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 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.”