"Come here, little peach." Cate spoke softly as she carried Laila, placing her on her right hip, "And you big boy," she crouched down and poked Louis' nose with her finger, "small and silent steps." She whispered.
The kids silently laughed. She then opened their room's door gradually, doing her very best to not make a sound. It's Tuesday morning and she woke up early to get the kids ready for school. She had to secretly called their babysitter to inform her about the abrupt day-off because she wanted to have her time with the kids and to somehow reciprocate the things that Sandy was doing for her. Cate cooked their breakfast, bathed them clean and dolled them up, all set for school. She missed doing the mommy duties though and somehow, as she did those things for Laila and Louis, her heart pricked a little pang; she missed doing it for her own kids. But the situations were different - her kids were all grown up, except for Edith. She wanted her time with Edith, but the little girl was an absolute daddy; she wanted Andrew at all times. It would be futile to feel jealous though, because in all honesty, Andrew was a great dad. He may not be the best husband, but he was the best dad one could ever ask. Smiling the bittersweet reveries, she put Laila down on the foot of the bed. The kids smiled at her before the two crawled their way up to their sleeping mom.
The sight was sweet and it was one for the books of memories. Watching them, trying to wake their mom felt like watching a great movie with its pieces falling back to the right places. Cate was smiling watching Louis and Laila peppering their sweet kisses on Sandy. It didn't take too long when Sandy moved. Her hair was messy and was staining all around the pillow, but when she fluttered her brown eyes open, it was one of those heart-stopping moments when Cate just wanted to ask all the gods if Sandy was indeed real. Her brown eyes gleamed like how the sun beamed for the crystal ocean, it was as if she was looking back at a valuable diamond in the middle of an abandoned island. Her eyes still looked so sleepy and heavy, but it looked warm, and it educed an immense amount of warmth too. Just by looking at those soulful brown eyes, she could tell she's home. Those eyes were her home. She smiled when Sandy covered her face with the blanket, acting pissed off and it made the two kids laugh.
"Mommy! Wake up!" It was Laila who literally jumped on Sandy' stomach.
"Mom!" Louis sweetly screamed at Sandy's ear.
There was a chain of laughter. It sounded saccharine, like honey and milk altogether bursting on her tongue. Cate sat on the bed and pondered on her thoughts. This family - the one in front of her wasn't hers yet, but they were going to be. Laila and Louis deserved a nice, lovely and a complete family, and she would do everything to make it real, for them to be real. Few more steps, a wedding would be placed and then, Laila and Louis would have a complete parents, a few more siblings and hopefully, a loving uncle in the glory of Andrew. She laughed when Sandy sat up and covered the two with a blanket. Sandy was laughing hard; Cate's vision was in a slow-motion twirl, as if they were trapped in a movie and the scene was that cliché part, however, it was real and for her, it didn't feel cliché at all. Sandy's laugh along with the giggles of the kids resonated around the room, - it was the sweetest minstrelsy one could ever hear, so dulcet. She was only taken aback when Louis jumped at her and hurriedly clung to her neck like a baby koala.
"It's mommy Catie!" Louis yelled in all excitement, his finger pointing at Cate at the same time.
Cate shook her head taking a hold of herself back to reality, "Why me? What is this all about?" She added and hugged Louis, jokingly suffocating him and it made Laila laugh.
"Mom asked us who prepared breakfast, bathed us and prepared us to school, mommy." Laila chimed in, sitting down on Sandy's lap as she playfully kicked Louis.
Sandy bit her lip as she stared at Cate. Her heart smiled and that infinite glow showed up on her face. They're lucky - been so blessed to have each other. For a moment, Sandy wanted to put the kids out and just kiss her sweetly. She could not fathom the raw and the beautiful emotions tugging at her heart, knocking at her ribcage, wanting to get out. After a few minutes of staring and smiling, they were taken aback when a bus blew a horn outside.
"Carpool's here!" Louis jested, jumping out of Cate's lap as he ran on the window, "Mommy, the carpool is here!"
"Okay, big boy. Relax. You won't be late." Cate replied as she got Laila from Sandy's arms and together they rose from the bed.
"Louis, come on. Let's not make the carpool wait." Sandy uttered, extending her hand as she waited for Louis to come.
When all was set, they started walking out of the room. Laila, perched on up the blonde's waist and Sandy holding Louis' hand. Cate was about to close the door with her foot when Sandy tugged her back.
With a smile, she asked, "What?"
"I forgot this." She mumbled before she placed a quick kiss on the blonde's lips, "Good morning, baby."
"Mom! We are so gonna be late!" Louis jested and it made the two laugh.
Together, with their hands intertwined, they moved down. Deep into their hearts, they wished mornings would always be like that; wishing that the married life stretching out ahead of them would still be basked in glory, love and happiness because after all, they deserved it - they both do.
-----
As soon as the kids were out, Sandy moved to the kitchen to make breakfast, only to find a table full of food, a cup of her preferred tea and a cup of coffee. She stopped by the table and turned back. A smiling blonde approaching her was the one that greeted her view.
"Why are you doing this?" She asked, pulling the blonde by the tie of her robe.
Cate snaked her hands on Sandy's waist, her head moved down to her neck as she placed a kiss on the brunette's pulse point. "Just doing it for my future wife." She spoke, lips still on Sandy's neck, "Why? Do you have a problem with that?" She backed away and glared at Sandy, "...because if you have, we can talk in the bedroom." She finished, placing a hand on her hip as she raised her brow.
Sandy laughed, "Silly." Paused, "Can I have a hug?" With her lips pouted, she asked, "I miss you."
"You don't have to ask, honey." The blonde chimed, taking a step and encirling her arms around the brunette's body. With her head buried on Sandy's neck, she spoke, "I miss you always even if we're just in the same house."
Sandy broke the hug, "I love you." Her hand reaching up to cup the blonde's face.
"I love you more." Cate held Sandy's hand and brought it to her lips, kissing each knuckle delicately, "I can't get enough of you."
Sandy's mouth opened, words ready to come out, but it got lost somewhere in her throat. She thought loving Cate would always be hard and would always be stained with pain and heartbreaks, but right now - holding her that close, she realized that what happened between the two of them were all guide-steps. They have become what they were because of those. Their love had to end once, twice, only to come back even stronger than the past. She had to let her go, because along the road, it would be Cate who would be waiting for her.
"Everyone left. Don't you have plans on going home?"
"I will. I'm going home. You should too."
"You're still living at Woodsmith? I can drive you home."
"No need."
"Catherine, you don't have a car with you."
"I can call a cab."
"I am thankful for the rain that night." Sandy spoke, gradually pushing the blonde on the kitchen counter.
"What night?" The blonde stopped when her back was pressed against the counter, however a small grin crept on her face when Sandy made her sit on the top.
"That one night when you fell asleep after our initial shoot of Ocean's 8." Sandy replied, ushering herself close to the space between the blonde's parted legs.
"It rained." Cate laughed and looked down at Sandy, "It rained and you yelled at me."
"Because you just stood there. I had to yell at you so you would get in the car with me."
There was a sweet affectionate look on the blonde's face. With the woman looking up at her, she was sure that if she was a cat, she would be spending her nine lives with her. She bent down and placed a kiss on Sandy's nose.
"I remember you didn't go to Sarah's party after O8's contract signing."
Sandy laughed, "And at midnight, you came here, all drunk." She looked at Cate, "I was thankful you did that."
"I had to. I mean, when our first relationship ended, I cannot move past." She sighed, "It's always been you." She muttered, "I can't get you out of --- who is that?" Cate groaned in annoyance when the doorbell rang.
Sandy laughed, shrugging her shoulders.
"Would you be kind to get that door for me?" Sandy asked.
"Fine."
The blonde walked up to the door. Still annoyed by the fact that their deep talk was interrupted. She then opened the door only to find Edith and Andrew. She didn't calculate what happpened, it all happened so fast and in a snap, she was already carrying Edith up and the sweetest I miss you, mommy was whispered right at her ear.
"Oh my god." She placed a kiss on Andrew's cheek, "Thank you. I didn't know." She looked at Edith curled on her neck, " I -- thank you for doing this."
"Stop thanking me." Andrew held her hand, "thank your future wife. She secretly called. Wanted it to be a suprise." Andrew spoke, smiling at her genuinely.
Cate's heart skipped a beat. Her lips tumbling on so many words that she wanted to say. And when she turned her head back to the kitchen, the world sighed in unison for there was Sandy - leaning on the counter, a cup of tea on her hand - all smiles and dreamy.
***