and smiled when she remembered the first time she saw her.


“Well you surprised us, that’s for sure. We didn’t know you were coming until you were already almost here. Like when you crawled for the first time and scared Momma half to death just showing up in the kitchen.”


Robyn smiled around the teat of her bottle as if she understood she was mischievous, but it was really just in response to hearing ‘Momma’.


“I saw your head start to come out and I realized you were really on your way,” Tara continued, reminiscing for herself but in her soothing ‘Mommy’ voice for Robyn, “And then you were just here; perfect and pink and my little angel. And okay, maybe a little gooey too.”


Tara was helping Robyn keep her bottle up as her sleepy hands loosened their grip. Tara hummed as she watched her daughter’s eyes close.


“I sang to you that night too…”


She quietly put the bottle off to the side and held Robyn to her chest, patting her bottom with a calming rhythm.


“Happy Birthday…to you. Happy Birthday…to you. Happy Birthday…Happy Birthday…Happy Birthday…to you.”


She felt Robyn’s even exhales against her breast and gently kissed her temple.


“Mommy loves you.”


She brought Robyn over to her crib and laid her down gently. She gave one last brush over the messy head of curls that neither Willow nor Tara could bring themselves to cut and turned to collect the empty bottle and go back downstairs.


She went straight into the kitchen to sterilize the bottle and planned to slip right back up to the bedroom, but Willow caught her wrist as she fled across the hall and stopped her.


“I remember. The longing inside.”


Tara paused and turned her head to offer Willow a look to continue. Willow kept hold of her hand.


“And I remember the…yearning looks you had when I was breastfeeding Robyn.”


Tara’s glance fell and Willow silently brought her back into the living room to sit down. She took both of Tara’s hands in her lap and exhaled before speaking.


“I shouldn’t have dismissed your desire. I know you’re not just broody from a day with the newborn, this is obviously something you’ve wanted for a while like I did. And you were really supportive; I want to be that for you too.”


Tara’s eyebrows rose in surprise, but Willow was in there before she could respond.


“So here’s what I think. We rushed into it last time because we had the luxury of doing so. And like I said, number three is a whole different challenge. So…” she paused to take a breath, “Let’s do the attic remodel. Let’s get you on some prenatal vitamins. And in a few months when we’re physically prepared to add another one, we can decide if we’re mentally ready too.”


Tara’s face broke out in a slow smile.


“Really?”


Willow nodded shyly.


“I always wanted to see you carry,” she admitted, then retrieved the baby monitor from behind the cushion, “And I kinda listened in just then. You’re so beautiful with her. And you were so beautiful with him. My heart is so there. Let’s get the logistics in order so my mind can be too.”


Tara held her hands in front of her.


“Can we do it like we did last time?”


Willow seemed surprised.


“You mean…you want to use my egg?”


Tara nodded keenly and Willow was stunned into silence for a moment.


“Yeah…yeah, of course, we can,” she eventually replied, touched and now already almost ready to jump in tiny feet first.


Tara threw her arms around her wife.


“Thank you,” she gushed, kissing Willow’s cheek repeatedly, “I love you, Willow.”


Willow closed the embrace and gave Tara a tight squeeze. She was nervous, but it was hard to deny her wife’s joy.


“I love you too, Tara. I love you too.”

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 Post subject: Re: Coming Soon: Family Confidential Episode II (Feb 14th 20
PostPosted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 8:13 am 
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7. Teeny Tinkerbell Light

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Dibs! :whip Thank you so much for fulfilling my plea for an early update, and happy Valentine's Day! :bigkiss

I always loved big kid-Willow! That at the end of the party all the adults played with the water guns was funny.
Yay for Megan Pixie Harris! I expect she, Robyn and Ella will become best friends considering that they are all pretty close agewise.

Quote:
“Let’s have another one.”


“Another party?” Willow asked, confused.


Tara shook her head softly.


“Another baby.”

Tara really "dropped a bomb" there. I understand that Willow at first thought she was joking and afterwards was shocked for a while.

Quote:
Tara seemed heartbroken by the exchange and could only repeat when she felt inside.


“I want a baby.”


“We have a baby!” Willow snapped, “Upstairs, right now!”


Said baby chose that moment to start shouting down through the baby monitor. Tara stood up, snatched it from the coffee table and turned it down.


“I know we have a baby, I love her more than anything. All I wanted was to tell you my feelings but clearly, they don’t matter.”

That was a heart-squeezing moment…

I'm glad they talked it out only minutes later and that Willow apologized for acting in a dismissive way.
Quote:
“So here’s what I think. We rushed into it last time because we had the luxury of doing so. And like I said, number three is a whole different challenge. So…” she paused to take a breath, “Let’s do the attic remodel. Let’s get you on some prenatal vitamins. And in a few months when we’re physically prepared to add another one, we can decide if we’re mentally ready too.”

Quote:
My heart is so there. Let’s get the logistics in order so my mind can be too.”

This is a good plan. Willow is right, they shouldn't rush into another pregnancy with Robyn only 1 year old.


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 Post subject: Re: Family Confidential Episode II (Feb 14th 2020)
PostPosted: Sun Feb 16, 2020 7:57 pm 
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3. Flaming O
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excerpt:} Tara smiled at the exchange but Anya looked less than impressed. "They took my daughter and tricked me into giving her some kind of ridiculous, geeky name"! Tara put an arm around the back of Anya’s chair, in a move meant to impart sympathy. “Do you need a break? I’ll hold her for you.”
Anya immediately passed the baby over in her blanket to Tara’s more than welcoming arms.
“Thank you,” she said, looking around the yard for some kind of cooler, “Where’s the beer?”{

Laragh,....I distinctly remember Anya holding baby Robyn and telling Xander to give her one, too. All he had to do was remind her of the pain and she backed down. You MUST 'Splain how Meghan came about! I mean I know the birds and,....OH never mind!
SO, SO glad that this family is being revisited. Thank you
Blessings

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 Post subject: Re: Family Confidential Episode II (Feb 14th 2020)
PostPosted: Tue Feb 18, 2020 5:00 am 
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Ms. Moderator Fantastico
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Will's redemption

Quote:
Dibs! :whip Thank you so much for fulfilling my plea for an early update, and happy Valentine's Day! :bigkiss


How could I resist!? I hope it was a nice day for you and your boyfriend :) :bigkiss

Quote:
I always loved big kid-Willow!


Me too! It's one of her best qualities imo

Quote:
That at the end of the party all the adults played with the water guns was funny.


I think even the kids were rolling their eyes :laugh.

Quote:
Yay for Megan Pixie Harris! I expect she, Robyn and Ella will become best friends considering that they are all pretty close agewise.


Yes! There's ~1 year between each of them (a little less really) but definitely the right kind of ages to bond and play, like the boys!

Quote:
Tara really "dropped a bomb" there. I understand that Willow at first thought she was joking and afterwards was shocked for a while.


It's a big decision! When you've been thinking about something for a while you don't always appreciate how much it might throw the other person who hasn't had it on their radar at all.

Quote:
That was a heart-squeezing moment…

I'm glad they talked it out only minutes later and that Willow apologized for acting in a dismissive way.


A long, tiring day maybe not the best time to bring it up but I think they both worked it out in the end, as they do!

Quote:
This is a good plan. Willow is right, they shouldn't rush into another pregnancy with Robyn only 1 year old.


Willow does somewhat have the emotional wall of having 'had her turn' which Tara needs, nay, they need as it is of course a mutual decision. But they need the practical as well as the emotional, which means together they should just about be able to work it out :)

Thanks so much for your feedback!

MotherD

Quote:
Laragh,....I distinctly remember Anya holding baby Robyn and telling Xander to give her one, too. All he had to do was remind her of the pain and she backed down. You MUST 'Splain how Meghan came about! I mean I know the birds and,....OH never mind!


:lol :lol Yes, I think when Willow refused to allow Robyn be Anya's dress up doll, Anya had to take matters into her own hands hehe (in all seriousness though, I very much imagined Pixie to be a happy accident — I like showing lots of different kinds of families, so Ella is an only, carefully planned for, child, Xander and Anya have the quintessential 'one of each', W/T are expanding their family, Becky and Brian are the childless-by-choice fun aunt and uncle etc etc By the end of the fic there'll be a little more clarity around the mess of family types)

Quote:
SO, SO glad that this family is being revisited. Thank you
Blessings


Thank you so much for the blessings and right back at ya! I hope you enjoy the fic :)

Thanks so much for your comments!



Update Directly Below

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 Post subject: Re: Family Confidential Episode II (Feb 14th 2020)
PostPosted: Tue Feb 18, 2020 5:00 am 
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Ms. Moderator Fantastico
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Seven Months Earlier




Willow massaged her temple as the piercing sound of baby cries mixed with the steady buzz of an electric drill pounded through her head.


When she’d suggested turning the attic into a bedroom as the first step on the road to expanding their family, she thought it would take months to organize and plan — especially when she and Tara decided they’d build on an en suite bathroom to their bedroom while they had the contractors in.


But then they were put in touch with some construction friends of Xander’s and suddenly there were drawings being approved and materials being bought and their home was being invaded by loud sounds and tripping hazards everywhere.


At least it got them out of hosting Labor Day.


Willow knew the end product would look great; they had a big attic and were able to split it into two bedrooms with an adjoining bathroom between. JJ would move into one and the other had plans to become a guest room but would work as storage for now. Each room had a skylight and JJ was promised he could design it however he liked. Plans were still in the making.


The bathroom add-on had started modestly as they knew they needed to keep enough money for fertility treatments aside; just a basic set-up to let them run to the toilet in the middle of the night and have a shower in the morning when the kids were using the main. But when an investment came through from advice from Ira, he got a bottle of scotch and they got a fully-equipped bathroom to themselves with some little luxuries like a separate tub big enough for two, power shower with attachments for every body part you could think of, and under-floor heating. And, of course, hers-and-hers sinks.


Willow hadn’t said anything to Tara, but she’d taken the money coming in when it did as a sign. It left them with no financial worry about the medical bills or newborn costs and allowed them to maintain their savings going forward. Everything seemed to be in order.


She was ready for #3.


Just as soon as the wailing stopped.


She shook her head as she tried to align the words staring at her on her laptop screen into legible writing and sent soothing sounds across the living room to where Robyn was sitting in her playpen with a miserable, red, tear-stained face crying incessantly.


“Honey, shush, it’s okay. Momma’s here…and she really needs to get these files signed off.”


Another minute passed of Willow calling out reassurances until Tara appeared, much to Willow’s relief, and plucked Robyn from her pen to give her a cuddle.


“Come here, little love. It’s okay, it’s okay.”


Robyn continued to scream, which made Willow’s brow crease.


“You know it’s bad when Mommy cuddles don’t solve it.”


Tara held the baby to her chest, blocking one ear with her body and covered the other with her palm.


“It’s the noise. I’ll take her for a walk.”


“Can you take me for a walk?” Willow asked through a frustrated breath, “It’s driving me crazy that the place is like a building site.”


“Well, there is building going on,” Tara replied as Robyn started to settle, though still with some whimpering, “I’m going to walk her to the park to collect JJ from basketball, so you don’t have to collect him.”


“Gee thanks,” Willow replied without much enthusiasm.


Tara held back her exasperation.


“I’m trying to do you a favor. You seemed stressed about getting your work done.”


Willow closed her eyes for a moment, then looked back at Tara sincerely.


“I appreciate that. I do.”


Tara came over and dropped a kiss on top of Willow’s head.


“Why don’t you go out into the yard and plug your earphones in?”


Willow closed her laptop screen and stood.


“That’s a great idea. Thank you.”


She kissed Tara’s cheek, then rubbed the baby’s back.


“Good girl. Mommy’s going to take you out for some nice, quiet fresh air.”


Robyn sniffled.


“Jay-Jay?”


“Yeah,” Willow replied with a smile, “You’re gonna see JJ.”


Robyn smiled and cuddled into Tara’s chest. She seemed happy again until she started patting the spot on her own chest her pacifier was usually clipped to. Her face scrunched again, all ready to wail, but Willow noticed and her Mom reflexes kicked in.


“Binky, binky, binky!” she said whilst diving across the room to pick up the pacifier from the playpen and back to pop it in her daughter’s mouth before the scream could even vocalize.


Robyn gave an experimental suck to make sure it was there and once satisfied it was, closed her eyes in bliss and opened them again happy.


“I don’t want to uncover her ears; can you help me get the stroller outside?” Tara whispered; well, whispered loud enough to still be heard over the racket.


“Of course,” Willow replied and went off to get it.


She met Tara at the end of the driveway, away from the noise. Willow kissed Robyn’s head before she was put in the stroller.


“Enjoy your walk.”


“Thanks,” Tara replied, squeezing Willow’s arm before taking hold of the stroller, “I hope you get your work done.”


Willow waved them off and Tara set off with Robyn garbling nonsensically behind her pacifier.


Tara listened, imagining all kinds of intellectual commentary about the birds and the trees. It was a short walk to the park where JJ had his basketball practice and Tara enjoyed the warm summer breeze as they strolled.


JJ hadn’t shown much inclination toward sports until Xander and Jesse got courtside seats to some Knicks game and took him and Alex one night. The obsession was instantaneous with JJ spending hours on the iPad watching videos and reading scores, begging for merchandise and spending hours shooting at their hoop in the driveway until they found him a team to join.


Tara was happy he was getting exercise and making friends and didn’t mind sacrificing afternoons and Saturday mornings for it.


When they got to the park, Tara positioned the stroller by a picnic table outside the court and sat there waiting for everything to finish up. About ten minutes later, JJ came running onto the grass and Robyn started bouncing in her seat.


“Ay-Ay!” she mumbled through the pacifier.


JJ wouldn’t hug his sister with all the guys watching, but he did sneak a hand into her stroller to squeeze her hand.


Tara couldn’t help brushing some dirt from JJ’s shirt.


“Hi sweetie, was practice good?”


JJ expertly twisted out of Tara’s fussing.


“We did layups. I got five in a row!”


“Well done!” Tara replied enthusiastically.


JJ’s hands rubbed down over his shorts.


“We have a game next weekend.”


“Can I come?” Tara asked hopefully.


JJ shrugged noncommittally but his eyes kept glancing in Tara’s direction.


“Yeah, I guess, if you really want to, that’d be okay.”


“I’ll be there,” Tara promised, and JJ let himself show being pleased for a moment, “Did Alex’s parents collect him already?”


JJ spun to look around the court.


“Um, Uncle Xan is…there!”


Tara started pushing the stroller toward the other side of the court, with JJ on her other side.


“Hi Xander, hi Alex,” she greeted.


“Hey Tara, hey little lady,” Xander said with a goofy smile and a wave into the stroller, “How’s the attic going?”


Tara smiled wryly.


“We’re still getting used to the noise, but they’ve been very nice to us. Thanks for putting us in touch with them.”


“My toothbrush had splinters in it last night,” JJ piped up.


“I got you a new one,” Tara said, putting a hand on JJ’s back, “How’s Megan?”


“It’s Pixie!” Alex corrected animatedly, but it faltered, “She can’t teleport us though.”


“Has to grow her wings, bud!” Xander quipped, then looked sheepish, “Baby is fine. A delightful surprise. I mean, uh, just a delight. And Mom is…”


“Crazy!” Alex interjected, “Mom is crazy!”


“Now, now, Alex, you know we don’t use the ‘c’ word,” Xander replied with a nervous chuckle, “Anya is…tired.”


“I’m sure,” Tara replied sympathetically, “Well if you need some help with pick-ups and drop-offs, let us know. Especially now the boys are in school together, it wouldn’t be a problem. We’ve been considering signing JJ up to the school bus for this year, you might want to think about it too.”


Xander nodded.


“I’ll let Ahn know, she might appreciate that. Thanks for putting in the good word for us at school. His last school was a little intense.”


“Mom got kicked off the PTA,” Alex added, matter-of-fact.


Tara didn’t act surprised, because she wasn’t, and Xander took a firm hold of his son’s shoulders.


“They asked a lot of a pregnant woman.”


Tara just smiled and patted his upper arm.


“I’ll let you get home to your girls.”


Xander seemed relieved to get away and not risk anything else that could get him on the bad side of his wife.


“Thanks, Tara. We’ll see you around.”


JJ started to wave repeatedly.


“Bye Alex, see you in school next week, bye Uncle Xander.”


Alex copied him as he was led away.


“Bye JJ, bye Robyn, bye Aunty Tara!”


The boys waved until they were out of sight, at which point JJ turned toward the stroller.


“Can I ride on the back bar?”


Tara allowed it since Robyn was awake but had to slow them down when he used it like a scooter and it almost got away from her.


“Two feet on or two feet off, sweetie.”


JJ put his feet on and spread his arms like he was king of the world. Tara thought it was adorable but kept it to herself in case he proclaimed her embarrassing and stopped letting her in on all his cute moments. Those days would come soon enough, she wasn’t about to speed it up.


He skidded off when they got home and Tara was about to call him back to take his dirty sneakers off but he suddenly spoke loudly and his words made her forget all about his shoes.


“What’s wrong with your ankle, Momma?”


Tara put the stroller in the doorway of the living room and stepped inside, where Willow had her ankle up on a cushion and was icing it.


“Willow, what happened?” she asked with concern.


“Someone put a saw on the top of the stairs,” Willow grumbled.


Tara came and sat on the arm of the couch.


“Did you fall down them, did you hit your head?”


Willow shook her head.


“No, I caught myself on the handrail but I’ve twisted my ankle up nicely.”


“That could have been one of the kids,” Tara said in shock.


“I’ve already called my Dad,” Willow replied, trying to hide her pain, “He says we can stay with them for the week until everything is done.”


Tara paused, then turned to unstrap Robyn.


“Jakey, will you take your sister out to play with the soccer ball you got her for her birthday?”


JJ sighed.


“Fine, but she’s not playing catch with me and Gramps!”


“I will play with her when you’re with your grandfather, I promise,” Tara said, setting Robyn on the ground.


JJ took Robyn’s hand and started leading her out the door.


“Come on Robbie.”


Tara looked over her shoulder to watch them until she heard the door to the back yard slide open. She then looked back at her wife.


“Willow, you can’t go changing our living arrangements without talking to me.”


Willow opened her mouth just in time for a drill to start and she motioned as if to say ‘see?’


“We have to leave the house to speak at a normal volume. I keep bumping to men I don’t know coming out of the bathroom. And I don’t like going into our bedroom for something to find some guy’s butt crack staring back at me,” she said, louder than normal, “Not to mention it can’t be good for the kids to be inhaling all of this sawdust and crap.”


Tara thought back to the toothbrush and sighed.


“I don’t disagree…I just don’t think we can impose ourselves on our parents like that.”


Willow waved a hand dismissively.


“It’s a week, they don’t mind. We put them up when their new floors were being put in. Gave them our bedroom, in fact. Why spend a fortune on a hotel where we can’t even cook for the kids? We have to get out of here.”


“Okay, okay,” Tara agreed through a slow exhale, “I’ll go pack us up. What are we going to do with you, can you walk?”


Willow lifted the ice from her ankle and stood to try and put weight on it, but winced and started to stumble.


“Stop, stop,” Tara said, grabbing her and easing her back down, “There are crutches in the basement from the time you slipped in the kitchen.”


“You mean the time Anya pushed me,” Willow corrected in a surly voice.


“That was never proven,” Tara replied, already on her way to the kitchen to get to the basement.


“Believing her over your own wife,” Willow grumbled, “Traitor.”


Tara returned a few minutes later with the crutches and first aid kit. She leaned the crutches against the couch and sat on the furthest cushion and gently took Willow’s ankle into her lap to wrap it.


“Thanks, baby,” Willow said as she was tenderly cared for.


Tara fitted ankle support over the wrapping and cast a sidelong grin in her wife’s direction.


“I bet you did it on purpose so you wouldn’t have to pack.”


Willow smiled.


“You got me.”


Tara finished her mending with a kiss to the tops of Willow’s toes, which wiggled in response.


“Keep this rested for the weekend and hopefully it will feel better.”


Willow sat herself up and leaned over to press a kiss to Tara’s cheek.


“I’m sorry I accused you of marital treason.”


“You did what now?” Tara asked with an arched eyebrow.


Willow’s eyes widened and she quickly grabbed the crutches.


“I should go check on the kids.”


Tara narrowed her eyes but didn’t pursue it. Instead, she decided to go upstairs to explain the change in circumstances to the site manager and to pack enough for all of them for the week. The contractor kindly helped her lug everything out to the trunk of the car and promised to keep her updated.


“I can call in in the afternoons before I collect JJ in case there’s anything you need me to see. Thank you so much, John.”


The builder shook her hand and returned into the house to finish up for the day.


Tara went into the kitchen to put some things in a cool box; food that needed to be eaten or was specific to lunches or snacks for the kids. The bottle sterilizer was brought out along with a stuffed diaper bag and Tara was very grateful there was a pop-up crib already in Ira and Michelle’s because she was exhausted and there wasn’t an inch of space left.


She walked back through the kitchen to the back yard, where Robyn was using her whole tiny body to push the ball to JJ and around to Willow, who used one crutch as her kicking leg.


“Guys we’re going to Grandma and Grandpa’s,” she called, picking up Robyn and patting JJ on the back, “Jake, make sure you have everything for school, please.”


JJ brushed past to go back inside and organize his book bag and Robyn started fussing.


“Don’t kick Mommy, don’t kick Mommy,” Tara said, holding her daughter’s legs to stop the movement.


Willow brought herself forward with a smile.


“Remember when I was pregnant with her and we joked we had a little soccer player?”


“We have a little cutie more like,” Tara replied, pulling the pacifier up from the clip to pop in Robyn’s mouth, “Little cutie monster.”


Willow patted Robyn’s back.


“She can be both,” she said affectionately, “I’m sorry you had to do all the packing.”


“It’s not your fault you got hurt,” Tara replied, offering an arm to help Willow step back inside, “But I’d like to go so we can settle in. I think we should send our parents out to dinner, or give them a gift card for another time they want to go.”


“Yeah, of course, and we’ll cook for them,” Willow replied, then looked down at her crutches sheepishly, “Well…”


“Good thing there’s nothing stopping you changing diapers,” Tara quipped, locking up the back door.


“I’m hearing you, help where I can. I’m not a complete dunce, we’ve been doing this relationship thing a while,” Willow replied with a charming smile, “I’ll hurry up the boy. Jakey, bring your iPad; you can’t hog Grandpa’s TV like you do with ours.”


Tara brought Robyn to strap into her car seat in the family car, their old reliable Dodge Stratus that they’d bought when they first moved to Buffalo in another, child-free, life. It was a miracle it was still going but it showed little sign of slowing down.


The supposed second ‘family’ car, the Mercedes, lost more and more of its family status until it had become exclusively Willow’s car where the kids were only allowed when absolutely necessary. Robyn had never even been in it.


JJ came along and got into the booster seat on the other side, leaving his book bag on the floor of the car.


“Momma needs help carrying her lady bag.”


“Do you mean her purse?” Tara asked and JJ nodded like it was obvious.


Tara walked back into the hallway and picked up both purses and two sets of keys.


“Come on, hop-a-long. I need coffee.”


“Enjoy it while you can…” Willow replied in a sing-song voice, meant to tease, “Believe me, the caffeine withdrawal is real.”


Tara grinned as she locked the door behind them.


“I will. And I’ll enjoy not enjoying it too. Or at least the reason why.”


Tara went to open the passenger side on the Dodge but Willow shook her head.


“I’ll drive the Merc.”


Tara’s brow creased.


“You can’t pick up your purse but you can drive?”


“Baby, it’s only around the corner,” Willow said with a breath of frustration, “I don’t need extra time added to the morning rush to come collect it.”


“Are you sure?” Tara asked skeptically.


Willow nodded.


“Yeah, I really only need the good foot.”


Tara didn’t look convinced, even slightly worried in fact, but Willow hurried her by tapping the crutch against the wheel.


“Tara!”


Tara frowned and tossed Willow her keys, who caught them and kissed Tara’s cheek.


“See you in a few.”


Tara waved her fingers and got into the car with the kids. Robyn started fussing and waving her hands toward the window.


“Mmmm, mmmm, mmmm, mmmm, mmmm!”


“Momma’s coming, Robbie, she’s just taking her car,” JJ said and handed Robyn her teddy that had fallen aside.


“Thank you, JJ,” Tara said in gratitude for the help, as she pulled out of the driveway.


She kept an eye in the rear-view mirror to check that Willow wasn’t getting into any bother, though thankfully it really was just a couple of blocks.


She parked on the street outside Ira and Michelle’s house so as not to block their cars and waited for Willow to pull up behind before getting out.


She went over and helped Willow out on her crutches.


“I hope you didn’t exacerbate it.”


“I will ice and rest as soon as we get inside,” Willow promised.


Tara let JJ out of the car and fastened Robyn onto her hip while she lugged the first of the bags inside.


Ira was at the door to greet them and looked at Willow with concern.


“Have you really hurt yourself, bubelah?”


“Nothing some rest won’t cure, Daddy,” Willow replied, leaning in to accept a kiss on the cheek.


“Thank you so much for letting us stay,” Tara added as she came up behind.


“We’re delighted to have you,” Michelle said, coming out from the kitchen.


“Ga-ga!” Robyn called out, arms reaching toward Michelle, who warmly took her into an embrace.


“Hello Robyn, hello JJ,” Michelle said with a ruffle for JJ’s hair, “Oh, Willow let me get you some ice for that. Where’s Tara?”


“Thank you, Michelle,” Willow replied, easing her way onto the sofa and getting a cushion under her foot, “Tara’s doing the haul.”


Ira glanced out the door at Tara taking things from the trunk and patted JJ’s back.


“Jacob, help your mother.”


Willow glanced over to him.


“Grandpa’s right, go help Mommy please.”


JJ somewhat grumpily went out to the car and helped Tara bring the smaller bags inside. Ten minutes later, JJ came skirting into the living and only had to produce puppy dog eyes for three seconds until he was given control of the remote.


Willow shook her head but wasn’t going to contradict her father in his own house so she said nothing. Tara followed a minute or so later.


“Again, thank you both so much. We’d love to send you out to dinner.”


“There’s really no need, we’re happy to have you,” Michelle said happily, bouncing a grinning, giggling Robyn on her knee.


“We insist. We know it’s like takeover city here with the kids,” Willow replied, then added pointedly, “And we won’t be taking over your TV either.”


JJ turned around, defensive.


“He said I could!”


“He’s okay, really,” Ira replied fondly, “And I won’t hear a word of this dinner. I’m going to cook us all rib eyes.”


“Dad—” Willow started, but Ira held a hand up.


“I’ve already been to my butcher and Michelle has been kind enough to prepare her scalloped potatoes, so dinner is all set. It will be a joy to eat with our family.”


Willow had to smile; it would be nice for the kids to have a week with their grandparents even if it might be a bit of a strain for her and Tara to live with other adults.


She reached behind and took Tara’s hand to kiss it, then hold it.


They shared a ‘here we go’ look but neither were dreading it too much.


Anything was better than the monotonous bang of several hammers, the constant whirring of a drill and the thump, thump, thump of the resulting headache.



Tara stood in front of a sitting Willow at the end of the bed, trying to get eye drops into her wife’s reluctant eyes.


“Willow you have to keep your eyes open. The doctor said you need to use them twice a day to get the dust out.”


Willow's eyes shut tighter every time the bottle came near.


“I’m trying, they’re going into self-defense mode!”


Tara dropped her hand in frustration, then pushed Willow back and climbed onto her chest, pinning her arms with her knees while she forced Willow’s eyes open and dropped the solution in.


“Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!” Willow protested, body wriggling for freedom.


Tara stood up again and secured the lid on the bottle.


“Tough love. It’s all done.”


Willow tried not to rub her tearing eyes as she blinked the drops into them.


“You’re not that rough with the kids,” she said with a pout.


“They’re children,” Tara replied curtly.


Willow knew an irritable Tara when she saw one, and also knew it was rarely without reason. Her eyes finally cleared and she walked over to Tara, who was taking clothes out for the next day from the open luggage case.


“Is the whole living with the parentals thing getting too much? I know it’s been a long five days but John says they’re on-plan to finish up this weekend as planned. It must be the first remodel to ever finish on time!”


Tara shook her head. She missed sex and privacy in the evenings, but Ira and Michelle were actually godsends for helping with the kids and more than generous with their time and hospitality.


Willow chanced putting her hands on her wife’s shoulders to start a light massage. When she felt Tara relax, Willow placed a small kiss on her neck.


“Is it the doctor stuff?”


“Your eyes will be fine if you let me do that twice a day and you don't even need the crutches anymore for your ankle,” Tara answered absently.


Willow paused and continued to massage Tara's shoulders.


“…I meant the other stuff we talked to him about? Our check-ups before we go see the fertility doctor?”


She didn't really need to wait for an answer. She remembered how it was for her when she was the one in the ‘drivers’ seat.


“I know it’s nerve-wracking, but once we get the general health screen all done and dusted, we’re all set to start with the clinic.”


Willow watched Tara’s shoulders hunch once and knew she was holding back tears.


“I just want it so bad,” Tara said through a cracked voice.


“Hey…” Willow said softly, turning Tara toward her and giving her a hug, “I know you do. And I do too. I’m with you 100%. I know I said I needed time, but I was just surprised. I don’t need time, or more time at least. I don’t. I want this, for you and for us. I can’t wait. You get that right?”


Tara nodded.


“It’s not you, it’s just…everything. So much that could go wrong.”


“It’s daunting,” Willow agreed as she cupped Tara’s cheek and brushed her thumb along her wife’s cheekbone, “But it’s so worth it.”


Tara took a moment to gather herself.


“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t take this out on you.”


“We would’ve been here all night if you didn’t,” Willow joked, eliciting a smile, “I hope I don’t have a black eye. A twisted ankle, black eye…people will start to talk.”


She took each of Tara’s hands and linked their fingers.


“But my ankle is fine, my eyes are fine, I am fine and we are fine,” she assured, “It’s gonna be okay. This is the easy part. The hard part will be jabbing my ass with those hormone needles. I know it will pierce your heart to pierce my beautiful butt.”


Tara put her hands either side of Willow’s hips and brought her just that small bit closer.


“Not when I know I’ll get your beautiful baby.”


Willow was warmed and moved to rest her forehead against Tara’s.


“It’ll all be okay. We’ve already conceived together. We’re just reversing roles. Try not to worry, it’s totally counter-productive.”


She kissed her wife, who responded tenderly until they were interrupted by a tiny but shrill babble.


“Omm-mee, omm-mee, omm-mee.”


Willow turned to look at Robyn holding herself up in her travel crib at the foot of the bed and smiling happily up at them.


“And look how well the first time turned out,” Willow said, reaching out and tucking a piece of Robyn’s wild hair behind her ear, “When are you gonna say ‘Momma’, hmm? Don’t worry, I’m just the person who carried you for nine months and pushed you out of my body.”


Robyn just blew bubbles and Tara picked her up.


“She knows who you are. She smiles when she hears Momma. Look.”


Sure enough, Robyn was smiling at Willow, who took it as a small comfort.


“I’m still kind of hurt I haven’t made the top five. JJ, Mommy, Story, Hug, and Dog all beat me out. We don’t even have a dog!”


“Dogggg!” Robyn proclaimed excitedly, looking around, “Woof woof!”


Willow rolled her eyes but plucked the baby from Tara to give her a cuddle.


“C’mere little bean,” she said, pulling back the sheet on the bed, “We’re not having sex anyway, she might as well just come straight to bed with us.”


“Seksssss,” Robyn repeated, hissing like a snake and grinning like a fool.


“Are you freaking kidding me?” Willow asked incredulously, “Sex gets the number six spot?”


“Hush, hun, before she picks up something else,” Tara replied, getting into the bed on the other side.


Willow set the baby down, who curled up between them like a cat. She stroked Robyn’s hair to settle her back to sleep, then smiled at Tara.


“Let’s make another one of these. We’re good at it.”


Tara watched her angelic, at least when she was asleep, daughter’s face and felt her worries melt away.


“Let’s do it.”



Tara stretched out in bed, enjoying a rested feeling, which wasn’t always a given on a weekend morning.


She’d felt Willow get up earlier, so she had luxuriated in staying in bed whilst leaving her wife to deal with the children after close to a week of doing most of it herself. She swung her legs out of bed and picked out some clothes to wear.


In general, they were a morning pajama family at the weekends, but Tara didn’t like walking around Ira and Michelle’s house in her PJs.


She slipped into her comfortable shoes and made her way downstairs. She went into the living room first, where JJ was playing with his cars with the TV on in the background and Robyn was building blocks in her pen.


“Good morning sweetie,” Tara greeted JJ, ruffling his hair, then going to Robyn to drop a kiss on her head, “Hello my darling.”


JJ gave a distracted answer back and Robyn squealed behind her pacifier and offered Tara one of her soft blocks. Tara set it on top of the tower already created and Robyn took great pleasure in immediately demolishing it with her hands and feet.


Tara just smiled and straightened up again.


“Where’s Momma?”


“She went out,” JJ replied without looking up.


“When?” Tara asked, but JJ just shrugged.


Tara knew there was no point looking for concentration when there were toy cars or basketballs around, so she went off into the kitchen where Michelle was reading a magazine and nursing a cup of tea, while Ira was sitting opposite with a mug of coffee and a newspaper.


“Good morning, Tara,” they both said in unison, then smiled at each other for the whimsy.


“Hi,” Tara replied, keeping herself on the other side of the room, out of their space, “JJ just told me Willow went out.”


“She said she had to run some errands,” Ira replied.


Tara flushed pink with embarrassment.


“I’m so sorry. If I’d known I would have gotten up with the kids.”


Michelle waved a hand.


“You deserved a sleep-in, I saw you take on those extra cases this week.”


“Willow fed them, we’ve just kept an ear out,” Ira reassured kindly, “It was really no problem.”


Tara nodded, but her blush hadn’t died down.


“Well thank you, I really appreciate it. I’ll leave you to it.”


“Oh and, well, Tara…” Ira called after Tara, who turned back to face him, “Young Robyn seems to have learned a new word…”


If Tara thought she’d blushed before, it was nothing compared to now.


“Oh?” she said innocently, then quickly continued, “Good to see her vocabulary expanding. I-I’ll go teach her some new ones.”


In a conversational pivot Willow would be proud of, she turned and went back to the living room, closing the door to prevent any noise from traveling. The kids were caught up in their own games, so she took the remote and changed it to a morning chat show.


JJ spun around in protest.


“I was watching that!”


“What was it?” Tara challenged.


JJ looked caught out.


“Um…Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?”


Tara shook her head.


“It was My Little Pony.”


“I like that too!” JJ replied with puppy dog eyes.


Tara sighed and put the cartoons back on.


“Have you thought about how you want your new room to look?”


JJ nodded excitedly.


“Uh-huh, yeah! Momma says I can put a hoop in there!”


Tara had to resist the urge to roll her eyes at her wife.


“Soft balls only inside the house,” she said, to a grumpy face from JJ.


“Why? It’s my room.”


“Because the sounds will go past your room and disturb everyone else,” Tara replied.


“Fine,” JJ replied curtly, in a manner at least 10 years beyond his age.


“Drop the attitude, mister,” Tara warned.


JJ looked over with his big, green eyes apologetically and scooted his butt toward Tara.


“Do I still get to paint it how I want?”


Tara was as taken in as she ever was by those eyes and smiled softly at her son.


“What color do you want?”


JJ’s eyes flashed with vibrancy.


“All of them.”


“All of them?” Tara asked with an arched eyebrow.


JJ nodded excitedly, then tumbled back over himself and made a gun shape with his hand.


“I wanna get a paintball gun and go pow! pow! pow! everywhere.”


It unsettled Tara’s stomach when JJ pretended to play with any kind of gun but they regularly talked to him about the dangers and she knew — hoped — it was a fairly typical thing he’d grow out of.


“That’s certainly unique,” she posited, her lips quirking up on one side in memory, “I used to do art projects kinda like that in college.”


“Can I?” JJ asked, biting his bottom lip for good measure.


Tara melted and reached out to cup her son’s face.


“I have to find out if that’s even possible and if it is, how expensive it is, but…” she trailed off with a smile, “I don’t see why we can’t do that.”


JJ’s eyes bugged and he leaped up into Tara’s lap and smothered her in a hug.


“Really?? Thank you, thank you!”


“Uh oh, what was Mommy just charmed into?” Willow’s voice came from the doorway she’d just walked through.


“He wants to decorate his room with a paintball gun,” Tara replied, while JJ remained clung to her with a massive smile as if she’d just given him the world.


“That is…” Willow said, considering it for a moment before grinning, “Awesome!”


JJ jumped off of Tara, ran over to hug Willow’s legs, then went to pick Robyn right up to dance with her.


“Wahoo!”


Robyn loved it and tried to tap her feet around in time with JJ, while Willow managed to whip out her phone to get video. Tara stood up and came over to Willow.


“Where did you disappear off to?”


“Finalizing things,” Willow non-answered, “We can head home whenever we’re ready.”


“I thought you had the kids, I stayed in bed,” Tara replied, arms lightly folded across her chest.


Willow shrugged.


“Dad said he didn’t mind.”


“We can’t take advantage like that,” Tara replied, shaking her head.


Willow continued to play on her phone without answering and Tara was starting to get mad at being ignored when her phone buzzed in her pocket. She took it out and unlocked the screen.


You need to get laid. I have an ‘opening’ at 9 pm :wink



Tara slowly grinned and playfully threw her eyes to heaven.


“I’m going to go finish packing us up before there’s nothing left of me but the spot I’ve been charmed in.”


Willow snuck an ass pat on Tara as she left, and winked when her wife looked over her shoulder.


Willow spotted Robyn on the crawl, so quickly plucked her up and back into her pen. She protested but soon got distracted when her foot hit against her book of animal sounds and she went on a quest to find a non-existent cow.


Michelle appeared then with a plate with two slices of warm banana bread and butter, which she set in front of JJ. He started gobbling it down immediately.


“’hanks!” he said through a mouthful.


Michelle smiled at him, then up at Willow.


“How did the errands go?”


“Great,” Willow smiled, “We’re going home. Getting out of your hair. Finally; I’m sure you’re saying.”


“Can I stay here?” JJ asked, licking the butter straight from the slice.


“What’s here that you can’t get at home?” Willow asked, pretending she couldn’t see the table manners.


JJ smiled wide, his two new front teeth shining brightly.


“Banana bread.”


“I think I might just have some more to send home with you,” Michelle reassured.


JJ turned his sweet smile to her.


“Thank you, Grandma.”


“You’re welcome honey,” Michelle replied lovingly, “We were glad to be able to help.”


“I know you’re being kind,” Willow said, laughing tiredly as she looked down at Robyn, “No one appreciates this one screeching at 2 am…and 4 am…and 6 am. Someday she might actually sleep through the night.”


“Oh, we had earplugs from the time we stayed with you,” Michelle said pleasantly.


“I should get me some of those,” Willow joked, “But I don’t think Tara would appreciate it. Hey buddy, I need you to start getting your stuff together.”


“Do I get to see my new room?” JJ asked excitedly.


Willow nodded.


“You sure do. Now, remember, you can’t move in until we paint, which may be a few weeks considering what you want to do.”


“I can wait, I can wait,” JJ replied eagerly, “Can I see it right now?”


“If you get all your stuff together,” Willow replied pointedly.


JJ jumped up and started gathering all of the toys that had taken over the room. Willow shot another apologetic look Michelle’s way, but she remained in her besotted grandmother bubble and just complimented JJ on his tidying skills.


Willow snuck off upstairs, checking the second guest room aka JJ’s room. It had basketball posters on the wall and an area of toys that stayed there all the time rendering the ‘guest’ part of the room limited to one in particular. It looked neat and pristine, definitely having had a mother’s touch to tidy it.


She continued down to the room she and Tara were sharing with Robyn. Robyn could have had her own room as Ira and Michelle had five bedrooms, but she wouldn't have settled on her own so they'd had company all week. In the room, she saw her wife folding things into a case.


“I was going to clean up Jake’s room.”


“You didn’t exactly rush upstairs after me,” Tara replied wryly, though in good humor, “And you can’t blame the crutches, you only needed them for a couple of days.”


Willow reached out and tapped Tara’s butt before stealing a squeeze.


“I just love watching you go too much.”


“Stop smacking my ass,” Tara said, not too convincingly.


“Stop having such a smackable ass,” Willow countered with a devilishly raised eyebrow.


Tara picked up a bag and shoved it at Willow’s chest in pretend annoyance, though she really loved it.


“Car.”


“Yes, ma’am,” Willow replied with a wink as she departed.


They packed up the car, then packed up the kids before saying goodbyes and thank yous to Ira and Michelle. JJ eagerly waved to his grandparents as the car drove off until they were out of view, then he started bouncing in the booster seat he was close to growing out of as they turned the corner to their street. His hand went to the seat belt but Willow caught it in the rear-view mirror and turned around with a raised mom-ish eyebrow.


“I better not see anything close to unbuckling before this car stops.”


JJ’s hand paused above the button but Willow stared him down until he removed it completely. Tara pulled up in the driveway and JJ leaped from his seat, though he could only bang on the window with his palms until Willow set him free.


She followed him up to the door to let him in, where he immediately went bolting up what was now the first set of stairs to the second set of stairs that led to his new bedroom.


“Don’t run on the— oh, it’s pointless,” Willow said in exasperation as she watched his head disappear around the new stairwell that led to the attic rooms.


Tara came up behind, carrying Robyn on her hip.


“He’s excited.”


“He won’t be excited when we have to go to the ER for a split head,” Willow replied, which made Robyn giggle for some reason.


“Momma’s funny isn’t she Robbie?” Tara asked with a smile and a bounce, “Momma’s so funny.”


“Momma wasn’t trying to be funny; she was trying to be safety-conscious!” Willow fake-grumbled with a smile, “Follow me.”


Tara followed Willow up to the second story hallway and to the bottom of their new stairs.


“You got a baby gate,” she said with a smile, grateful for her wife’s attention to detail.


“Like I said, Momma’s safety-conscious,” Willow quipped as she opened the gate for Tara to walk through.


Tara walked up the winding stairs, for the first time seeing the finished product they’d paid a decent chunk for and had their house turned upside for — not to mention having to move out.


There was a small corridor separating the two rooms, with each room having horizontal sliding doors to seal in privacy, both of which were opened right now to give them the full effect. The bathroom at the end of the hallways had an entrance from either room and had a full shower, toilet, and sink.


In the room to the right, JJ was skidding around, touching various points.


“And this is where I can put my bed, and this is where I can put my Knicks poster and this is where I can put my basketball hoop and this…”


Willow came to stand beside Tara and put an arm loosely around her shoulders.


“It looks great, doesn’t it?”


Tara nodded.


“I’m starting to wonder why we didn’t nab the whole space for ourselves.”


“Well this way we still have a guest room, which is nice,” Willow replied, then kissed Tara’s cheek, “Plus I love our room. It’s bright and warm and ours. Especially now that we have our own bath.”


She traced a finger lightly down Tara’s spine as she said that, who shot her a look to behave, though not before a noticeable shiver.


JJ ran up then, excitedly jumping on his tiptoes.


“When can I move all my stuff up??”


“I told you, buddy, we have to paint first and it might take a while to organize what you want,” Willow replied, “A couple of weeks.”


JJ was dejected but picked himself up.


“Can I play in here?”


Willow nodded.


“Yes, just make sure the baby gate is closed after you.”


JJ started to skid down to his ‘old’ bedroom to collect his Legos and some other toys but thought better of himself before Willow had a chance to correct him this time and slowed down, taking each step carefully before running off when he knew he was out of sight.


Willow heard the thud of his feet as he ran again.


“What’s gotten into him?”


“Being a little boy has gotten into him,” Tara replied light-heartedly, then leaned in and pressed a kiss to Willow’s lips, “You did great. I’m sure it was a lot to clean and organize.”


Willow smiled bashfully.


“I wanted you to get the full effect. The guys were pretty good, they cleaned up after themselves. Didn’t the roof lights turn out great?”


“Everything did, really,” Tara replied, walking from the corridor into JJ’s room and over to the far wall where closet space had been built in, “I’m very impressed.”


Willow grinned.


“You haven’t even seen our bathroom.”


She curled her finger in a ‘follow me’ motion and brought Tara back downstairs and into their bedroom.


Tara was pleased when she walked into the bedroom that the new addition didn’t shrink the rest of the room. Their house had always been a three-bed in a four-bed-space, so they had generous rooms to work with and she was grateful for it now.


Willow gestured for Tara to have a good look and took the baby from her, who started to fuss, not wanting to be away from Mommy.


Tara walked into the bedroom and it took her breath away for a moment. It was truly elegant with porcelain and marble features; dark, warm tiles, a shower Tara couldn’t wait to be under on a cold winter’s morning and a tub fit for two — and then some.


“Wow.”


“That’s what I said,” Willow replied, smiling despite Robyn hitting at her collarbone, “Truly our own space.”


Tara touched the smooth marble of the sink and enjoyed thinking of everything from bubble baths for two to sharing the sinks to brush teeth in the morning rush. It didn’t matter if it was sexy or mundane; as long as she got to do it with Willow by her side.


Robyn’s whines could only be ignored for so long and Tara turned back to take her.


“Okay, fussy monster, I think it’s naptime.”


Willow sighed.


“Reality setting back in. I guess I better go make lunch and start researching this paintballing business. And I’m sure the house will be in chaos before dinner is even thought about and that there’s homework to be done and baths to be had and I’ll have just enough time to brush my teeth in that beautiful, expensive sink before crashing and starting the whole thing over again.”


“I was promised a good lay,” Tara interjected playfully, making Willow grin again.


“Hey, I never said it would be good.”


Tara rested her chin on top of Willow’s head and pressed a kiss to her hair part.


“Thank you.”


“For what?” Willow asked, confused.


Tara took Willow’s hand and gave it a tight squeeze.


“Making this house a home.”

_________________
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 Post subject: Re: Family Confidential Episode II (Feb 18th 2020)
PostPosted: Wed Feb 19, 2020 1:12 am 
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7. Teeny Tinkerbell Light

Joined: Sun Jan 19, 2014 7:01 am
Posts: 557
Dibs! :whip

Quote:
I hope it was a nice day for you and your boyfriend :) :bigkiss

Yes, thank you!

Quote:
Willow opened her mouth just in time for a drill to start and she motioned as if to say ‘see?’


“We have to leave the house to speak at a normal volume. I keep bumping to men I don’t know coming out of the bathroom. And I don’t like going into our bedroom for something to find some guy’s butt crack staring back at me,” she said, louder than normal

:laugh I felt reminded of the old Tom Hanks-movie "The Money Pit" (especially the scene where his wife opens a bathroom cabinet revealing a construction-worker behind the door who hands her the stuff she needs) . Luckily here the construction work was finished much quicker.

I'm glad Willow managed to partially alleviate Tara's fears about the upcoming procedure of IVF (with Tara "in the drivers seat" :laugh this time).

Quote:
“Omm-mee, omm-mee, omm-mee.”


Willow turned to look at Robyn holding herself up in her travel crib at the foot of the bed and smiling happily up at them.


“And look how well the first time turned out,” Willow said, reaching out and tucking a piece of Robyn’s wild hair behind her ear, “When are you gonna say ‘Momma’, hmm? Don’t worry, I’m just the person who carried you for nine months and pushed you out of my body.”


Robyn just blew bubbles and Tara picked her up.


“She knows who you are. She smiles when she hears Momma. Look.”


Sure enough, Robyn was smiling at Willow, who took it as a small comfort.


“I’m still kind of hurt I haven’t made the top five. JJ, Mommy, Story, Hug, and Dog all beat me out. We don’t even have a dog!”


“Dogggg!” Robyn proclaimed excitedly, looking around, “Woof woof!”


Willow rolled her eyes but plucked the baby from Tara to give her a cuddle.


“C’mere little bean,” she said, pulling back the sheet on the bed, “We’re not having sex anyway, she might as well just come straight to bed with us.”


“Seksssss,” Robyn repeated, hissing like a snake and grinning like a fool.


“Are you freaking kidding me?” Willow asked incredulously, “Sex gets the number six spot?”


:rofl Poor Willow! Now I really hope for her sake that Robyn's 7th - and therefore lucky - word will be "Momma" (or at least "Omm-ma" - hopefully Willow doesnt know that this means Grandma in german :wink ).

Quote:
Willow continued to play on her phone without answering and Tara was starting to get mad at being ignored when her phone buzzed in her pocket. She took it out and unlocked the screen.



"You need to get laid. I have an ‘opening’ at 9 pm :wink"



Tara slowly grinned and playfully threw her eyes to heaven.


“I’m going to go finish packing us up before there’s nothing left of me but the spot I’ve been charmed in.”

:lol Yay for vixen-Willow!

The changes to their house sound great, especially our couple's new bathroom.
I'm already looking forward to JJ and Willow happily "decorating" JJ's room with paintball guns together.

Quote:
Tara rested her chin on top of Willow’s head and pressed a kiss to her hair part.


“Thank you.”


“For what?” Willow asked, confused.


Tara took Willow’s hand and gave it a tight squeeze.


“Making this house a home.”

Awww! :flower


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 Post subject: Re: Family Confidential Episode II (Feb 18th 2020)
PostPosted: Fri Feb 21, 2020 6:00 am 
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Ms. Moderator Fantastico
Ms. Moderator Fantastico
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Joined: Sat Feb 21, 2009 2:22 pm
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Will's redemption

Quote:
Dibs! :whip


Dibs queen!

Quote:
:laugh I felt reminded of the old Tom Hanks-movie "The Money Pit" (especially the scene where his wife opens a bathroom cabinet revealing a construction-worker behind the door who hands her the stuff she needs) . Luckily here the construction work was finished much quicker.


:laugh :laugh I've never seen it but that is hilarious.

Quote:
I'm glad Willow managed to partially alleviate Tara's fears about the upcoming procedure of IVF (with Tara "in the drivers seat" :laugh this time).


It's an anxious time but they'll get through it :)

Quote:
:rofl Poor Willow! Now I really hope for her sake that Robyn's 7th - and therefore lucky - word will be "Momma"


Wouldn't that be swell :)

Quote:
(or at least "Omm-ma" - hopefully Willow doesnt know that this means Grandma in german :wink ).


:lol We'll avoid her having that fate for at least a few more years!

Quote:
:lol Yay for vixen-Willow!


Always there, simmering under the surface :laugh

Quote:
The changes to their house sound great, especially our couple's new bathroom.


More kids than adults necessitates a private bathroom, I think!

Quote:
I'm already looking forward to JJ and Willow happily "decorating" JJ's room with paintball guns together.


You really think he'd let her? :laugh

Quote:
Awww! :flower


:D

Thanks for commenting!



Update Directly Below

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 Post subject: Re: Family Confidential Episode II (Feb 18th 2020)
PostPosted: Fri Feb 21, 2020 6:00 am 
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Ms. Moderator Fantastico
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Six Months Earlier




JJ kneeled at the window in the living room, face pressed against the glass and eyes darting back and forth across the street outside.


A few false hopes were dashed as black SUVs drove by without slowing, and so he nearly leaped out of his skin when one finally turned into the driveway.


“Uncle Jesse is here, Uncle Jesse is here!”


He skidded out of the room and over to the front door, jumping the few inches he needed to snap the lock and open it. Jesse was coming up the pathway with a large black duffle bag, which JJ pounced on.


“Is that it, is that it, is that it?!”


“Hey, careful little dude,” Jesse advised, bringing the bag up behind his shoulder to protect it, “It’s sensitive equipment.”


“Can I see it?” JJ begged with his sweet green eyes that had charmed many people twice his size.


Jesse kneeled down and unzipped the bag. He reached in and brought the paintball gun out with both hands. JJ’s eyes grew big but before he could reach out to touch it, his mother’s voice boomed from behind.


“That’s the only gun that’s ever going to pass this threshold.”


Jesse hid the gun away in the bag and put it over his shoulder again.


“Don’t worry, Tara. Health and safety first. I won’t let anything happen to your little guy,” he said as he rose with a smile.


“Mmm,” Tara replied unsurely, “I’ve laid the plastic down, so you can go right on up. Jakey, you have to listen to everything your Uncle Jesse says.”


“I know, I know,” JJ replied with annoyance but quickly retreated when he saw the look on Tara’s face, “I mean, I will, I promise. It’s this way, Uncle Jesse!”


He bounded up the stairs, leaving the baby gate swinging in his wake.


“Thanks again for doing this, Jesse, you’re making one very happy boy,” Tara said, picking Robyn up as she came crawling from the living room.


“No problem, happy to help,” Jesse replied easily, “We do this all the time on boys’ weekends. He and Alex will be old enough to come along soon.”


“Mmm,” Tara replied again, “Well I’ll have lunch ready for you boys when you’re done.”


“Not gonna say no to some of your home cooking,” Jesse said as he moved toward the stairs, “We’ll have this done in no time.”


He ambled up after JJ, taking alternating steps. Tara watched, sighed, and turned to Robyn sitting on her hip.


“You’re not going to terrify Mommy and ask to bring guns into the house, are you?” she asked, tickling her daughter’s chubby pink cheek, “No, you won’t. No, you won’t.”


Robyn blew bubbles and cuddled into Tara’s side. Tara walked into the kitchen and put her into her highchair. Robyn started to fuss but a few Cheerios kept her busy mauling and chewing. Tara checked on the shoulder of pork cooking in the crock pot, then went about chopping veggies for coleslaw and sweet potato fries.


As she put the fries into the water to par-boil, she heard the front door open and close, then saw Willow appear a few moments later.


“Hello, my honey pie,” Willow greeted, wandering over to kiss Tara’s cheek, then rounded the island again to catch Robyn’s hair, “And my cutie pie.”


Robyn looked and smiled while clapping her hands.


“Mmm, mmm, mmm!”


“Mom-ma,” Willow said slowly, “Mommmm ma.”


Robyn just flashed her front teeth in a grin and Willow sighed, though was smiling too.


“Did you pick up the prescription?” Tara asked, just as Willow put a pharmacy bag up next to her.


“Yep. In no time my ovaries will be thoroughly stimulated,” she announced cheerily, “Which is good because they were starting to get a little lazy. Only waking up once a month!”


She perched herself on a stool and looked at Tara, who was grinning at the cabbage she was chopping.


“What?”


Tara looked up with her softly slopping lips, which Willow swooned at, still.


“I just love you.”


“Enough to carry my baby?” Willow asked sweetly.


“Enough to carry two,” Tara joked, just as they heard a thud from above.


“Paintballing?” Willow inquired.


Tara didn’t look up this time to mask her disdain.


“Mmm.”


Willow pursed her lips and lowered her voice.


“Better keep the baby talk down.”


Tara pointed toward the door with the knife in her hand.


“Go hide that stuff in our room, in the locked drawer.”


Willow slid off the stool.


“I know, I know, no needles to find their way into little hands,” she said, then looked over her shoulder as she sassily shook her ass, “Only in big butts.”


Tara grinned again, which Willow saw as a victory and sauntered off up to their bedroom.


She secured the hormones in the old mini-fridge she’d rooted out and locked it and the equipment in the highest drawer on the dresser. She couldn’t say she was looking forward to getting those needles jabbed in her ass every night, but she loved that Tara had asked for her to do it.


She wasn’t hung up on the DNA of anyone in their family but having Tara grow a life she could gift her was a wonderful feeling, and the exact reason she’d asked Tara to give her Robyn. Once Tara had asked that of her, the last reservations had gone; she just couldn’t say no. She wanted it just as much.


After double and triple-checking that drawer was locked, she climbed the attic staircase to check on the boys. There were about ten paint splashes on the wall, as well as all over the plastic covering, and JJ was seriously pondering the next set of colors to load up.


Willow hung back and took a few sneaky pictures of him in the goggles, fuelling her own fantasies of him being a little scientist. She took a photo of Jesse helping him hold the gun, deciding she wouldn’t show Tara that one, but JJ heard the sound this time and spun around, incredulous.


“Momma! Get out of here! You can’t see ‘til it’s done!”


Willow took a shot of his adorable little outraged face but got out of there before a paintball was directed at her.


“I’m leaving, I’m leaving.”


She went back down both sets of stairs to the kitchen and walked in behind Tara, closing her arms around her wife’s middle.


Tara leaned back whilst continuing to mix the bowl in front of her and enjoyed Willow’s embrace.


Willow pulled up the goggles and angry face pictures on her phone and held it in front of Tara to see.


“Oh, he’s so cute,” Tara said in that affectionately doting motherly voice.


“And very, very serious,” Willow replied, mock-stern and grinning, “I think it’ll look pretty funky up there. He’s creative, like you. That makes me happy.”


Her chin rested on Tara’s shoulder and she looked at the pictures for another moment before putting the phone away.


“You know, we never talked about the donor.”


“I just assumed we’d use the same one as before,” Tara answered easily, “We still have some on ice.”


“But he looked like me,” Willow said, brow creasing.


“Yes?” Tara asked, voice indicating confusion.


Willow let go and came around the other side of the island to face her wife.


“Don’t you want one that looks like you?”


“I don’t care about that,” Tara replied with a shrug, followed by a soft smile, “I get to carry him or her. That’s more than enough. I think it’s smart to have them be genetically linked too if we can.”


Willow nodded slowly.


“Yeah, you’re right,” she replied, pausing for a moment before reaching out to stop the spoon Tara was mixing with, “Tara, are you sure you want to use my egg? They could be full siblings.”


Tara stopped what she was doing to give Willow her full attention.


“They will be full siblings, just like Robyn and JJ are,” she said, holding Willow’s hands and squeezing them, “I very much want to carry your baby.”


She lifted Willow’s hands and kissed between them both, making Willow feel that heart-fluttering, stomach-flipping, all-around-melting feeling that only Tara could evoke.


“Okay,” she replied with a sweet, gushing smile, “I love you, Tara.”


“I love you, my darling,” Tara said and they met in the middle for a kiss.


They parted with a little nose nuzzle, then Willow stepped back with a little pep in her step.


“Put me to work.”


Tara nodded toward Robyn.


“Play with your daughter.”


“You sure?” Willow asked.


“Positive,” Tara replied, “She misses you when you’re not here.”


Willow went over to Robyn and first cleaned up her slobbery hands and discarded the half-chewed, soggy Cheerios. When she was freshened up, she picked Robyn up and held her up like she was flying.


“Is it a bird? Is it a plane?” she asked as she flew Robyn out of the kitchen and into the living room where they could play together, “It’s Super Robbie!”


Tara reveled in hearing her daughter’s joyed giggle float through the walls and was so happy that soon there would be even more laughter in their house.


She closed her eyes for just a moment to picture it, then glanced down at her belly. It was her turn to get a pep in her step as she finished off the pulled pork, ready to assemble into sandwiches.


A little while later, feet came pounding down the stairs and JJ skidded into the kitchen, paint in his hair and clothes and still with the goggles covering his face.


“Mom it’s so cool!” he gushed, then got a waft of all the smells around and clutched his stomach, “I’m hungry.”


“Go sit at the table,” Tara advised as she handed him a clean dish towel to stop her chair cushions receiving any transference of paint, “Here, put this under you. And tell your Momma lunch is ready, please.”


He rushed off and Tara smiled at the older man still standing there.


“Did it all go okay, Jesse?”


“He’s a pro,” Jesse replied, “I’ve seen grown men have more trouble shooting that thing. And he was very color-conscious.”


“How does it look?” Tara asked, a little wary.


Jesse just smiled.


“Hipsters would probably make thousands if they did what he did in an art show.”


Tara arched an eyebrow and Jesse threw a hand up, dismissing his own words.


“It’s busy but perfect for a kid’s bedroom.”


Tara opened the fridge and knocked the cap on a bottle of beer off, handing it over to him.


“You earned this. I’ll bring your lunch in, in a second.”


He started to walk away but Tara called him back.


“Jesse.”


Tara handed him a dishtowel too, which he took with a smile and enthusiastically waved it in the air.


Tara finished up the sandwich platter and brought it into the dining room, with another trip for lemonade before sitting with the rest of them. They had all dutifully waited but were quick to dig in when Tara sat down, throwing out thanks as their hands and mouths got busy.


“Thanks, Tara.”


“Thanks, Mom!”


“Thank you, baby.”


“Ta-ta omm-mee, omm-mee ta-ta!”


Tara lifted a few sweet potato fries onto Robyn’s high chair table before taking her own portion.


“You’re welcome, everyone.”


Jesse’s sandwich was big enough to need both of his huge hands to hold onto, though he was making decent dents into it.


“Alice and Ella are gone on a shopping day, but they’ll be so jealous I got fed here.”


“You can take the leftovers,” Tara offered graciously.


Jesse winked.


“They still wouldn’t get any of it.”


After lunch, Jesse cleared the plates and JJ jumped up to help; wanting to maximize the time with his uncle.


Willow brought Robyn into the living room to play for a little while before her nap and Tara took a load of laundry upstairs to fold and put away. As she returned the basket to the laundry room, JJ turned from where he was sitting on the island and grinned at her.


“Uncle Jesse says he can take me REAL paintballing when I’m eight.”


Jesse chuckled nervously.


“I said you had to ask your moms, little dude.”


“Can I?” JJ asked with the puppy dog eyes Tara could very rarely resist, no matter who in the family it came from.


“We’ll think about it,” Tara answered diplomatically, “That’s still a while away yet.”


JJ pouted but didn’t argue. Jesse headed out with plans to call Xander and Alex for some 2-on-2 basketball later and JJ was immediately trying to pull Tara upstairs to see his room. They met Willow on the way from leaving Robyn’s room.


“Jeez, we’re coming,” she said as their eager boy took his new stairs two by two.


They got to the top and pushed the sliding door along the floor until they could walk into the room. The walls had sporadic bursts of paint in every color of the rainbow; some huge splashes and other small splatters.


“I did it all, I did it all! I used the machine and went splat, splat, splat, splat!” he said, motioning what he’d done with his hands, before turning to them with much more innocence, “Do you like it?”


Tara bent down and held her son's face gently in her hands.


“It looks wonderful, honey. I’m very proud that you had an idea and you saw it the whole way through. I love all of the colors.”


JJ flashed his smile, missing a tooth, and Willow offered her hand.


“High five, bud.”


He met the high five and jumped along with it.


“When can I move all my stuff?”


“We’ll let the paint dry overnight and get everything moved up tomorrow. How does that sound?” Tara suggested.


JJ threw his hands around both of their legs.


“Thank you, thank you, thank you!”


Willow stroked his fair hair.


“We love you Jakey.”


JJ leaped toward the door.


“I’m gonna go pack all my toys in my toy box!”


“Quietly please, don’t wake your sister,” Willow advised, which JJ acknowledged by making his steps quieter on the stairs, “You know, it’s not awful. I was kind of looking forward to decorating though. Getting my overalls on and being all sexy with paint-wisped hair.”


Tara put an arm around Willow’s shoulders.


“Soon we’ll have a new nursery to decorate.”


“Is it weird I’m looking forward to getting jabbed in the ass?” Willow asked with a sly grin.


Tara grinned back.


“It’s not the weirdest fetish.”


Willow bumped Tara’s hip with her own.


“Shut up,” she said, before adding coyly, “You’ll have to kiss it better.”


Tara raised her eyebrows suggestively.


“Like I need an excuse.”


They met for a quick kiss, after which Willow sighed.


“This month is going to be pretty crazy.”


“Yes,” Tara agreed, “But it’s always pretty crazy.”


Willow nodded.


“We’ll get through it. We always do. Together.”


Tara moved, taking Willow’s hands and resting their foreheads together so their noses bumped.


“Together.”



Willow stood, bent over the end of the bed with a tensed body and eyes flashing with anger.


“I’m not giving the dresser a 10-minute moon here, can you hurry up?”


Tara finished filling the syringe with the ovulation stimulation hormones and approached Willow from behind.


“I’m sorry, honey,” she said apologetically, “Is there a certain way you want me to do it? You said I hurt you yesterday.”


“Yeah, quick,” Willow replied with curtness on the verge of rudeness, “As in very.”


Tara swallowed her own emotions and steadied her hand enough to jab the needle into the exposed top of Willow’s butt. Willow snapped herself away before Tara was even finished retracting, pulling her pajama bottoms up and sulking off.


“Ow, by the way.”


“I’m really sorry Willow,” Tara replied, at a bit of a loss, “I don’t enjoy it. I’m trying to do it as quickly as possible.”


“Yeah, well, a lot of people are thankful you’re not a nurse,” Willow replied snarkily as she fiddled with the alarm clock they continued to set despite all of the electronics around with the same features.


Tara looked away. She knew the hormones were making her wife far more irritable than usual, but the words still stung. She didn’t feel like she could say anything though, because she knew she’d been cranky too when she was doing it nearly two years ago.


She moved over and put a soothing hand on Willow’s back.


“I know it’s hard but it’ll all be worth it.”


Willow’s head snapped toward Tara, venom in her voice.


“Will it, huh? Is it after I get repeatedly punctured, or after I have all this crap soaring through my veins, or after I have to get knocked out so I can get a probe shoved up my vagina?”


“I did this, I know exactly how it feels,” Tara replied, trying to sound sympathetic, “But I promise as soon as we hear the words—”


Willow scoffed.


“Words schmords, nothing about this is good.”


Tara reached out to touch Willow’s belly but thought better and retracted it.


“This is the only way to get your egg.”


“Maybe I don’t want to give you my egg anymore!” Willow replied with nothing but petulance.


Tara couldn’t brush that one off; it hurt.


“I-Is that the hormones talking o-or do you mean it?”


Willow knew that was too far and the look on Tara’s face made her feel a hundred times worse than any set of hormones could. It just made her angrier and she turned away completely.


“Oh, just leave me alone.”


She felt the springs of the bed shift beneath her as Tara stood up, then heard the heart-wrenching sniffle as Tara passed by the doorway and left her alone, as she’d asked but nothing like she actually wanted.


She sunk down onto the floor with her head in her knees and felt like bursting into tears. She rubbed her eyes with the heels of her palms for a few moments to try and stave it off until she heard soft footsteps coming back.


She dropped her hands, ready to profess her deepest apologies and pronouncements of her own stupidity, but a much tinier version of her wife appeared in lieu of who she expected.


“Hey, where did you come from?” she asked as Robyn toddled over to her with her blankie dragging behind her, clutched in her little hand.


Robyn climbed into Willow’s lap and Willow started to crane her head to look for Tara, expecting her to be right behind but was soon distracted as Robyn nuzzled into her.


“Mom-mah.”


Willow did a double-take and held Robyn out in front of her.


“What did you say?”


Robyn offered a toothy grin and flailed her arms.


“Mom-mah. Mom-mah.”


Willow wanted to cry for a whole new reason but emitted it all in a smile instead. She brought her daughter in close and cradled her to her chest like she was a tiny baby again.


“Yeah, baby girl. I’m your Momma.”


They had a cuddle with Robyn clinging to her Momma and blankie with the same intensity.


After a moment, there were heavier footsteps and Tara appeared, speaking before she even got to the door.


“I know you want to be alone, but I just want to say if you really don’t want to keep doing this—”


“I do,” Willow interrupted, caressing the back of Robyn’s strawberry-blonde locks as she looked up to Tara with apologetic eyes, “I do want to give you my egg. As many as you need. If it means a hundred needles or a thousand or a million. If it means feeling like this for a week, or a month, or a year. I want you to carry my baby and everything that entails.”


Tara moved onto her knees near her wife and daughter and Willow moved to rest her head on Tara’s shoulder.


“I’m sorry I’m such a crabby cow.”


Tara gently gathered them both into her embrace.


“I hate seeing you so all over the place. You must feel awful.”


Willow hated herself even more in the wake of Tara’s kindness.


“Not enough to take it out on you,” she said, discreetly wiping the corner of her eye on the neckline of Tara’s top, “I just have to keep my eyes on the prize. I promise I won’t act like that again. I love you, Tara.”


Tara kissed the top of Willow’s head.


“I love you so much Willow and I love you for doing this for me.”


They all cuddled together on the floor for a minute or two until Robyn reached out to yank some of Willow’s hair.


“Mom-mah.”


Tara’s eyes widened.


“She said—”


“I know,” Willow replied softly, the joy clearly evident in her voice and not even a hint of pain from the hair-pulling, “Lucky number seven.”


Tara kissed Willow’s shoulder repeatedly, knowing how much this meant to her wife, then leaned in a little further to kiss Robyn’s forehead.


“Good girl. That’s your Momma. That’s your Momma, you know your Momma,” she said in a soft voice before continuing normally to Willow, “Did she wake up or did you wake her up for a cuddle?”


Willow’s head swung around to look at Tara.


“You didn’t get her out of bed?”


Tara’s brow creased.


“No, I went downstairs to make some tea.”


Willow’s mouth hung open.


“She came in here by herself.”


“She what?” Tara asked, and was immediately standing and rushing over to Robyn’s room.


Willow followed a few steps behind her and watched Tara examine the crib for damage or instability, but it was perfectly intact.


“Did she climb it?” Willow asked in disbelief.


Tara was literally scratching her head.


“There’s no way she could climb it yet, is there?”


“Well, she got out somehow,” Willow lamented.


“JJ didn’t climb out until he was two,” Tara pondered to herself, but had to concede a point when she looked over and saw the butter-wouldn’t-melt look on her daughter’s face, “But he wasn’t this mischievous little cutie monster.”


Willow peered into the crib and had a little tug of the slats, hoping to find something wrong that could be fixed so she didn’t have to face the reality of it all.


“We can’t lower the crib, it’s handmade,” she said eventually, resigned.


Tara sighed.


“Looks like we’ll be researching toddler beds again.”


Willow shook her head.


“I’m not ready for that.”


“You mean she’s not ready?” Tara questioned.


Willow held Robyn closer to her again.


“No, Climby McClimberson here is clearly ready. I’m not ready for my baby to be a toddler!”


Tara could only laugh and Robyn fed off it, giggling along with her. Tara pursed her lips to stop herself and lowered her voice.


“We need to get her back to sleep or we’ll be up all night. We’ll have to take her in with us.”


Willow started to nod, then stopped and handed Robyn off.


“Wait, I have an idea.”


She went over to the door to close it just in case the noise traveled upstairs and woke up JJ, then went back to the crib and turned it around so the low side was against the wall and the higher side faced out.


“Look how smart your Momma is,” Tara said to Robyn, who reached out again for Willow.


“Mom-Mom-Mom-Mom-mah.”


Willow took Robyn again for a big cuddle, while Tara knocked out the lights and left the nightlight on. They both kissed the baby and Willow set her back down into her crib and set her mobile to spin.


Her pacifier was popped into her mouth so she knew it was time to settle. She sucked on it and looked at them expectantly, so they duly obliged.


“Goodnight, sweetheart, well it's time to go,” Tara sang in a gentle, soothing tone.


“Do-do-do-do-do,” Willow added in some soft doo-wop.


“Goodnight, sweetheart, well it's time to go,” Tara continued, smiling at her wife.


“Ba-do ba-do,” Willow smiled back.


Tara slipped her hand into Willow’s on the other side of the crib.


“I hate to leave you, but I really must say…”


“Goodnight, sweetheart, goodnight,” they sang together and Robyn gave a last, slow suck of her pacifier before nodding off.


They both watched to make sure she was peaceful, and just to admire the little life they made together. It was quite affirming and they both squeezed each other’s palms at the same time, then shared a smile.


They walked back into the hallway and both sought out each other for an immediate hug and quick smooch.


“What are we like?” Willow asked as their heads rested together and their arms stayed around each other.


“Any other family,” Tara answered, kissing Willow again just because she could.


“I’m going to take my shot in the butt like a champ from now on,” Willow announced surely, though became distracted as her eyes fell to Tara’s lips, up to her eyes and back down again, “You know there are other side effects apart from the grump…I’m sure you remember…”


Tara’s lips quirked into a suggestive crooked smile before she took a step forward to lead Willow into the bedroom.


“Oh, I remember…”

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 Post subject: Re: Family Confidential Episode II (Feb 21st 2020)
PostPosted: Sat Feb 22, 2020 1:57 pm 
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3. Flaming O

Joined: Fri Mar 09, 2018 1:38 pm
Posts: 85
Dibs. Really enjoying this new story, a wonderful addition to the Confidential series.


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 Post subject: Re: Family Confidential Episode II (Feb 21st 2020)
PostPosted: Mon Feb 24, 2020 1:11 am 
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7. Teeny Tinkerbell Light

Joined: Sun Jan 19, 2014 7:01 am
Posts: 557
Quote:
Willow hung back and took a few sneaky pictures of him in the goggles, fuelling her own fantasies of him being a little scientist. She took a photo of Jesse helping him hold the gun, deciding she wouldn’t show Tara that one, but JJ heard the sound this time and spun around, incredulous.


“Momma! Get out of here! You can’t see ‘til it’s done!”


Willow took a shot of his adorable little outraged face but got out of there before a paintball was directed at her.


“I’m leaving, I’m leaving.”

:laugh I would love to see those pictures.

Quote:
“I did it all, I did it all! I used the machine and went splat, splat, splat, splat!” he said, motioning what he’d done with his hands, before turning to them with much more innocence, “Do you like it?”


Tara bent down and held her son's face gently in her hands.


“It looks wonderful, honey. I’m very proud that you had an idea and you saw it the whole way through. I love all of the colors.”

This is so Tara, praising her son for his creativity and determination although she is scared by his boyish affinity towards shooting with a gun (understandibly considering what happened in HC).

Quote:
“This is the only way to get your egg.”


“Maybe I don’t want to give you my egg anymore!” Willow replied with nothing but petulance.


Tara couldn’t brush that one off; it hurt.


“I-Is that the hormones talking o-or do you mean it?”


Willow knew that was too far and the look on Tara’s face made her feel a hundred times worse than any set of hormones could. It just made her angrier and she turned away completely.


“Oh, just leave me alone.”


She felt the springs of the bed shift beneath her as Tara stood up, then heard the heart-wrenching sniffle as Tara passed by the doorway and left her alone, as she’d asked but nothing like she actually wanted.

The whole exchange was painful to read but this part really make my heart ache for Tara (and Willow too because she can't help herself from acting so mean here). :cry

Quote:
Robyn climbed into Willow’s lap and Willow started to crane her head to look for Tara, expecting her to be right behind but was soon distracted as Robyn nuzzled into her.


“Mom-mah.”


Willow did a double-take and held Robyn out in front of her.


“What did you say?”


Robyn offered a toothy grin and flailed her arms.


“Mom-mah. Mom-mah.”


Willow wanted to cry for a whole new reason but emitted it all in a smile instead. She brought her daughter in close and cradled her to her chest like she was a tiny baby again.


“Yeah, baby girl. I’m your Momma.”


They had a cuddle with Robyn clinging to her Momma and blankie with the same intensity.

Awww, that was so heart-melting! I could clearly picture this scene in my head. Great timing Robyn has here too, renewing Willow's determination that Tara carrying her baby is truly worth what she is suffering now.

Quote:
“Looks like we’ll be researching toddler beds again.”


Willow shook her head.


“I’m not ready for that.”


“You mean she’s not ready?” Tara questioned.


Willow held Robyn closer to her again.


“No, Climby McClimberson here is clearly ready. I’m not ready for my baby to be a toddler!”

:lol
Good thing that Xander built the crib with one length side higher than the other so Willow could make the crib "escape-proof" for Robyn just by turning it (for a little while at least...).

Quote:
“Goodnight, sweetheart, well it's time to go,” Tara sang in a gentle, soothing tone.


“Do-do-do-do-do,” Willow added in some soft doo-wop.


“Goodnight, sweetheart, well it's time to go,” Tara continued, smiling at her wife.


“Ba-do ba-do,” Willow smiled back.


Tara slipped her hand into Willow’s on the other side of the crib.


“I hate to leave you, but I really must say…”


“Goodnight, sweetheart, goodnight,” they sang together and Robyn gave a last, slow suck of her pacifier before nodding off.

Awww, so cute!!! :flower

Quote:
“I’m going to take my shot in the butt like a champ from now on,” Willow announced surely, though became distracted as her eyes fell to Tara’s lips, up to her eyes and back down again, “You know there are other side effects apart from the grump…I’m sure you remember…”


Tara’s lips quirked into a suggestive crooked smile before she took a step forward to lead Willow into the bedroom.


“Oh, I remember…”

:wtkiss Feel free to write about what follows in great detail next time... :wink


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 Post subject: Re: Family Confidential Episode II (Feb 21st 2020)
PostPosted: Tue Feb 25, 2020 7:00 am 
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Ms. Moderator Fantastico
Ms. Moderator Fantastico
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Joined: Sat Feb 21, 2009 2:22 pm
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NorthernLass

Quote:
Dibs. Really enjoying this new story, a wonderful addition to the Confidential series.


Thanks so much! So glad to have you on board!

Thanks for commenting :)

Will's redemption

Quote:
:laugh I would love to see those pictures.


Oh how I wish I had the photoshop skills to conjure those ones up!

Quote:
This is so Tara, praising her son for his creativity and determination although she is scared by his boyish affinity towards shooting with a gun (understandibly considering what happened in HC).


Tara grew up in a home where she was loved endlessly and then afraid endlessly. She knows how to turn the right ones on at the right moments :)

Quote:
The whole exchange was painful to read but this part really make my heart ache for Tara (and Willow too because she can't help herself from acting so mean here). :cry


It's just no fun for anyone.

Quote:
Awww, that was so heart-melting! I could clearly picture this scene in my head. Great timing Robyn has here too, renewing Willow's determination that Tara carrying her baby is truly worth what she is suffering now.


Aww, I'm so glad!

Quote:
:lol
Good thing that Xander built the crib with one length side higher than the other so Willow could make the crib "escape-proof" for Robyn just by turning it (for a little while at least...)


A little while is right, that kid is going to climb Everest when she's older, I'm sure of it :laugh

Quote:
Awww, so cute!!! :flower


:bigkiss

Quote:
:wtkiss Feel free to write about what follows in great detail next time... :wink


:lol :lol (though at this point I feel like I should point out this part of the original story summary: STORY RATING: PG-13 throughout — there actually were initially some 'adult scenes' in the early parts of this fic but I took them out. For some reason, they felt cheap or something as part of the overall story. I hope you're still able to enjoy the fic without!)

Thanks so much for your feedback!



Update Directly Below

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 Post subject: Re: Family Confidential Episode II (Feb 21st 2020)
PostPosted: Tue Feb 25, 2020 7:00 am 
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Ms. Moderator Fantastico
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Five Months Earlier




Tara shifted around, trying to get comfortable in the medical gown that was very loosely tied around her body.


The hard examination table she was sitting on didn’t help much; neither did the paper chafing against the back of her thighs.


To her side, Willow was opening the drawers of medical supplies, taking out tongue depressors and cotton balls and tossing them around.


Tara reached and flicked her fingers against Willow’s arm.


“Willow, stop it.”


Willow put everything away quickly.


“Sorry,” she said sheepishly, “It’s antsy being on this side of things.”


She pulled up the stool and sat beside Tara.


“Why does a gyno need tongue depressors anyway? Does she need your vagina to say ‘ahhh’?”


Tara began to give Willow a withering look, whilst hiding a smile when their doctor came into the area.


“Hello, ladies,” Dr. Wells greeted with a warm smile, “The nurse is prepping the treatment room, then we’ll wheel you in there. I’m just going to do a quick exam here first, if you don’t mind, Tara. Just procedure to make sure there are no problems before the embryo transfer. Have you got a full bladder?”


“Quite full,” Tara replied, pleasantly despite the uncomfortableness.


“Are they looking good?” Willow asked, holding onto the side of the stool to contain her excitement, “The embryos?”


“All three, ready to go,” the doctor confirmed as she pulled up at Tara’s lower half to conduct the examination.


Tara looked over to Willow with a wry, crooked smile.


“She’s fishing for a compliment,” she explained, before reaching over to pat Willow’s hand, “I’m sure you have very pretty eggs, honey.”


Willow stuck out her tongue but took Tara’s hand and held it firmly between them.


After a couple of minutes, the doctor looked back up and disposed of her gloves.


“Everything looks good.”


“I could have told you that,” Willow quipped.


“If you don’t behave I won’t let you come with me,” Tara warned playfully as she took her feet down from the stirrups.


“Please let me come,” Willow asked with a pouting mouth, “You’ll want a companion when you have to lie upside down for an hour anyway.”


“Will you regale me with your bad jokes and geeky stories?” Tara asked, failing to hide the mirth in her voice.


Willow leaned in so their faces were close.


“Those bad jokes and geeky stories got you to marry me. Do you regret it?”


Tara shook her head.


“Not for a second.”


Willow pressed a soft, sweet kiss to Tara’s lips.


“Love you,” she whispered.


“Love you,” Tara whispered back.


Dr. Wells finished noting something on Tara’s chart and placed it back on the end of the bed.


“I’m going to prep myself for the procedure and the nurse will be in to take you down shortly.”


“Thank you, doctor,” Tara replied.


“Thanks, Dr. Wells,” Willow echoed.


She left through the curtain they were waiting behind, which Willow fixed up again to preserve Tara’s privacy. Her mothering instincts came to the fore and she came around to fluff Tara’s pillow too.


“I’ll pick up dinner on the way home this evening. Don’t exert yourself after we leave here.”


“I have tuna casserole ready to bake,” Tara replied easily, “I have to go to court this afternoon before I collect JJ anyway.”


Willow’s eyebrow rose.


“I thought you took the day off.”


Tara shrugged.


“I’ve just been managing my mornings to make the appointments work. I make my own schedule so as long as the work gets done no one suspects or questions anything.”


Willow smiled.


“I’ve been claiming trouble with the DMV. No matter how much time is wasted, or how ridiculous a claim I make about them, everyone believes it. Work piles up when I’m gone though, which sucks.”


Tara smiled sympathetically, just as the curtain rustled and a curly-haired woman appeared, in blue scrubs that sat loosely on her unblemished, dark skin.


“Hello, Willow and Tara. It’s good to see you again. Are we ready to head down to the treatment room?”


Willow stood up straight, happy to see her.


“Hey, it’s Maya, right? You were our nurse when I was getting pregnant. We’ve been dealing with Amy this time.”


“I’m afraid you’re stuck with me today,” Maya replied good-naturedly.


“Hey, that’s great, you can be our good luck charm!” Willow replied cheerily, “Got it first time ‘round last time.”


“She’s hiding a brag behind a compliment,” Tara teased, which was helping to ease her own nerves.


“You guys had a daughter, right?” Maya asked in a way that seemed nothing but genuine interest, despite how many patients she had to keep track of.


Willow fished her phone out of her pocket and started showing off the latest set of pictures she had.


“That’s Robyn. She’s 15 months now. It almost seems like yesterday I was here getting her in my belly but I also can’t remember life without her.”


“She’s adorable,” Maya said with a real smile, “You guys ready to go try and give her a little brother or sister?”


Willow walked back to Tara and took her hand. She smiled at her wife.


“We’re ready.”



Four Months Earlier




The first time Tara got the phone call that the pregnancy hadn’t taken, Willow wasn’t there.


Willow had come home from some last-minute grocery shopping for their family Hanukkah meal the next day, to find her wife hiding in the laundry room and sobbing.


They’d been so gung-ho, so certain after their previous success that they hadn’t really prepared themselves that it wouldn’t just work again this time around.


Willow took charge as the chief comforter; hugging Tara and telling her it was all okay, that they’d try again and that they should just enjoy and ride out the holidays until the next round.


Tara had decided she wanted to do consecutive cycles of IVF, which meant no breaks in-between each one. Freezing Willow’s eggs has made this process easier, but still promised to be taxing on Tara’s body, so Willow planned to make their downtime as relaxing as possible. Normally ready to sped into anything she needed done, Willow actually thought they should space it out, but it was Tara's body and Willow deferred to her on it.


Christmas morning had come and they’d had a really lovely time, eating pancakes and opening gifts.


Willow was sitting behind JJ as he played with his newly-opened gift from Santa, a toy train.


He had assembled the track and had the train following along it, while he built a surrounding town with his Legos.


Willow was offering advisement and encouragement, but mostly sneaking peeks at Tara, sitting on the couch with Robyn in her arms, soothing her to sleep after the excitement of Christmas morning.


She loved watching them together any time but particularly enjoyed seeing her wife in her baby-whisperer mode as she calmed their often unruly daughter into slumber.


Robyn was reaching up and playing with Tara’s hair, her little fingers growing persistently wearier.


Finally, Willow saw the gentle suck of the pacifier slow to a halt and Robyn’s hand fall to her side as she instinctively cuddled into her Mommy.


It warmed Willow’s heart and turned her desire for another even more solid.


As Tara set Robyn down in her play pen with a blanket, Willow snuck up beside her on the couch with one hand hidden behind her back.


She presented a present to Tara and kissed her cheek.


“This one got lost behind the tree.”


Tara smiled and returned the cheek kiss to Willow. She turned over the gift and unwrapped it.


It was a photo frame.


A nice photo frame, in keeping with their décor, but completely empty. Willow spotted the confused look and tapped the empty space where a picture would go.


“That’s where we’ll put the very first photo of our new baby.”


Tara was touched, and couldn’t say anything; too choked up. Willow reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze.


“I know it’s not fair that it worked for me the first time and not you, but it just means we go again. Never give up.”


She pressed a tender kiss to Tara’s lips, who repeated the sentiment with a shaky voice.


“Never give up.”



Three Months Earlier




The second time Tara got the phone call, Willow was upstairs.


She was packing clothes away into their dresser when JJ appeared in the doorway, his handheld games console hanging by his side and his young eyes troubled.


“Momma?”


Willow didn’t look up, so she missed his look.


“Yeah, buddy?”


“I think Mommy’s upset,” JJ said, his tone indicating he was too.


Willow looked up and dropped the laundry hamper. She came over and bent down to JJ’s side.


“Don’t worry, it’s just adult stuff,” she said rubbing his arm comfortingly, “Hey, how about we plan a laser tag visit with Alex and your uncles soon. Do you want to call and ask?”


JJ’s eyes shone excitedly and he nodded. Willow took her cell phone from her pocket, dialed the number and gave it to JJ, who ran upstairs to his room.


Willow hurried down to the living room, where Tara was sitting on the couch.


She wasn’t crying but was clearly trying to hold it in. Willow didn’t need to ask what it was. She sat down and pulled Tara’s head to her chest.

It took a moment, but she felt wet drops start to fall on the exposed skin on her chest. She knew she had to be strong, for Tara, so just repeated the mantra she told herself every day too.


“Every time our chances go up. Every time.”


Tara’s pained sniffling hit Willow in the heart and she took in a shaken breath, trying to breathe out the emotion again so her tone would be reassuring.


“Every time.”



Two Months Earlier




The third time Tara got the phone call, Willow was right beside her.


They knew the call was coming that day and Willow hadn’t left her side in anticipation.


This time had to work; it had too.


She’d been quipping ‘three times lucky’ and ‘third times a charm’ for weeks and there were no platitudes for four.


Their anniversary had passed them by without much fanfare other than getting food delivered so neither of them had to cook. They couldn’t have sex as it was in the post-implantation period and both were kind of relieved as the weight of their fertility impedance hung over them.


When the phone eventually rang, there was little of the nervous excitement that such an event had produced in the past. The only hint was in Tara’s voice as she answered and confirmed her name.


Willow watched with every muscle tensed so her shaking wouldn’t betray her.


She saw the moment her wife’s world was crushed all over again.


Tara's eyes weren’t filled with tears, but dejection.


Tara hung up, silently shook her head in Willow’s direction and stood to get on with things like nothing had happened. The lack of reaction was as upsetting as the news itself. With all of the heartache her wife had endured, Willow had never seen her grow so demoralized so quickly.


Willow had kept herself together each and every time; to be strong for Tara, to be her support, but the dead look in her wife’s eyes took her strength away and tears sprang to her eyes.


It ripped her heart apart every time they were told their dreams were dashed and she felt entirely guilty that she had had such an easier time when it was her ‘go’.


She gave herself 60 seconds to silently sob, before wiping her eyes and standing up to continue to take care of her wife and children.



One Month Earlier




Tara pulled the car to a halt in the old and dilapidated church parking lot.


She closed her eyes for a moment, but it was a bad idea as she immediately heard shots being fired and saw splashes of blood behind her eyelids.


It was the same thing whenever she came near this place, so she avoided it often. Even staying clear from 'the house', the worst memory of her life plagued her here.


Today, though — today, she was desperate.


For guidance, for clarity, for relief.


She wasn’t religious in any specifically aligned way, but she felt she might get whatever she needed here. She had to try, at least.


She stepped out of the car and took some measured steps across the lot. She hesitated before approaching her confidante but finally just kneeled down.


“Hi, Mom.”


She took some stones from the grave and put them on top of the headstone, out of habit from visiting with Willow.


“Back again…I couldn’t speak so openly when the family was here for your birthday…today I just needed some one-on-one time.”


She traced her mother’s name and then her gaze fell to the dates printed beneath.


She shook her head.


“You were younger than I am when you died.”


Her eyes glazed over for a moment.


“I still can’t get my head around that. My little boy is just a bit younger than I was. I can’t imagine him being alone with…”


She made herself stop to focus.


“I came to ask you your…advice…opinion…whatever.”


She sat back on her heels and took a few moments to ponder where to start.


“I want a baby, Momma. I want to feel a child grow in me, to know that kind of nurturing.”


Her voice started to get choked up.


“But it’s not working. I haven’t been doing it years like some people, but I’ve been doing it intensely and it just…isn’t working.”


She made herself stop and take a breath.


“I know that it takes time, I do. But it’s taxing. And tolling. And…to continue the theme, tumultuous,” she said, smiling despite everything as she thought she sounded a little bit like Willow, “It’s expensive, too. We have the money but I just keep thinking about how much is wasted every time it fails.”


Her hand skimmed the layer of pebbles atop the grave.


“But I’m not here about the money…I’m here about…me.”


She took several minutes then to gather her thoughts, grateful no one else was around to eavesdrop.


“I haven’t told her, but…if this time doesn’t work…I don’t think I can go again.”


She closed her eyes.


“I know everyone will say take a break, give your body a chance, but…I can’t. The waiting is so painful. It’s been six months; it feels like six years, six decades. My emotions are…destroyed. I’m neglecting the kids I have. My job is suffering. Willow and I ate takeout pizza for our anniversary dinner.”


Tears sprung to her eyes and one fell down her cheek.


“All I can think about is the ache in my womb, and…”


She inhaled shakily and pulled herself together.


“A-and it’s too self-indulgent. I have a family. I’m lucky.”


She breathed out and felt calmer.


“I’m lucky.”


She nodded as if to reassure herself.


“Thanks for the talk.”


She started to stand but paused for a moment to press her lips to her fingers, then against the slate of the headstone.


For the first time, she noticed the bunch of roses already sitting there. She figured Michelle must have been visiting again recently.


“Do what you can for me. I love you, Mom.”


With one last reverential bow, she walked back to her car and went home.



Two Weeks Earlier




Willow hurried downstairs, phone in hand, and sped into the living room where Tara was flicking through a magazine on the couch.


“Baby.”


Tara looked up and Willow indicated to the phone in her hand.


“They say there were only able to harvest one embryo and want to know if we want to wait to do another egg retrieval to get more before doing the next round.”


Tara tensed.


She’d braced herself that this would all be over soon, one way or the other.


It took a moment, but she finally answered.


“No.”


Willow’s brow creased, not expecting that answer.


“But Tara, it’s way more economical and easier all round to just–”


“I said no,” Tara interrupted, more firmly.


“Is it because I’d have to do another retrieval?” Willow asked in confusion, “Because I don’t mind, it’s not that bad. It’s just one day off work, it’s not that much to catch up on. That old DMV excuse is still going strong. And I won’t get crabby this time, I promise.”


Tara shook her head.


“I’m done.”


Willow sank down beside Tara.


“What do you mean?”


“I mean I’m done,” Tara elucidated clearly, “If this egg doesn’t work…it’s over.”


“O-Over?” Willow asked with her voice cracking.


Tara couldn’t stand the distress in her wife’s tone and stood up, leaving the room.


“I’m sorry. I just can’t anymore.”


Willow gaped for a moment before registering someone was speaking from the phone. She lifted it to her ear.


“Um…I guess we’re…going ahead. Thanks. Bye.”


She hung up and put the phone down, staring after Tara is disbelief.



Willow nervously sat in the familiar stool along Tara’s bedside as they waited for the latest, and now potentially last, embryo transfer to take place.


Her legs were shaking but she was trying to hide it, not very successfully. She finally just jumped up, needing out of that sterile room for a moment.


“Do you want some water?”


Tara was feeling much the same but was more restricted in her movements on the operating table.


“Yes, please,” she answered croakily.


Willow hurried out of the room and down the end of the corridor to the water cooler. She filled a cup three times, downing it each time before crushing it in her hand.


She was really shaking now and people were staring as they passed by. Someone must have said something because a minute or two later, Dr. Wells appeared in her scrubs, but not yet in her gloves or mask.


“Willow,” she said with concern as she approached. “Are you all right?”


Willow had worked herself into a mini-state and turned to the doctor with troubled eyes.


“She said this is it, this is our last chance and when I ask about it she just says she can’t anymore!”


Dr. Wells offered comforting a comforting gaze and took Willow’s babbling in her stride.


“It’s a very hard process on you both. You have to take each development as it comes.”


Willow looked up, eyes glassy with unshed tears.


“Why isn’t it working? Is it my fault? Is it my eggs? Screw my eggs, I don’t care whose eggs we use! Her eggs work, they work, they worked with me, why are we using my reject ones?!”


The doctor recognized Willow’s pain and let her have a moment to compose herself.


“Unfortunately this is how the process goes. There are no guarantees. But you’re both doing everything right, everything you can.”


“There’s nothing else I can do?” Willow asked in a small voice.


“Plenty,” the doctor advised with enough confidence that it passed to Willow too, “Keep positive. And I know how difficult that is, I do. But for her, try to keep positive. And if the time comes that you decide to stop these procedures…let her mourn and hang onto hope that there is always a way. You have a strong relationship.”


Willow made herself stand taller.


“I can do positive. I can kick negative’s butt!”


The doctor smiled and geared Willow back toward the room Tara was in.


“Go in there and hold her hand. I’ll be in in a moment.”


Willow tossed the empty cup into the trash can and headed back into the treatment room with her head held high.


Tara watched her sit back down beside her, brimming with a smile.


“Did you get my water?”


Willow stalled for a moment.


“Um…the cooler was empty. I can get you a bottle from the car.”


“It’s okay, I’m not that thirsty,” Tara replied quietly.


That had put pause to Willow’s step, but she made herself recover for Tara’s sake. She took her wife’s hand.


“Just so you know, I think you’re so strong to do this for us.”


Tara slowly brought her gaze to meet Willow’s eyes.


“I don’t feel strong,” she admitted.


Willow brought her stool as close to the table as possible.


“What do you feel?”


Tara blinked away some tears.


“Scared. Scared I’m…broken.”


Willow brought Tara’s hand up to kiss it.


“You’re not broken, my love. You’re the strongest of us all.”


Tara waved her hand at her face and fought the tears back.


“I wish my womb would listen.”


Willow smiled, hoping her wife would mirror it.


“You just have to remind your womb to mind its manners. Tell it to say ‘hello little embryo, how are you doing today? Feeling all great and grow-y? Hey, can I offer you some nice uterine wall to attach to?’”


Tara not only smiled, she laughed and laughed hard. It was a joyous sound to Willow’s ears, who giggled along with her until they both calmed down, huddled close together. Willow rubbed her thumb over Tara’s knuckles and gazed at her lovingly.


“It’s gonna be okay, baby.”


Tara looked deep into Willow’s eyes and for the first time in a while, felt that strength pour through her.


“It’s gonna be okay.”


She caught Willow’s hand tighter and repositioned herself on the table with a steely determination. The doorknob moved with anticipation of the nurse and doctor coming through, and Tara leaned in to steal a kiss from her wife while she still could.


“Let’s make a baby.”

_________________
Amber Benson killed me once.

Check out my finished fics

Love, The SeriesTwo For Joy/21+/Joy To The WorldInevitable/Infinitely

Confidential EternalA Twisted DateDachsund Through The Snow


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 Post subject: Re: Family Confidential Episode II (Feb 25th 2020)
PostPosted: Tue Feb 25, 2020 8:23 am 
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7. Teeny Tinkerbell Light

Joined: Sun Jan 19, 2014 7:01 am
Posts: 557
Dibs! :whip You're early this time, luckily I just checked the site because I'm impatient.
Although we know that everything will be okay and that Tara is pregnant in the present, the majority of this chapter was painful to read. I was teary-eyed when Tara talked to her mom at the grave.
And it hurt my heart that Tara wasn't able to talk about her decision with Willow in the same way, to give her the reasons she told at the grave, but brushed her off in this almost cold manner:
Quote:
“I’m done.”


Willow sank down beside Tara.


“What do you mean?”


“I mean I’m done,” Tara elucidated clearly, “If this egg doesn’t work…it’s over.”


“O-Over?” Willow asked with her voice cracking.


Tara couldn’t stand the distress in her wife’s tone and stood up, leaving the room.


“I’m sorry. I just can’t anymore.”

Quote:
Willow looked up, eyes glassy with unshed tears.


“Why isn’t it working? Is it my fault? Is it my eggs? Screw my eggs, I don’t care whose eggs we use! Her eggs work, they work, they worked with me, why are we using my reject ones?!”

That almost did make me cry in front of my work-computer!
I'm glad that Dr. Wells could help Willow to find new strength and hope and that Willow managed to transfer that to Tara.
Quote:
“You’re not broken, my love. You’re the strongest of us all.”


Tara waved her hand at her face and fought the tears back.


“I wish my womb would listen.”


Willow smiled, hoping her wife would mirror it.


“You just have to remind your womb to mind its manners. Tell it to say ‘hello little embryo, how are you doing today? Feeling all great and grow-y? Hey, can I offer you some nice uterine wall to attach to?’”


Tara not only smiled, she laughed and laughed hard. It was a joyous sound to Willow’s ears, who giggled along with her until they both calmed down, huddled close together. Willow rubbed her thumb over Tara’s knuckles and gazed at her lovingly.


“It’s gonna be okay, baby.”


Tara looked deep into Willow’s eyes and for the first time in a while, felt that strength pour through her.


“It’s gonna be okay.”

She caught Willow’s hand tighter and repositioned herself on the table with a steely determination. The doorknob moved with anticipation of the nurse and doctor coming through, and Tara leaned in to steal a kiss from her wife while she still could.


“Let’s make a baby.”

Yes it is gonna be okay! And I'm sure that Tara's renewed belief somehow helped this one embryo to attach.
Now I'm really looking forward to Willow's reaction to Tara's revelation that this last try was a success.


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 Post subject: Re: Family Confidential Episode II (Feb 25th 2020)
PostPosted: Tue Feb 25, 2020 9:18 pm 
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3. Flaming O
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I seem to say this a lot,...but,..YES, YES, YES!!!
Tara's Mother put in a Good Word for them. I can't wait for the blessed event.
Keep up the great writing,..PLEASE!!
Blessings

_________________
Open Mind...True Words....Charitable Heart


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 Post subject: Re: Family Confidential Episode II (Feb 25th 2020)
PostPosted: Wed Feb 26, 2020 1:31 am 
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7. Teeny Tinkerbell Light

Joined: Sun Jan 19, 2014 7:01 am
Posts: 557
Yesterday I forgot to answer this:
Quote:
(though at this point I feel like I should point out this part of the original story summary: STORY RATING: PG-13 throughout — there actually were initially some 'adult scenes' in the early parts of this fic but I took them out. For some reason, they felt cheap or something as part of the overall story. I hope you're still able to enjoy the fic without!)

Actually I paid no attention to the story rating in chapter 1. Of course I will enjoy the story immensely nevertheless, but knowing your wonderful love scenes from your other stories, most recently "Inevitable", I can't imagine I would ever feel them as "cheap" or "out of place" or something. So feel free to change the rating later on or post some "deleted" love scenes seperately for me and other readers who'd like to read them (like a bonus-feature on a DVD :wink ).


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 Post subject: Re: Family Confidential Episode II (Feb 25th 2020)
PostPosted: Wed Feb 26, 2020 1:57 pm 
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10. Troll Hammer

Joined: Thu Apr 28, 2005 2:08 pm
Posts: 1163
Topics: 1
Location: Easton PA
Lots of interesting issues here:

1- that this Tara, instead of being Wiccan, is sort of "generally religious" (kind of like SMG & FPJ in real life) and so she's picked up Jewish mourning customs from Willow. Sounds like a family!

2- What Tara actually said at the graveside reminded me in sort of reverse of some things I've read from Amber herself. On her Livejorunal blog she said she has no plans to have a child for the interesting reason that she doesn't feel right having another person's existence dependent on her choice. Then some months later on Facebook she mentioned getting messages to the opposite effect from her eggs.

3- I can feel sympathy on the pregnancy issues. My ex-wife had had 4 miscarriages with 2 different guys before she even met me. That, plus side effects form her own disability and let's say "issues" of my own, plus our decision not to use any special interventions, well we had lots of worries when expecting our "Kit-kat" but in late fall of '90 everything worked out

_________________
Snapshots:http://thekittenboard.com/board/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=10210 a Love Story
____________________________________________________________
Kim: (breaks off the kissing) I l... (Sue stops her with a hand)
Sue: We don't talk about things like that right after, you know that, no saying those things in The Moment.
Kim: (moves the hand aside) Screw The Moment. I *love* you.


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 Post subject: Re: Family Confidential Episode II (Feb 25th 2020)
PostPosted: Fri Feb 28, 2020 7:00 am 
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Ms. Moderator Fantastico
Ms. Moderator Fantastico
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Will's redemption

Quote:
Dibs! :whip You're early this time, luckily I just checked the site because I'm impatient.


Yay! I do my best to post as early as possible but life etc happens sometimes.

Quote:
Although we know that everything will be okay and that Tara is pregnant in the present, the majority of this chapter was painful to read. I was teary-eyed when Tara talked to her mom at the grave.


It was a tough time. The kind of experience that really takes it out of you.

Quote:
And it hurt my heart that Tara wasn't able to talk about her decision with Willow in the same way, to give her the reasons she told at the grave, but brushed her off in this almost cold manner:


I think she feels like she's letting Willow down and she is not used to being in that position and she sort of just shut down. It's something she needs to watch out for...

Quote:
That almost did make me cry in front of my work-computer!


Aww! Crying in front of your work computer is probably not covered in the company handbook :lol

Quote:
I'm glad that Dr. Wells could help Willow to find new strength and hope and that Willow managed to transfer that to Tara.


You just gotta communicate, right? Sometimes it's easier said than done...

Quote:
Yes it is gonna be okay! And I'm sure that Tara's renewed belief somehow helped this one embryo to attach.


I like to think so too :)

Quote:
Now I'm really looking forward to Willow's reaction to Tara's revelation that this last try was a success.


And I give it to you...

Quote:
Yesterday I forgot to answer this:
Actually I paid no attention to the story rating in chapter 1. Of course I will enjoy the story immensely nevertheless, but knowing your wonderful love scenes from your other stories, most recently "Inevitable", I can't imagine I would ever feel them as "cheap" or "out of place" or something. So feel free to change the rating later on or post some "deleted" love scenes seperately for me and other readers who'd like to read them (like a bonus-feature on a DVD :wink ).


Thank you so much for saying this! So, I don't really see the rating changing HOWEVER I did save the 'adult' parts of the scenes I ended up re-writing so I may be able to come up with some kind of 'bonus feature'. Leave it with me!

Thanks so much for the feedback!

MotherD

Quote:
I seem to say this a lot,...but,..YES, YES, YES!!!

'
I take encouragement in all forms and welcome yours gladly!

Quote:
Tara's Mother put in a Good Word for them.


I think Tara's mom knew what she was doing and was guiding the right pregnancy to her :)

Quote:
I can't wait for the blessed event.


We'll get there, we'll get there, promise!

Quote:
Keep up the great writing,..PLEASE!!


:blush I'll do my best!

Quote:
Blessings


Blessings back :)

Thanks for your feedback!

DaddyCatALSO

Quote:
1- that this Tara, instead of being Wiccan, is sort of "generally religious" (kind of like SMG & FPJ in real life) and so she's picked up Jewish mourning customs from Willow. Sounds like a family!


I think Tara holds a lot of the values of Wicca without the witchcraft part but it's one of those religions that's hard to work into a non-canon fic. Willow's Judaism is easy to slot in but if Tara was a Wiccan by name, it would take a lot more finessing. So Tara believes in the spirituality of nature and love and family and if she believed in any god at all, it would be all of them working together to make a better world, the same way she tries to live her life.

Quote:
2- What Tara actually said at the graveside reminded me in sort of reverse of some things I've read from Amber herself. On her Livejorunal blog she said she has no plans to have a child for the interesting reason that she doesn't feel right having another person's existence dependent on her choice. Then some months later on Facebook she mentioned getting messages to the opposite effect from her eggs.


I don't remember her livejournal blog but I do remember some posts about having a baby on tumblr/blogspot maybe later on from that. Also I get you meant she probably wrote about getting messages from her eggs in a 'my ovaries are screaming at me' kinda way, but I'm laughing here imagining her eggs sending her facebook messages demanding to be fertilized :lol :lol

Quote:
3- I can feel sympathy on the pregnancy issues. My ex-wife had had 4 miscarriages with 2 different guys before she even met me. That, plus side effects form her own disability and let's say "issues" of my own, plus our decision not to use any special interventions, well we had lots of worries when expecting our "Kit-kat" but in late fall of '90 everything worked out


I'm glad everything worked out for you! It's a hard journey no matter what, I think.

Thanks for your comment



Update Directly Below

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 Post subject: Re: Family Confidential Episode II (Feb 25th 2020)
PostPosted: Fri Feb 28, 2020 7:00 am 
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Ms. Moderator Fantastico
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Chapter One



Present Day


“You’re gonna be a Momma again.”


Tara watched as over a couple of seconds Willow went from surprised to amazed to actually leaping up in the air with joy.


“Wait…what? You’re—you’re pregnant?” she asked in disbelief, though thankfully for their neighbors, not loudly, “They said it could be next week before the blood test was processed!”


Tara could barely contain her glee at finally being able to share this news.


“I felt different, so I took a test.”


Willow’s glee, however, suddenly faltered.


“Oh…honey…they told us not to take those tests. They can give false positives.”


“Which is why I called the clinic and spoke to the nurse and she confirmed it,” Tara quickly replied, “Dr. Wells asked for it to be rushed.”


Willow was back to being stunned.


“Are you serious?”


Tara nodded with utter delight.


“I think I made her feel so bad that she called in a favor but yes, they put a rush on it and got the results back just before the close of business and it’s official,” she answered, tears forming in her eyes, “I’m pregnant.”


Willow went red right to the roots of her hair, then suddenly picked Tara up and started spinning her around jubilantly. Never to be outdone by her own clumsiness, she tripped over a twig and sent them both flying, but to a soft landing on the blanket and pillows laid out for them.


She immediately made a grab for Tara, hands running over her front and landing on her stomach.


“Oh, oh, oh! Are you okay, is the baby okay?”


Tara covered Willow’s hand on her belly and gently brushed their fingers.


“I’m more than okay. But you probably shouldn’t do that again.”


Willow met Tara’s eyes and immediately felt a lump rise in her throat.


“Tara.”


Tara lifted her hand and pressed her palm to Willow’s cheek.


“We’re having a baby, baby.”


“We’re having a baby, baby,” Willow replied giddily, “I knew we would.”


Tara’s gaze dropped.


“I didn’t.”


Willow felt the pain hiding behind Tara’s eyes. It had been a long road, in days and emotions.


“I didn’t think we’d get here,” Tara continued, eyes closing and reopening with fresh tears.


Willow brushed away Tara’s tears.


“I know. I know. But we’re here now. We made it.”


Tara nodded as if to assert the feelings to herself and not just Willow.


“We made it. But when I think of where we started…”


Willow leaned in and kissed Tara’s lips on the blanket.


“I’m sorry I was so reluctant at first,” she said apologetically as she moved her hand so her palm covered Tara’s belly, “I couldn’t be happier.”


Tara enjoyed the press of her silk top under the pressure of Willow’s hand and leaned in to give her a kiss.


She let her lips envelope Willow’s softly for a few moments before taking the hand on her stomach and tugging it.


“Let’s go eat, I’m starving.”


Willow grinned as they helped each other up.


“Wait ‘til your third trimester. Remember the 3 am Butterfinger and cotton candy yogurt dashes to the store?”


“Fondly,” Tara replied with a crooked smile as she pulled out the chair for Willow and imitated her, “‘No spoon—just chocolate.’ Apparently, you weren’t craving complete sentences.”


Willow couldn’t quite give up her hold on Tara’s other hand.


“I’ll be that soldier now,” she replied, reaching up to stroke Tara’s cheek with her finger, “Can’t wait. You can just grunt words if you want; I understand Tara-grunts.”


Tara turned her head to kiss Willow’s palm, giving her a coquettish smile.


“You understand them well.”


Willow blushed but didn’t avert her gaze. She tapped Tara’s jawline and leaned in to kiss her softly.


“Let me serve you up,” Tara said when they parted.


“Okay,” Willow agreed, then slid her hand into her pocket for her phone, “I’m gonna call the kids real quick to say goodnight.”


“Let me say goodnight at the end,” Tara requested as she walked in through the sliding door.


She made up two plates and brought them out to Willow, who was smiling on the phone.


“Wow, three bites of broccoli? Sounds like Robbie will do anything for some of Grandma’s banana bread.”


Tara motioned for her to put it on speaker and their daughter’s bright voice crackled through moments later.


“‘nana bwead!” Robyn shouted happily, then there was muffled sound before she spoke again, “Ganpy say nigh’ nigh’.”


“Okay, put your brother on the phone,” Willow asked, inhaling the steam from the plate as Tara set it down and looking at her with a watering mouth and hungry eyes.


“This looks great,” she whispered, covering the speaker on the phone for a moment and leaned over to peck Tara’s cheek while Robyn’s retreating voice could be heard shouting ‘Jay-Jay’.


“Hello?” JJ appeared a moment later.


“Hey buddy,” Willow greeted their son, “Just calling to say goodnight.”


“Hello sweetie,” Tara added warmly, “Are you having a nice night with your grandparents?”


“Yeah, Grandma made banana bread and Gramps gave me one of his old baseball cards!” JJ gushed, and Tara could picture him rocking excitedly between his toes and heels the exact same way Willow did when she was excited, “Baseball’s not as cool as basketball but he gave me Mickey Mantle. He’s so cool, he was a Yankee and he hit the most home runs in the World Series!”


“That’s amazing,” Willow replied, showing appropriate enthusiasm as she hid her dread at the thoughts of having to watch more sports on TV if JJ really got into baseball as much as he did basketball.


He already commandeered the television for every game he could read on the planner and had a few special games recorded to re-watch regularly.


“Make sure you thank your Grandpa,” Tara encouraged, “And help with your sister in the morning if she gets upset, you know how to calm her down.”


“Yes, Mom,” JJ said flatly, “I gotta go, Gramps said I could stay up to see the Knicks play the Bulls!”


“Okay, bye—” Willow started, but the line went dead before she could finish, “Kids.”


“When did I stop being ‘Mommy’ and start being ‘Mommmmm’?” Tara asked with a sigh.


“All these teams, I just about recognize ‘Yankees’,” Willow replied, scratching her head, “He has a game tomorrow, right?”


Tara picked up her fork to indicate they could start eating.


“Yes, we’re collecting Alex at 11 but we’re not allowed cheer when he scores a basket.”


“Oh, well aren’t we lucky he’s deigned us cool enough to drive him,” Willow said with an affectionate roll of her eye, “7 going on 17.”


She picked up a piece of chicken on her fork and totally relaxed back into the chair as the flavors ran along her tongue.


“This is amazing,” she said, dabbing her mouth and leaning over to kiss Tara yet again in a kiss she couldn’t resist, “This whole night is amazing. I’m gonna be a Momma again! That part wasn’t a dream?”


Tara put her finger delicately against her lips and Willow quickly nodded.


“Right, just our secret for now,” she said dutifully, but her grin gave her away moments later, “But I’m so excited, I want to scream it! Baby, baby, baby!”


She dropped to her knees and lifted Tara’s shirt to repeatedly kiss her stomach and Tara threw her head back with joyful laughter. It was the climax of all of the tension it had taken to get there and she could hardly deny her wife in reaping all the elation she could.


She reached down and cupped Willow’s cheek, tilting her head up so their gazes met.


“I have your baby inside me.”


She leaned down and kissed Willow’s lips once, softly.


“Thank you for giving me a baby.”


Willow opened her mouth to reply but was just speechless, so kissed Tara instead.


After a moment, Willow slid back into her seat, keeping one hand linked tightly with Tara’s and they finished their slightly cold, but much enjoyed dinner.


Tara had almost completely cleaned up already, so Willow insisted on finishing and sent Tara upstairs to relax.


Tara went up to the bedroom but didn’t run a bath in their bathroom, as suggested. She snuck the chocolate strawberries and one glass of wine up, leaving both on Willow’s nightstand.


She then dug out their candle stash, creating a triangle perfectly engulfing the bed by placing one on each nightstand and directly opposite on the dresser. She debated whether to undress or leave herself to be undressed but decided to slip into some of her lingerie, taking advantage of still being able to fit into it.


She smoothed the appropriately-baby-blue baby doll down her front, sent a smile stomach-ward and a little pat for the next Rosenberg-Maclay she was honored to carry.


She put some music on, a treat in itself as they were always too worried about waking the kids. She still put it low — she didn’t want it to be louder than the moans they muffled into each other. She could still hear rustling downstairs, so she popped into the bathroom to brush her teeth before finally angling herself on the bed on her side with her knee bent evocatively.


A few minutes later, she heard the sound of locking up and light switches being flicked, then finally steps on the stairs and the kiddie gate opening and closing.


Willow came into the bedroom with a magazine in her hand, which promptly dropped straight to the floor when she came through the door.


“Whoa.”


Tara patted the bed invitingly.


“It’s lonely in here.”


Willow’s body was pulled to the bed like a magnet, or at least that’s what she assumed happened as she had no memory of actually walking over there.


She crawled into the bed and lay beside Tara; faces close enough to share breath.


Tara’s smile slid up on one side and she reached over Willow to pluck one of the strawberries from the plate. She pressed it to Willow’s lips, who nibbled on it without her eyes ever leaving Tara’s.


Tara rolled the strawberry around Willow’s lips, then took it back and bit it herself. With its juices still on her lips she kissed Willow, soft and assured.


“We’ve been in a cycle of hormones and procedures and disappointments…of not being able to have sex when we want to have sex and not wanting to have sex when we were able…” she breathed into Willow’s mouth, “Now I just want to consume you.”


Willow felt the air pulled from her lungs at the way Tara evocatively whispered the last two words.


“I, I can be consumed,” she stammered, bottom lip quaking and chapped, “I’m very consumable. ‘Most consumable’, that’s what they voted me in high school, after ‘most likely to never stop being a dork’ but I’m pretty sure that was an unsanctioned superlat—Oh!”


Tara kissed Willow’s throat and Willow's eyes rolled back into her head. It was such a simple touch but Tara did it just so.


Another little kiss was left right in the hollow as Willow swallowed and this time, Willow moaned. Tara lifted her mouth and was about to plant it right on Willow’s, she suddenly felt a roll of nausea. She’d actually been experiencing it on and off over the last couple of days, but she’d put it down to the stress and anxiety of the wait. It had never come on quite so strongly before though.


Her nose twitched and she felt that tumble in her belly. She could feel where the scent was coming from now it now; the yellow candle flickering behind Willow. She could certainly smell it. And her stomach was going into revolt over it.


Without much of a chance to say anything to Willow, she tumbled out of bed and made a beeline for the bathroom so she could relief her stomach of its nausea.


Willow wasn’t far behind, on her knees to hold Tara’s hair back.


“Oh, babe. You’re really getting it hard to get morning sickness this early. It’s okay, I’ve got you. Willow’s got you.”


It didn’t take too long for Tara to feel better again, but as she flushed and wiped her mouth with some tissue paper, she looked to Willow with a pained expression.


“That was not what I had intended when I put this outfit on.”


Willow ran her hand down Tara’s hair and fell off to gently rub her stomach.


“Well I still enjoyed the outfit a whole lot.”


Tara grinned and Willow kissed her cheek.


“Do you need a shower or anything?”


“Wouldn’t mind some of those jets,” Tara replied with a wry smile.


Willow held Tara around the waist and put her chin on Tara’s shoulder.


“You’re not cheating on me with Mr. Shower Head.”


“It’s 'Mrs.',” Tara retorted.


“A married showerhead,” Willow replied with a clicking tongue, “Have you no shame?”


Tara raised an eyebrow suggestively.


“Let’s just say her surname is ‘head’ for a reason.”


Willow smirked and brushed some hair away from the nape of Tara’s neck to kiss there.


“Vixen.”


She nuzzled her nose into the spot where Tara’s neck met her shoulder then helped her stand up.


“I just need a minute,” Tara said as she settled back into standing position.


“Of course,” Willow nodded and returned to the bedroom.


She quickly blew out the candles and opened a window to help air the place out a bit.


She laid back in bed and finished the last mouthful of wine and the second chocolate strawberry so it wouldn’t go bad — she was environmentally conscious that way.


Tara returned after a couple of minutes with mint on her breath and got back into bed without changing, a development Willow was pleased by.


She leaned in for a kiss and Tara was happy to comply.


When they popped apart, Tara happily started to wiggle downward.


“I need some jelly belly.”


‘Jelly Belly’ was what Tara affectionately called Willow’s post-pregnancy stomach that never smoothed out again despite her losing most of the baby weight.


Willow had been self-conscious about her stomach and after expressing it to her wife, Tara had said ‘I love your jelly belly’.


Willow had been a bit hurt at first, but it was said with so much sincerity, followed with so much sincere affection, that she realized it was a lot better for Tara to extend love to something Willow saw as an imperfection than if Tara had just told her she looked the same and not to worry about it falsely.


So she embraced her jelly belly and had come to love the attention it got.


“We’ll both have jelly bellies soon,” she replied and smiled when she realized she quite liked the idea of kissing Tara’s jiggling stomach too.


“If I stay as sexy as you I have nothing to worry about,” Tara replied, kissing Willow’s faded stretch marks, “I love this belly. It looked after our baby so well.”


Willow closed her eyes for a moment to blink away tears. She knew Tara meant that, and that meant everything. She was looking forward to getting to fall in love with Tara’s changing body too.


Tara kissed back up Willow’s body, undoing the buttons on her blouse on the way but paused back at Willow’s neck.


“I don’t think I’m up for much more tonight. I’m so sorry.”


Willow held Tara with a hand either side of her neck.


“You have no reason to be sorry.”


She pulled her in for another kiss but again, Tara had to make a dash off the bed.


“I gotta pee, I gotta pee.”


“Yep, get used to that too!” Willow called after her.


Tara ran into their bathroom, then called out in relief moments later.


“I’m so glad we built on the bathroom.”


“Yeah, no kidding,” Willow replied, lying lazily back in bed, “You know we’ll have three teenagers one day. They’ll outnumber us!”


It was getting chilly so Willow got up to close the window again now that the scented smell had left the room. While up she set the music to play out the last song and turn itself off.


The toilet flushed and Tara came out of the bathroom a moment later.


“JJ will be 21 by the time this one is 13.”


Willow looked at her in horror.


“Don’t say horrible things like that. He’ll be my little boy forever.”


Tara came over and kissed Willow’s shoulder.


“Of course he will.”


She went back to bed and Willow went into the bathroom to brush her teeth. As she was brushing, she sat to use the facilities and noticed the pregnancy test sitting in the trash.


Making sure not to use her brushing hand, she picked it up by the ‘safe’ end and smiled at the two pink lines. It made her feel fuzzy inside and she wondered how she could have ever thought this was a bad idea.


She finished up in the bathroom, then walked back into the room and waved the test around.


“Would it be weird to keep this?”


“Yes,” Tara nodded quickly, “I peed on it.”


Willow sighed.


“Yeah, alright.”


She went back to the bathroom, put the test back in the trash and washed her hands again. She returned to bed and placed her hand on Tara’s stomach.


“You said you felt it. I felt it too when it was me. Like a little warm worm wiggling in my belly.”


Tara covered Willow’s hand and brushed their fingers together.


“I know it’s silly but I felt it…as soon as it went in. I knew it felt different from the other times.”


Willow nodded.


“You seemed different. When we went into that last appointment you were…well, I’m sure you remember how you felt. So distraught. But you seemed hopeful again coming out,” she explained, “You weren’t as…crazy nervous. Or stressed. Or so heartbroken.”


She looked up at her wife and offered a sheepish smile.


“And well, you um, had sex with me. I couldn’t return obviously but you were insistent so I knew you weren’t just being nice. You had that coy smile on your face…I dunno, it just wasn’t a side I’d seen in a while.”


Tara put her arm around Willow and held her close.


“I haven’t been the easiest person to live with the last few months.”


“You haven’t had the easiest time the last few months, you mean,” Willow corrected, then smiled, “But this is it, now. That road has ended and we have a whole new start.”


“One that’s been a long time coming,” Tara replied with a long exhale, “Maybe not in years…but in emotion.”


“I know it’s been torturous. For you especially,” Willow said, then patted Tara’s stomach, “And I’ve found it tough too. Seeing you go through it and work being a bit of a nightmare with things piling up during appointments. But it was worth it.”


Tara nodded surely.


“Worth every last agonizing second for what’s going on inside me right now.”


“And worth every agonizing pregnancy symptom you’re going to endure,” Willow reassured, “At least now I’ll actually catch up with work when I help you through them. I can work on my laptop with one hand and hold your hand with the other!”


“I think I’ve started with the sensitive boobs thing too…” Tara replied, cupping one of her own breasts, “You touched my nipples while we were kissing and you could have been touching me much lower.”


Willow circled the air above Tara’s nipple, not actually making contact.


“We’re going to have to wrap them up in some kind of resistance tape.”


“The rough stuff?” Tara asked with an arched eyebrow, “I like a little spanking every now and then but I don’t think I’m into getting tape pulled off my nipples. Especially now.”


“No, resistance— So I can resist temptation,” Willow clarified, and laughed at the look on her wife’s face, “Hey I’m going to be a mom of three, I get to make jokes like that.”


She paused and her face broke out in a serene smile.


“Wow. Three.”


“Three little loves,” Tara confirmed softly.


Willow leaned in and kissed her wife’s lips again.


“I love you, Mrs. Rosenberg-Maclay.”


Tara returned the kiss.


“I love you too, Mrs. Rosenberg-Maclay.”


They nuzzled noses as their legs tangled together and both glanced down at the same time; both appreciating the space they had between their stomachs and looking forward to the day when it would be impossible.


Their gazes met with a smile and Tara settled her head under Willow’s chin and snuggled in close.


“Goodnight, love.”


Willow brushed her hand along Tara’s spine soothingly, then over her stomach for a last feel of the new life growing beneath.


“Goodnight loves.”

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Check out my finished fics

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 Post subject: Re: Family Confidential Episode II (Feb 28th 2020)
PostPosted: Sun Mar 01, 2020 6:41 pm 
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""She smoothed the appropriately-baby-blue baby doll down her front, sent a smile stomach-ward and a little pat for the next Rosenberg-Maclay she was honored to carry.""
Is this some sort of subliminal CLUE as to the gender of the new baby?
Probably Not, but my mind goes to strange places. Another excellent update to Another great story. Thanks so much for keeping this "family" going.
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 Post subject: Re: Family Confidential Episode II (Feb 28th 2020)
PostPosted: Mon Mar 02, 2020 2:49 am 
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7. Teeny Tinkerbell Light

Joined: Sun Jan 19, 2014 7:01 am
Posts: 557
Quote:
Willow was back to being stunned.


“Are you serious?”


Tara nodded with utter delight.


“I think I made her feel so bad that she called in a favor but yes, they put a rush on it and got the results back just before the close of business and it’s official,” she answered, tears forming in her eyes, “I’m pregnant.”


Willow went red right to the roots of her hair, then suddenly picked Tara up and started spinning her around jubilantly. Never to be outdone by her own clumsiness, she tripped over a twig and sent them both flying, but to a soft landing on the blanket and pillows laid out for them.


She immediately made a grab for Tara, hands running over her front and landing on her stomach.


“Oh, oh, oh! Are you okay, is the baby okay?”


Tara covered Willow’s hand on her belly and gently brushed their fingers.


“I’m more than okay. But you probably shouldn’t do that again.”

:laugh Yeah Willow, no more spinning / throwing of the soon-to-be mom!

Quote:
Tara motioned for her to put it on speaker and their daughter’s bright voice crackled through moments later.


“‘nana bwead!” Robyn shouted happily, then there was muffled sound before she spoke again, “Ganpy say nigh’ nigh’.”

Awww, how cute! Robyn is really advanced that she's merrily talking on the phone already, from what my parents told me I didn't talk into a phone when I was a toddler (probably didn't understand that my grandparents or other people were actually "on the other end").
Quote:
“Yes, we’re collecting Alex at 11 but we’re not allowed cheer when he scores a basket.”


“Oh, well aren’t we lucky he’s deigned us cool enough to drive him,” Willow said with an affectionate roll of her eye, “7 going on 17.”

Again very advanced - a little sad that JJ already feels embarrrassed about the attention his mothers show him in public (not just kisses or hugs either).

Quote:
“This is amazing,” she said, dabbing her mouth and leaning over to kiss Tara yet again in a kiss she couldn’t resist, “This whole night is amazing. I’m gonna be a Momma again! That part wasn’t a dream?”


Tara put her finger delicately against her lips and Willow quickly nodded.


“Right, just our secret for now,” she said dutifully, but her grin gave her away moments later, “But I’m so excited, I want to scream it! Baby, baby, baby!”


She dropped to her knees and lifted Tara’s shirt to repeatedly kiss her stomach and Tara threw her head back with joyful laughter. It was the climax of all of the tension it had taken to get there and she could hardly deny her wife in reaping all the elation she could.


She reached down and cupped Willow’s cheek, tilting her head up so their gazes met.


“I have your baby inside me.”


She leaned down and kissed Willow’s lips once, softly.


“Thank you for giving me a baby.”


Willow opened her mouth to reply but was just speechless, so kissed Tara instead.

:flower :wtkiss

Quote:
Tara’s smile slid up on one side and she reached over Willow to pluck one of the strawberries from the plate. She pressed it to Willow’s lips, who nibbled on it without her eyes ever leaving Tara’s.


Tara rolled the strawberry around Willow’s lips, then took it back and bit it herself. With its juices still on her lips she kissed Willow, soft and assured.


“We’ve been in a cycle of hormones and procedures and disappointments…of not being able to have sex when we want to have sex and not wanting to have sex when we were able…” she breathed into Willow’s mouth, “Now I just want to consume you.”


Willow felt the air pulled from her lungs at the way Tara evocatively whispered the last two words.

:drool :drool :drool
Quote:
“I, I can be consumed,” she stammered, bottom lip quaking and chapped, “I’m very consumable. ‘Most consumable’, that’s what they voted me in high school, after ‘most likely to never stop being a dork’ but I’m pretty sure that was an unsanctioned superlat—Oh!”

:rofl
Quote:
Without much of a chance to say anything to Willow, she tumbled out of bed and made a beeline for the bathroom so she could relief her stomach of its nausea.


Willow wasn’t far behind, on her knees to hold Tara’s hair back.


“Oh, babe. You’re really getting it hard to get morning sickness this early. It’s okay, I’ve got you. Willow’s got you.”


It didn’t take too long for Tara to feel better again, but as she flushed and wiped her mouth with some tissue paper, she looked to Willow with a pained expression.


“That was not what I had intended when I put this outfit on.”


Boo for the morning sickness interrupting their sexy time! Good thing that Tara managed not to throw up on Willow like she did many years ago in Adult Confidential.

Quote:
She laid back in bed and finished the last mouthful of wine and the second chocolate strawberry so it wouldn’t go bad — she was environmentally conscious that way.

:lol Greta would be proud!
Quote:
“I need some jelly belly.”


‘Jelly Belly’ was what Tara affectionately called Willow’s post-pregnancy stomach that never smoothed out again despite her losing most of the baby weight.


Willow had been self-conscious about her stomach and after expressing it to her wife, Tara had said ‘I love your jelly belly’.


Willow had been a bit hurt at first, but it was said with so much sincerity, followed with so much sincere affection, that she realized it was a lot better for Tara to extend love to something Willow saw as an imperfection than if Tara had just told her she looked the same and not to worry about it falsely.


So she embraced her jelly belly and had come to love the attention it got.


This bit once again shows what a wonderful couple they are.

Quote:
“JJ will be 21 by the time this one is 13.”


Willow looked at her in horror.


“Don’t say horrible things like that. He’ll be my little boy forever.”


Tara came over and kissed Willow’s shoulder.


“Of course he will.”

:laugh

Quote:
She paused and her face broke out in a serene smile.


“Wow. Three.”


“Three little loves,” Tara confirmed softly.


Willow leaned in and kissed her wife’s lips again.


“I love you, Mrs. Rosenberg-Maclay.”


Tara returned the kiss.


“I love you too, Mrs. Rosenberg-Maclay.”


They nuzzled noses as their legs tangled together and both glanced down at the same time; both appreciating the space they had between their stomachs and looking forward to the day when it would be impossible.


Their gazes met with a smile and Tara settled her head under Willow’s chin and snuggled in close.


“Goodnight, love.”


Willow brushed her hand along Tara’s spine soothingly, then over her stomach for a last feel of the new life growing beneath.


“Goodnight loves.”

Another Awww-moment! :flower


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 Post subject: Re: Family Confidential Episode II (Feb 28th 2020)
PostPosted: Mon Mar 02, 2020 3:32 pm 
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20. Not one Much for the Timber
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Location: H-Town, Texas
I'm so happy you're continuing this story. I LOVE the Hacker-Verse and it's wonderful to see them doing so well, personally and financially.

I know I've said this before, but you truly nailed the long-term-relationship-disagreement. They are always so dumb and start over something equally dumb. Dealing with a remodel is stressful enough, but having small children on top of it...DISASTER. I could totally relate to Willow's shitty mood with having all that going on and trying to live there at the same time. It's really not like what you see on HGTV either. Just getting your shit moved is enough to want to throw your spouse out a window, lol. We had our bed and bathroom totally redone SIX MONTHS AGO and half our shit is still in J's room. :happy

Anyway, I was SO HAPPY to see them finally conceive in the last chapter. We never went through it, having adopted, but two of my best friends did it and nearly lost their minds. They spent thousands, neither ever conceived and both ended up adopting. So yes, what you depicted is right in line with reality. Secretly, I'm kinda looking forward to accidental twins or triplets or quads or Willow and Tara +8. Someone would have to quit a job at that point.

Looking forward to MORE!!

-JMT

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 Post subject: Re: Family Confidential Episode II (Feb 28th 2020)
PostPosted: Tue Mar 03, 2020 5:00 am 
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MotherD

Quote:
Is this some sort of subliminal CLUE as to the gender of the new baby?


Haha! I was going for the 'baby' pun rather than the 'blue'...or was I? Or is it all a red herring?! :kdevil

Quote:
Probably Not, but my mind goes to strange places. Another excellent update to Another great story. Thanks so much for keeping this "family" going.
Blessings


I feel honored to get to live in their world some more!

Thanks so much for commenting!

Will's redemption

Quote:
:laugh Yeah Willow, no more spinning / throwing of the soon-to-be mom!


Not the wisest of ideas.

Quote:
Awww, how cute! Robyn is really advanced that she's merrily talking on the phone already, from what my parents told me I didn't talk into a phone when I was a toddler (probably didn't understand that my grandparents or other people were actually "on the other end").


Maybe it's 'cause kids these days are surrounded by phones all the time but my nephew is a little older than her and he's been babbling away to us (they live in Australia) for ages. Can never understand him but my brother translates perfectly :laugh It's probably because with video calling it's much easier to visualize the other person.

Quote:
Again very advanced - a little sad that JJ already feels embarrrassed about the attention his mothers show him in public (not just kisses or hugs either).


In my experience little boys reject their mothers' fussing from early on! In front of their friends anyway. In that sense, I don't peg him as being much different than anyone else on his team. He also, like most boys that age, doesn't really mean it.

Quote:
Boo for the morning sickness interrupting their sexy time! Good thing that Tara managed not to throw up on Willow like she did many years ago in Adult Confidential.


:lol Willow is ready for anything at this point!

Quote:
:lol Greta would be proud!


Hey, everyone has to do their bit...

Quote:
This bit once again shows what a wonderful couple they are.


They are pure love exuding for each other :bigkiss

Quote:
Another Awww-moment! :flower


:wtkiss

Thanks so much for your feedback!

Finey_McFine

Quote:
I'm so happy you're continuing this story. I LOVE the Hacker-Verse and it's wonderful to see them doing so well, personally and financially.


I've been calling it Confidential!Verse all this time when Hacker-Verse has been available for me all this time! Makes it sound like a spiderman multiverse.

Quote:
I know I've said this before, but you truly nailed the long-term-relationship-disagreement. They are always so dumb and start over something equally dumb. Dealing with a remodel is stressful enough, but having small children on top of it...DISASTER. I could totally relate to Willow's shitty mood with having all that going on and trying to live there at the same time. It's really not like what you see on HGTV either. Just getting your shit moved is enough to want to throw your spouse out a window, lol. We had our bed and bathroom totally redone SIX MONTHS AGO and half our shit is still in J's room. :happy


I was cranky even getting the floors replaced :lol But yes I have found that the more annoying parts of domesticity can be huge trigger points...probably because it's disturbing the blissful parts!

Quote:
Anyway, I was SO HAPPY to see them finally conceive in the last chapter. We never went through it, having adopted, but two of my best friends did it and nearly lost their minds. They spent thousands, neither ever conceived and both ended up adopting. So yes, what you depicted is right in line with reality. Secretly, I'm kinda looking forward to accidental twins or triplets or quads or Willow and Tara +8. Someone would have to quit a job at that point.


Willow and Tara + 8, I love it. They won't get quite that far...

Sorry your friends couldn't conceive but I bet they couldn't imagine any child but the one they have now! But it's a tough, tough road. All of the stories I read while researching made me feel glad I'll never be able to try to get pregnant.

Quote:
Looking forward to MORE!!

-JMT


More you shall have!

Thanks so much for your feedback JMT!



Update Directly Below

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 Post subject: Re: Family Confidential Episode II (Feb 28th 2020)
PostPosted: Tue Mar 03, 2020 5:00 am 
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Chapter Two




It was a brisk but clear spring morning that Tara found herself waking to her first full day of being knowingly pregnant.


‘Knowingly’, she thought to herself, was a funny word, because she had known – deep inside of her – that this time it had actually worked right from the get-go. For someone who had been ready to give up and move on from this dream, she had actually felt the warmth spread throughout her body as the embryo had been released into her uterus.


She hadn’t wanted to get her hopes up; the previous months had taught her how soul-crushing that could be. But every day had felt like a build-up to a birthday, or wedding, or vacation. A sure event. She just had to wait and she’d be rewarded.


Buying the pregnancy test had made her hands shake, both with the anticipation and the fear that she was somehow tempting fate. The cashier, probably used to seeing women in a similar state with such a purchase, had offered a kind smile and a coupon for a bottle of Gatorade to help along the process of finding out.


Tara had taken it but saved the drink for JJ to have after his basketball practice that afternoon.


She had cleared her morning but as soon as she had gotten a chance to go home and carry out the test, work rang with an urgent case that needed tending to.


She hesitated but ultimately had to leave it on the side of the sink to run off and get back into the car and drive to the situation where she was needed. She made a brief call to the clinic on the way to see if they could tell her anything but was left disappointed yet again when nothing was back.


Her afternoon consisted of some of her never-ending stream of paperwork, collecting JJ and dropping him to basketball and then bringing Robyn to toddler swim before loading them both back home.


After settling Robyn in her playpen and getting JJ a snack, Tara had finally had a moment to herself.


“Jake, keep an eye on your sister for me, okay?”


“Okay Mom,” JJ had answered, shoving peanut butter topped Ritz crackers into his mouth with one hand while the other held a pencil, steadily working out his math homework.


Tara ascended the stairs without displaying any of the anxiety she was feeling inside, and through their bedroom to the shiny new bathroom where she’d left the oblong indicator of her future.


She stood a foot away, staring at the piece of plastic. Her hands had started to shake now and she was waiting for them to stop. When it became clear that wasn’t going to happen, she just snatched the test up and turned it toward her.


The two pink lines stared back at her like flashing lights at the end of a very dark tunnel. She shook her head to clear her vision, sure it was a mirage of sorts; her desires tricking her brain into seeing what she wanted to see.


As she was still trying to work out whether she was double-versioned or single-minded, her cell phone buzzed in her front pocket.


Having the job she had and two kids to keep track of, she always answered, no matter what, so one hand slid down to take the phone out automatically.


“Hello?” she answered absent-mindedly.


She listened to the other side for a minute and dropped the test in shock. She stood there in stunned silence for a moment before gathering herself together.


“Yes, yes, I’m here. Thank you for confirming. Thank you. Bye.”


She hung up, blinked several times, then finally allowed a huge, all-encompassing smile to break out on her face.


She stopped short of jumping up and down, though she wanted to, and quickly disposed of the test. She washed her hands before making her way back downstairs.


“Kids…do you want to spend the night at Grandpa’s?”


The kids had jumped at the chance, because they got away with a lot more at their grandparents, and Michelle and Ira had been ever-obliging when Tara had called to see if it was okay.


It hadn’t taken much to organize a night in for herself and Willow and it had been worth holding off calling her and screaming the news when she got to see the look on her wife’s face as she told her.


Back in the present on her first full day of knowing, Tara looked over at her wife’s sleeping face — in a rare moment free of snores or drool, though her mouth was slightly open. Tara reached over and gently closed it, then tickled Willow’s cheek.


Willow snorted and rolled over. Tara just smiled and moved her hand to caress her belly.


“You have the best Momma, little one. But I hope you don’t inherit her sleeping habits.”


She patted the spot above her bellybutton and swung her legs out of bed. She immediately felt woozy, something she’d noticed the past few days but had put down to not being able to stomach much to eat from her nerves. This time, at least, she didn’t have to make a dash for the bathroom.


“Whoa. Guess I have to get used to that now.”


She stood a bit slower and made sure she was steady on her feet before padding across the room to their bathroom. The warmth of spring meant it was a much more pleasant journey than it had been during the winter months, but Tara still appreciated the under-floor heating beneath her feet when she stepped into the bathroom.


She went through a brief morning routine; brushing her teeth, cleaning her face, popping her prenatal vitamin.


She smiled as it slid down her throat.


That’s for you, baby. All you need to do is keep on growing.


She looked at herself in the mirror and though she couldn’t identify a traditional ‘glow’ —
in fact, she looked quite tired still — one thing was obvious:


She was happy.


The months of trying had been hard on her — she had no idea how people went through it for years — but now her face could barely contain her smile. She looked away, bashful even of her own reflection and loosely tied her hair up in a ponytail to keep it out of her face.


She got dressed quickly and silently, so as not to wake Willow. She picked a pair of flats and carried them downstairs so she wouldn’t make noise on the stairs. Her tummy rumbled with hunger, so she grabbed a banana while she put the coffee pot on but her stomach put a stop to it mid-peel.


She'd spoken, or thought, too soon about making a dash for the bathroom.


That was the same smell she’d gotten last night before her stomach contents had been upchucked. Why on earth did they have a banana scented candle? It was her own fault for getting sucked in with multipacks.


Quickly dropping the banana again, she was able to avoid anything more than a passing few seconds of queasiness and opted instead to get some granola and yogurt.


She leaned back against the counter and the smell of the brewing coffee wafted up into her nose. It smelled rich and earthy and she knew she would miss her regular cup of Joe; but since she tended to have it so caffeine-dense it could wake Sleeping Beauty from slumber, it had been a reduced treat since they started trying again. And one she was cutting out completely now.


Anything for you, baby.


Her hand pressed against her stomach again and she thought by the end of her tenure she might just be left with a permanent imprint, and that wasn’t even accounting for Willow touching her.


You are so loved.


She took another moment to herself to internalize the feeling of wanting to dance and skip with joy.


When she’d calmed herself down, she glanced out to the back yard and considered donning her gardening gloves, but didn’t much feel like crawling around on her knees today. She checked her watch and decided it was time to relieve Ira and Michelle anyway.


It was a nice day, so she walked the few blocks to her aunt and father-in-law’s house; hearing her children before seeing them. When she turned the corner she finally saw the mouths where all of the laughter was coming from.


Michelle was sitting on a sun lounger, accepting imaginary cups of tea from Robyn who was sitting by her on a blanket with her tea set and various other kitchen toys.


Ira was sitting in a garden chair, helping JJ shoot layups in the net hanging off the garage door, by tossing the ball back and forth between shots.


“Good boy, perfect underhand,” Ira praised as the basketball sank through the net and bounced back to JJ.


“Nice shot Jakey,” Tara commended as she stepped onto the corner of the grass.


“Thanks, Mom!” JJ replied with a smile over his shoulder, “Hi, Mom!”


Tara wiggled her fingers in a greeting but before Ira and Michelle could say hello to her, or she to them, a Robyn-sized rocket launched itself at her leg.


“Mommmmm-eeeeeeeee!”


Tara looked down at the mop of unkempt strawberry-blonde hair, which she knew was unbrushed. Not through any lack of trying on the grandparents’ part, but her daughter’s flat out refusal to stay still long enough.


Robyn reached for Tara’s hand and used all her little baby strength to try and drag Tara away, pointing animatedly to her set-up.


“Tee fuh gamma!”


“I’m coming,” Tara replied, smiling in greeting to Michelle, “I’ll come and see grandma.”


Robyn turned back sternly, thinking she’d been misunderstood.


“Teeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, Mom-mee, teeeeeeee!”


“Tea, I will come and have tea,” Tara reassured as she sat at the end of Michelle’s lounger.


Robyn looked over in Ira’s direction.


“An’ Ganpy.”


“I would love a cup, princess, would you bring me some?” Ira asked lovingly.


Robyn carefully poured a cup of imaginary tea and toddled over to Ira. Ira made a show of enjoying it with a pinky up, much to Robyn’s delight.


Tara smiled at them.


“They love it here. Thanks so much for taking them on such short notice.”


“Oh we love to have them,” Michelle replied affectionately, “JJ is a great help with Robyn, knows how to settle her down and what her garbled requests mean. I know Ira is very proud of the boy, as am I.”


“He’s a great big brother,” Tara replied, fighting hard to resist the urge to touch her belly, “But really, thank you. You’ve helped us out a lot the past few months.”


Michelle reached over and patted Tara’s hand.


“That’s what family is for. I’m glad you and Willow had a night to yourselves. You’ve seemed like you needed it.”


Tara picked up the implication; her stress had been obvious, even if the reason was unknown.


“We’ve had a crazy few months with the renovations and Robyn tumbling headfirst into toddlerdom,” she covered, for once glad that their chaotic life gave her an excuse, “But we really appreciate it.”


They chatted for a few minutes until Tara checked the time and knew Michelle would be leaving soon for her regular weekend hair appointment.


“Okay kids, get your things, we’re going home.”


JJ caught his basketball and held it under his arm.


“Gramps, will you come to my game today?”


“Grandpa probably has other plans, honey,” Tara said gently.


Instead, Ira seemed quite pleased to be asked.


“I’d quite like to if it’s okay. I was always more of a baseball man but Jacob has been filling me in on the finer points of the game.”


Tara shrugged with a smile.


“Lafayette Park at 12, right Jake?”


JJ nodded eagerly.


“Uh-huh!”


“I’ll see you there,” Ira promised, holding his hand up to his grandson’s direction.


“Yeah!” JJ replied triumphantly, accepting the high five, “Let’s go! I wanna put my Knicks jersey on!”


Robyn’s face slowly crumpled.


“Goh-ho?”


With her milliseconds away from bursting into tears at the prospect of leaving her grandparents, JJ kneeled down beside her and held her little hand in his proportionately giant one.


“It’s okay. We’ll go see Momma.”


The crease in Robyn’s forehead smoothed out and her turned-down lips quirked up into a crooked smile reminiscent of one particular mother.


“Mom-mah?”


Tara picked Robyn up and held her in a close, comforting hug hold.


“Let’s go see Momma,” she said soothingly, “Say bye-bye.”


Robyn started waving wildly with both hands.


“Buh-boy Ganpy, buh-boy gamma!”


She was passed over to give them hugs while Tara tidied Robyn’s toys and grabbed her overnight bag sitting inside the door. JJ ran past her to get his things from his room.


“Here, Tara, take some banana bread,” Michelle offered, walking out from the kitchen with some.


“Ooh, I’m not sure—” Tara started to reply and back away but to her surprise, the nutty and molasses-y scent overpowered the bananas nicely.


She actually felt an overwhelming desire to shove it all on her mouth. She all but snatched it from Michelle’s hands and tore a chunk off to do just that. As she was swallowing, she realized Michelle was looking at her oddly.


She blushed and wrapped the rest back up.


“Could you send me the recipe?”


“Sure…” Michelle replied evenly, but still looked confused because she’d been making her banana bread for years and Tara had never asked before.


Luckily for Tara, JJ saved any more probing by bounding back down the stairs and flinging himself at Michelle’s legs.


“Bye Grandma, thanks!” he said before flying off like a tornado to find Ira and do the same.


Tara said her goodbyes and they set off home. JJ waxed on about the game Ira had let him stay up late to watch and Robyn garbling on about nothing, refusing to leave Tara’s arms so she could reach up and let her fingers run through the leaves on the trees that decorated the path home.


Tara used her expertly trained mom ears to retain the information going in either side and responded in kind where appropriate.


When they got home, Tara could hear rustling in the kitchen and knew her wife was up. JJ made a beeline for the stairs to jump the baby gate and run up to his room. Tara caught the back of his t-shirt and gently patted him toward the kitchen first.


“Go say good morning to your Momma please.”


JJ didn’t object and slid back off the handrail and straight into the kitchen.


“Good morning Momma!”


Tara followed behind him and Robyn squealed, reaching out for Willow to take her.


“Come here lil’ bean,” Willow cooed, kissing her daughter’s cheek as she took her in her arms and added pointedly, “Because Mommy shouldn’t be carrying you anyway.”


Tara leaned in and pecked Willow’s lips in greeting.


“Now, now, my love, remember when the roles were reversed and how much you hated the fussing.”


“Well now I approve of the fussing,” Willow replied, haughtily turning her nose up, “It’s an essential tool; nay, a right bestowed upon a spouse in such a situation.”


“Why can’t you carry Robyn, Mom?” JJ interjected, then stood up on his toes to see what Willow was sizzling in the pan, “Is that French toast?”


“It sure is, you want some?” Willow asked.


JJ’s eyes were wide as saucers as he nodded. He hooked himself up onto a stool at the island and sat with his chin in his upturned hands.


“Why can’t you hold Robyn?”


“I’m all old and creaky,” Tara replied conspiringly, and glanced sideways at Willow, “But I don’t think your baby sister will do much damage.”


JJ accepted that easily.


Tara started to get down plates and cups, while Willow flipped the French toast in one hand whilst holding Robyn on her hip with the other.


Robyn rested her head on her Momma’s shoulder and poked at her cheek, which Willow mostly ignored until her daughter took a finger and shoved it up Willow’s nose, nearly braining her in the process.


Robyn tugged the finger back out, with a parting gift attached, making her giggle.


“Booger, Mom-mah.”


JJ snickered and Willow expelled the air from her nose to get the feeling of intrusion out. She quickly grabbed Robyn’s hand before the contents on her finger made its way into her mouth.


“Robbie, don’t do that,” she said as she washed her daughter’s hand, “We don’t stick our fingers in other people’s noses.”


“Or our own,” Tara added as she passed by to get silverware.


“Yes, or our own,” Willow amended, though not without a slightly guilty look on her face, “Jake, wash your hands too please.”


“I didn’t stick my finger in my nose!” JJ protested.


“You’re about to eat,” Willow insisted, “Come here and use the soap.”


JJ grumpily marched over and washed his hands.


Tara took over the skillet and Willow brought the children into the dining room with a jug of orange juice and a bottle of maple syrup. Willow tied Robyn into her booster seat and got her some cut-up grapes to snack on and keep her quiet.


“Do we have any strawberries?” JJ asked as he played with his knife and fork.


Tara appeared with a plate for JJ and a smaller, plastic plate for Robyn, her portion already cut up in bite-size pieces.


“I’ll cut some up for you, sweetie.”


“Can I be part of that ‘sweetie’ too?” Willow asked hopefully.


Tara kissed Willow’s hair part as she passed.


“Always.”


She returned minutes later with a bowl of berries and hers and Willow’s breakfast.


Willow stood and took the plates, placing them down before pulling the chair out right beside her.


“I’m a doofus,” she whispered behind Tara’s ear, “I should be doing the taking-care-of.”


“We always have been, and always will be, a team,” Tara replied as she scooted herself in and tapped her cheek for Willow to kiss, who dutifully obliged.


“Wah-bewwies,” Robyn requested with her mouth stuffed.


“What’s the magic word?” Willow asked as she gathered some strawberries on a spoon, “Without a full mouth, this time.”


“Peeze,” Robyn added on when she swallowed, but immediately began sucking on a half a strawberry as it landed on her plate.


Willow put some fruit on hers and Tara’s plate and put the bowl in front of JJ to serve himself.


“Did you guys have a nice night at Grandpa’s?” she asked as she poured a little syrup over her breakfast.


Willow received the same babbling crosstalk Tara had endured on the walk home and just nodded and ‘oohed’ and ‘ahhed’
where appropriate until she could actually discern what was being said.


“Can we stay there every weekend?” JJ asked as he struggled to maintain decorum and not shove his food into his face.


“Gee, thanks,” Willow replied, oddly struggling with the same test of willpower her son was enduring, “You get to stay up late and have some ice-cream and suddenly we’re forgotten about?”


JJ shrugged.


“Grandpa talks to me about basketball.”


Willow laughed.


“Grandpa knows as much about basketball as I do!”


JJ popped the last square of French toast into his mouth and chewed as he pushed his plate away.


“Yeah but he listens when I talk about it,” he said, then pushed back the chair and stood, “Can I go get ready?”


Tara nodded.


“Yes, just put your plate in the sink please.”


JJ took his plate and left the dining room while Willow pushed her food around.


“Ouch.”


Tara put a comforting hand on her back and waited a moment to speak.


“…we do our best.”


Willow’s face pursed like she’d been slapped.


“He’s flip-flopped on a lot of sports over the last couple of years.”


“I know, but this is a bit different,” Tara advised gently, “It’s a real league that he goes to every week and has a game every second Saturday. Plus, if you haven’t noticed, he’s totally obsessed.”


Willow felt the guilt settle in her stomach.


“I’ll give the wiki page a good read,” she said meekly.


“And we can cheer him on this afternoon. Well, quietly,” Tara replied cheerily and reached over to tickle Robyn’s cheek, “You wanna go watch JJ play basketball?”


“BeeBee JayJay!” Robyn squealed excitedly, mulching a strawberry through her fingers.


Tara stood up and lifted Robyn out of her chair. Willow was still finishing her food.


“I hate that he thinks I don’t care. I do.”


“I know,” Tara reassured softly, “And he doesn’t think that. We’ll both just try and be more attentive and it will be fine.”


Willow nodded, then looked at Tara helplessly.


“There’s no way I’m going to get you not to lift her, is there?”


“I pick her up and drop her off from daycare and take care of her every afternoon alone. How do you propose I do that without lifting her?” Tara asked with a raised eyebrow.


“Robot?” Willow suggested, but only Robyn laughed, “Thanks, kid.”


Tara shook her head to herself and brought Robyn back into the kitchen to clean her hands again, then to put her in her playpen with her toys so she could get a few things ready.


She went into the kitchen, where Willow had cleared the rest of the plates and was wiping down the counters, including disposing of Tara’s half-peeled banana from earlier.


“These kids just leave their crap everywhere…think we can teach the new one some manners?”


“Um…actually, that was me,” Tara admitted with a blush, “Sorry. Baby does not like the smell of bananas, apparently. Unless it's banana bread, then apparently they can't have it fast enough.”


Willow tossed the two halves in the trash.


“No bananas unless baked! Bananas be gone! Got it! Don’t worry, the Rosenberg brain is a trap of memory!”


Tara walked over and tapped Willow’s head.


“Rosenberg-Maclay.”


Willow leaned in and nuzzled Tara’s nose.


“Your name only enhances it, just like you enhance everything else. You are the chocolate sauce of people.”


She popped a kiss on Tara’s lips.


“I better go get dressed. We’re driving, right? To go get Alex on the way?”


Tara nodded.


“Mmhm. Xander is out of town or something and, well…you know Anya was asked not to come back after the incident.”


“He and Jesse are doing a sting,” Willow explained, “That’s why I was late last night. Better than making me go with them though.”


Tara crossed her wrists around Willow’s neck.


“I appreciate that…I would have hated to spend last night alone.”


Willow held Tara by the waist and gently rubbed the exposed piece of skin between her shirt and pants.


“I would never have left you during all of this.”


“You’re a good wife,” Tara replied softly, leaning in to brush her lips against Willow’s, “I might just keep you.”


Willow rested their foreheads together.


“Happy to be kept.”


They got another 15 seconds or so of peace together until something crashed and something else banged and they went off in different directions to deal with the chaos.


Twenty minutes later they all bundled into the family car and headed toward the Harris household. The park was actually within walking distance from their house but they didn’t mind helping out by picking up Alex.


Tara jumped out when they got there and rang the bell. Anya answered, carrying her eight-month-old daughter, who was a big fan of Aunty Tara and immediately reached out to her. Tara was just as smitten and happily took her, smelling the top of her head and feeling butterflies inside knowing she would be doing it to one of her own again soon.


“Hey, Anya. Is Alex ready for the game?”


“I’m coming!” Alex’s voice screeched from upstairs, followed by the sound of sneakers skidding.


Anya crossed her arms over her chest with a pout.


“I don’t see why I can’t come. I don’t know what the big deal is anyway.”


“Well, I guess they don’t like the parents throwing a ball at the coach’s face,” Tara hypothesized, though managed to withhold the sarcasm and judgment others had offered when saying the same thing.


“Alex was benched for no reason!” Anya defended.


“You broke his nose, Ahn,” Tara replied but was more focused on tickling the baby.


Anya continued to pout.


“Oh, he should have ducked. What kind of basketball coach doesn’t know how to duck?”


Alex came pounding down the stairs and passed the two of them.


“Mom, quit it!” he complained, then jumped up with a wave, “Hi Aunty Tara.”


“Hey sweetie,” Tara greeted, “JJ is in the car.”


“Bye Mom!” Alex replied as he went running down the path.


Anya cupped her mouth and called after him.


“Remember BEEF, Alex, BEEF! Balance, Elbow, Eyes, Follow—”


The car door slammed shut, and Tara could see Anya was down about it all.


“Basketball season only runs for another couple of weeks,” she said comfortingly, “They’ll have a new coach next season if they keep with it.”


“One who can take a ball to the face like a man,” Anya grumbled indignantly.


“Why don’t you meet us after for ice cream and I’ll give you a full debrief,” Tara suggested kindly.


Anya’s eyes suddenly lit up.


“We can video chat!”


“I’m sorry?” Tara asked, perplexed.


Anya clapped her hands together, startling the baby.


“You can video call me and I can see the game!”


Tara didn’t know how to argue that.


“Okay…I guess.”


Anya got a triumphant look on her face and gave Tara a hug.


“You’re a good friend. Even if you won’t let me join the PTA with you. The last school don't know what they were talking about. I was just counting the money, not stealing it!”


“I know,” Tara replied softly, “But the moms from all the schools talk, you know how it is. Plus you’re overqualified.”


“In many areas,” Anya replied haughtily.


Tara could only smile and turned to leave but was quickly called back.


“Tara?”


“Yeah?” Tara asked, spinning on her heel.


“My baby?” Anya prompted.


Tara flushed lightly.


“Right,” she said, passing the baby back to Anya, “Bye-bye Pixie.”


“It’s Meg—” Anya started but just waved a hand dismissively, “Oh, I give up. Call her Pixie, her name is Pixie.”


Pixie smiled with a big toothy grin, which Tara returned.


She returned to the car and looked into the backseat to make sure everybody was buckled up.


“All ready to go?”


“It’s squishy back here,” JJ complained.


Tara glanced at Willow as she secured her seatbelt.


“We’re going to need a new car.”


“We’re gonna need new lots of things,” Willow replied as she pulled off from the curb, “The phrase ‘money pit’ comes to mind.”


Tara reached over and placed a hand on Willow’s, on the wheel.


“The phrase ‘love pit’ comes to mine.”


Willow looked at the kiddies through the rearview mirror and smiled.


“With you there.”


They drove to the park and parked the car in the parking lot near the outdoor basketball courts. JJ and Alex ran ahead while Willow and Tara stayed back to get Robyn and the cooler of drinks out.


Ira was already there, sitting on the bleachers, and the two boys ran up to him.


“Gramps!”


“Hi, Mr. JJ’s Grandpa!”


“Hello boys,” Ira greeted, “Are you all ready for the game?”


They both nodded and Alex said something to JJ before making his way toward the rest of the team. JJ started to follow but turned back.


“Gramps, if you wanna cheer for Alex today too, that’d be okay ‘cause his Daddy couldn’t come and I have you and Mom and Momma but pleaaaassseeee make sure Mom and Momma don’t cheer, okay?”


Ira softened his posture.


“Now, now, my boy. Why wouldn’t you want your mothers to cheer for you?”


JJ eyed the ground.


“It’s embarrassing.”


Ira put a hand on JJ’s shoulder.


“When they’re cheering for you, they’re showing you how much they love you and how proud of you they are.”


JJ’s eyes lifted to meet Ira’s.


“They don’t know anything about sports.”


“And yet they come here every week to see you play,” Ira replied sagely, “You are blessed to have parents who will cheer your name no matter what. What say you cut them a little slack?”


JJ considered it for a moment, then smiled.


“Okay, Gramps.”


Ira patted the spot his hand was at.


“Attaboy. Now you go out there and play to the best of your ability and do what’s best for your team. Can you do that?”


JJ nodded keenly.


“I can do that!”


Ira held his hand up for a high-five, which JJ clapped.


“That’s your pal from school over there, isn’t it?” Ira asked as a young boy waved over to JJ eagerly.


“Yeah!” JJ agreed and ran off to finally join the team, “Hey Thomas!”


He waved at some of the other kids starting to gather.


“Hey Henry, hey Cooper, hey Max!”


Willow came up to the fence with the waters and smiled at her father.


“Hi, Daddy. I didn’t know you were coming.”


“Hope you don’t mind,” Ira replied, giving his daughter a kiss on the cheek as she passed.


“Of course not,” Willow replied, offering a bottle, “Thanks for taking the kids last night.”


“Our pleasure,” Ira replied.


Tara came up with a squirming Robyn, unhappy from having had her face slathered in sunscreen.


Willow held her arms out and Tara gratefully transferred her.


“Come here grumpy face,” Willow said affectionately.


“Hello Ira,” Tara greeted, taking a seat beside her wife.


“Hello again, Tara,” Ira returned, stroking his full beard, “Lovely day for it.”


They exchanged smiles and turned toward the courts, where the jump ball was about to be thrown.


Tara quickly called Anya, who had her switch the camera without greeting so she could see.


“Charming as ever,” Willow muttered.


It was a busy game with lots of running to and fro between baskets. People gave them odd looks as Anya shrieked from the speaker, so Tara turned the volume down to mute and let her scream into oblivion.


Near the end of the game, the score was tied and a few of the more antsy parents were getting loud and slightly belligerent, though most cursed under their breath and left it at that.


One man, however, was screaming at his kid and when JJ opted to send a pass to another teammate instead of his son, yelled at him too.


Willow scowled at him.


“Hey, lay off.”


He was standing off to the side and a bleacher below then and looked over his shoulder with disdain.


“Just what I need, a soccer mom on my case. Back off, woman.”


Tara’s head turned, an eyebrow arched.


“What did you say?”


He rolled his eyes at them.


“Two of you? What are you, dykes?”


Willow stood right up.


“Excuse me!?”


Tara stood too, immediately grabbing Robyn and walking her away from the situation. The phone volume pressed up as she put it in her pocket and Anya could be heard screeching to let her see the court.


Ira moved to stand protectively between the man and Willow,


“Sir, I ask that you show some respect. This is a children’s game.”


JJ again passed the ball to another, closer, teammate and the man became enraged.


“Don’t worry, I’ll just get your kid kicked off the team and you won’t have to see me ever again, how about that?”


“What possible benefit could come from that?” Ira asked, starting to show some irritation.


The man snarled.


"I wouldn't let my son play with a son of a bitch so I definitely won't let him play with a son of two."


Ira was so stunned he was rocked into silence but as a cheer erupted from the court, followed by a whistle, Willow just smirked.


“That son of two bitches just scored the winning basket.”


The man took two steps down to ground level and peered through the cage at everybody, including his son, patting JJ on the back. From that angle, Ira was able to see the logo on the back of the man’s jacket.


He cleared his throat.


“Are you an employee of Chapman Construction?”


“What’s it to you?” the man grumbled.


Ira stood proudly.


“Well, I just so happen to be a business associate and close personal friend of Christopher Chapman and I’m sure he and his husband Dave would be very interested to hear how an employee is representing the company in public.”


Fear ran through the man’s eyes, as his mouth opened and closed until he finally walked away muttering something about being ‘better off doing football anyway’.


Once Willow calmed down enough to stop sending the man death stares, she tugged gently on her father’s jacket arm.


“Thanks for sticking up for us, Dad. That really…that really means a lot.”


Ira waved a hand bashfully, but Willow pressed.


“Do you really know his boss?”


A small grin tugged at Ira’s lips.


“I saw him speak at a business conference once.”


“But you knew about his husband,” Willow prompted.


“They co-own the business. He was there too,” Ira explained, “Rightly or wrongly, it still stands out to me to hear a man mention his husband.”


Willow laughed.


“My Dad, the master bluffer! You should play poker with Tara, she’s a shark.”


“Will we go find her?” Ira asked.


Willow nodded and they went to find Tara, eventually locating her on the grass, holding Robyn on her hip whilst she pleaded into the phone.


“Anya, I’m sorry, I dropped it…I didn’t mean—I have to go, the boys need me, bye!”


She seemed relieved to hang up and Willow put a hand on her shoulder.


“Is everything okay?”


Tara smiled that I’m-exhausted-but-you’re-here-so-everything-is-okay smile that made Willow’s insides turned to Jell-O.


“Nothing I haven’t dealt with before. What about you? What was that a-hole’s problem?”


“Nothing to worry about,” Willow replied casually, “Everything’s great. Great-y, great, great.”


Just then JJ came running out and bypassed Ira to be straight into his mothers’ arms.


“Mom, Momma, did you see, did you see?”


Willow ruffled JJ’s hair as she side-long hugged her wife and daughter.


“We saw you, buddy! You were amazing!”


Tara praised him similarly and he didn’t seem to mind too much, despite earlier protestations.


Willow watched as Robyn clapped for JJ and felt bliss at allowing herself to be content again.


She used one hand to stroke JJ’s back and the other to caress Tara and Robyn, who were all exchanging words animatedly. Willow was listening, but also in her own little cloud of happiness.


She never thought she’d think that about a basketball game, but it wasn’t about the sport.


This was all she never knew she needed and everything she would never let go of.

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 Post subject: Re: Family Confidential Episode II (March 3rd 2020)
PostPosted: Wed Mar 04, 2020 4:51 am 
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7. Teeny Tinkerbell Light

Joined: Sun Jan 19, 2014 7:01 am
Posts: 557
Dibs! :whip
I liked that we got to witness Tara finding out that she is pregnant during her walk down memory lane.

Quote:
“Robbie, don’t do that,” she said as she washed her daughter’s hand, “We don’t stick our fingers in other people’s noses.”


“Or our own,” Tara added as she passed by to get silverware.


“Yes, or our own,” Willow amended, though not without a slightly guilty look on her face

Busted Willow! :lol

Quote:
“He’s flip-flopped on a lot of sports over the last couple of years.”


“I know, but this is a bit different,” Tara advised gently, “It’s a real league that he goes to every week and has a game every second Saturday. Plus, if you haven’t noticed, he’s totally obsessed.”


Willow felt the guilt settle in her stomach.


“I’ll give the wiki page a good read,” she said meekly.

Considering what an excellent student Willow has always been I'm sure she'll be able to "talk Basketball" soon enough. Hopefully JJ won't suddenly decide that's embarrassing too…

Quote:
“I don’t see why I can’t come. I don’t know what the big deal is anyway.”


“Well, I guess they don’t like the parents throwing a ball at the coach’s face,” Tara hypothesized, though managed to withhold the sarcasm and judgment others had offered when saying the same thing.


“Alex was benched for no reason!” Anya defended.


“You broke his nose, Ahn,” Tara replied but was more focused on tickling the baby.


Anya continued to pout.


“Oh, he should have ducked. What kind of basketball coach doesn’t know how to duck?”


Quote:
Anya cupped her mouth and called after him.


“Remember BEEF, Alex, BEEF! Balance, Elbow, Eyes, Follow—”


The car door slammed shut, and Tara could see Anya was down about it all.

:rofl
And JJ feels embarrassed by his mothers?! He should look at Alex and Anya and realize how good he has it!

Quote:
“Bye-bye Pixie.”


“It’s Meg—” Anya started but just waved a hand dismissively, “Oh, I give up. Call her Pixie, her name is Pixie.”

That's good and well as long as she's little but I bet she will be thankful that she has a "normal" first name once she visits highschool, at the very latest when she has a "serious" job as an adult.
("This is our best oncologist, Dr. Pixie Harris" f.e. would sound quite ridiculous).

Quote:
“Gramps, if you wanna cheer for Alex today too, that’d be okay ‘cause his Daddy couldn’t come and I have you and Mom and Momma but pleaaaassseeee make sure Mom and Momma don’t cheer, okay?”


Ira softened his posture.


“Now, now, my boy. Why wouldn’t you want your mothers to cheer for you?”


JJ eyed the ground.


“It’s embarrassing.”


Ira put a hand on JJ’s shoulder.


“When they’re cheering for you, they’re showing you how much they love you and how proud of you they are.”


JJ’s eyes lifted to meet Ira’s.


“They don’t know anything about sports.”


“And yet they come here every week to see you play,” Ira replied sagely, “You are blessed to have parents who will cheer your name no matter what. What say you cut them a little slack?”


JJ considered it for a moment, then smiled.


“Okay, Gramps.”


Ira patted the spot his hand was at.


“Attaboy. Now you go out there and play to the best of your ability and do what’s best for your team. Can you do that?”


JJ nodded keenly.


“I can do that!”

I love Ira's interaction with JJ. He doesn't say "Don't talk like that about your mothers" or something like that but lets him come to his own conclusions.
And yay to Ira for defending his daughters against that a-hole and bluffing him into backing off (although it would be sad for his son if he would be taken out of the team by his stupid father).
Quote:
Ira was so stunned he was rocked into silence but as a cheer erupted from the court, followed by a whistle, Willow just smirked.


“That son of two bitches just scored the winning basket.”

I'm glad that Willow didn't let her temper flare after that crass insult and triumphed over that idiot instead with her pride for their son being the matchwinner.

Quote:
Just then JJ came running out and bypassed Ira to be straight into his mothers’ arms.


“Mom, Momma, did you see, did you see?”


Willow ruffled JJ’s hair as she side-long hugged her wife and daughter.


“We saw you, buddy! You were amazing!”


Tara praised him similarly and he didn’t seem to mind too much, despite earlier protestations.


Quote:
She never thought she’d think that about a basketball game, but it wasn’t about the sport.


This was all she never knew she needed and everything she would never let go of.

I have to admit I don't understand what you mean with "all she never knew she needed" - just the "cheering one of our kids at sports"-thing or the whole family life? The latter would surprise me considering they planned having kids one day even before they got married.


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 Post subject: Re: Family Confidential Episode II (March 3rd 2020)
PostPosted: Thu Mar 05, 2020 5:38 pm 
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8. Vixen

Joined: Fri Aug 07, 2009 6:33 pm
Posts: 732
Topics: 2
Location: North Carolina, USA
I had trouble stopping my laughter at Robyn putting her finger in Willow's nose. Interesting that one of her words is bugger... My oldest used to like to put her little fingers in my nose as she was drinking her bottle. The things that you let your kids do to soothe them. I am loving the story. I had to re-read Hacker to remember how they got JJ. Great story still.
Thanks for writing. I am enjoying it tremendously.
Sena Alias TW4E

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