Surpriseeeeeee
i missed this book so much i wrote a bonus part for it. also, thanks for 12k reads! love you all <333
"Tizzie, baby, slow down," Taylor called after her rapturous daughter. At the age of three, she was speedy on her legs, which made her exhausting to run after.
"Yeah, my love, Mumma's getting old," Joe teased his wife. While he was the faster one out of the couple, he didn't chase after their daughter, for Lucas, their one year old son, was strapped into a carrier attached to him.
"My love!" Taylor exclaimed indignantly, her voice going up then down again in protest. She stopped and waited for Joe to catch up so she could swat him, but it only enlarged the amount of time Willow could run away from them. "I'm not old," she pouted. "Tizzie!" she yelled across the field, trying to get her daughter to stop.
She finally stopped and sat down on the grass, suddenly engrossed in a random dandelion that was in the middle of the large green spread. Taylor was finally able to catch up to Willow, who was now trying to eat the odd looking flower.
Their little family of four were at the Lake District for their now annual trip. Willow only had another year until she would start kindergarten, so they decided to make the most out of the remaining time with their daughter, therefore trips like these were often welcome.
Every year, they would return to the same little cabin they stayed at the first time, and the owners knew the couple well, so they prepared it exactly to fit their family.
"Tizzie, love bug, stop eating that," Taylor cooed softly, squatting down and prying the flower from her. "You can blow it, like a bubble, honey. See?" Taylor showed Willow the dandelion and blew at it, scattering the seeds everywhere into the field.
"Mumma!" Willow complained, grumpy about her new toy disappearing into the wind. She pouted and squirmed around in the grass, her chubby legs flinging around.
"Oh love," Taylor hugged Willow tightly, rocking them back and forth, slightly tickling her sides. "We'll find another one and you can try, hm?"
She picked up Willow's squiggling body and carried her around, looking at the ground for more dandelions.
"Hey babe," Joe joined them and wrapped his arm around Taylor.
Taylor turned around to face Joe, and giggled when she realized they were both carrying their children around. "Hi love," she said affectionately. "How's Lucas?"
"Still sleeping," Joe chuckled, placing a kiss on Lucas's forehead.
"Are we that couple now?" Taylor asked.
"Maybe..." Joe laughed. "And what about it?"
"I don't know."
"OOH," Willow exclaimed, pointing at a dandelion. She struggled to escape from Taylor's reach and get down onto the ground, but soon succeeded and slithered out of Taylor's grasp.
Taylor knelt down with her and taught her how to blow it away, while Joe took pictures of the two.
Lucas started to whimper, and Joe tried to bop him up and down, so that he'd go back to sleep.
"Oh, hi," Taylor cooed over her son, who was still angry that his sleep was disturbed. "You're finally joining in on our fun now, hm?"
Lucas started to bawl, which made Willow screw up her face in tears too.
"You can have Tizzie," Taylor said, reaching for Lucas. "Shh... I got you," she whispered, kissing his soft golden head.
"My goodness, you two are like a chain reaction, hm? Eleanor and Thomas are going to be in for a treat tonight," Joe said, chuckling softly.
Their friends have come along for the trip, and while they didn't take Scarlett with them, they had offered to look after Willow and Lucas while Taylor and Joe went to dinner that night.
Taylor laughed at Joe's comments and snuggled up to him, handing a dandelion over to Willow, whose tears had reduced.
—
"Oh, you look so..." Joe trailed off, gazing at Taylor's figure.
"Gorgeous?" Taylor smirked. "Thank you."
"I was going to go with hot," Joe placed his hands on her hips and pulled her in closer.
"Works for me." Taylor said, sliding her hands down her dress.
"Ready to go? We just have to drop off Tizzie and Lucas at Eleanor's, but there's plenty of time to spare."
"Um, actually... Can we talk?" Taylor said nervously, biting her lower lip.
"Hm?" Joe said down on their bed, holding her hand.
"I know you meant this as a joke earlier, but am I getting old?"
"What?" Joe was shocked. "Why would you think that you're getting old, babe?"
"I don't know..." Taylor trailed off. "I'm in my thirties now and it's been fun, but as I'm halfway to forty I kind of feel like I'm not timeless anymore, and I should gradually accept it."
"Love, you're not old at all. You're still young and gorgeous and healthy, and I'd love you regardless if you're old or not." he kissed her forehead gently to reassure her.
Taylor sighed. "I don't even know myself where this is coming from, and I just got scared because you know, I couldn't catch up with a fucking three year old today, and sometimes, I just... forget things. I never used to do that."
"Babe, be easy on yourself, you were wearing heels for God's sake, and it was on an uneven field. And it's okay if you forget things, everyone does that. You're being too hard on yourself here."
"Thank you," Taylor mumbled, cuddling into Joe's chest. "You make everything right."
"And you do the same for me," Joe said, rubbing circles onto her open bare back. "You're not old, okay? I love you."
"Good." Taylor's response was short and muffled by Joe's button down shirt.
"We still have a long way to go, lovie. We still have to watch our little cheekies grow up first." Joe reassured her.
"Please stay with me through all that." Taylor whispered.
"I promised you at our wedding two years ago and I'd promise you again anytime," Joe replied. "Because I love you."
"To the moon and to saturn," Taylor said, smiling lightly.
"I know you could still show me a good time later," Joe said, kissing her neck.
"Dammit," Taylor melted into his hands, but quickly pushed him away and stood up. "We have to drop off our kids and get to our reservation."
Joe watched in awe as she walked away, her hips slightly swaying. She picked up Lucas, while Joe grabbed Willow's hand and their night bag.
—
"That was a good dinner," Taylor said. "Favourite dish?"
The couple had made a habit of discussing their favourite dishes every time they went out to a restaurant, and it only proved how similar they were, since most of the time it was the same dish.
"Squid ink pasta, definitely," Joe said.
"If Tizzie was here, I swear she'd be covered in black, in every single spot of her body." Taylor commented, referring to her daughter's messy eating habits.
"I do agree," Joe chuckled, "but I'd like to see you convince her to try black pa-getti."
"She still can't say spaghetti right," Taylor laughed with Joe. "There's squid ink sauce on the corner of your mouth."
"Are you going to kiss it off me?" Joe smirked at her.
"No. Wipe it off yourself, you're a fully grown adult."
"Damn, I thought you loved me."
"Fine," Taylor rolled her eyes and leaned over, kissing the sauce off his face.
Looking up at Taylor, Joe let out a cackle. "It's on your lips now," he said.
"Oh for God's sake," Taylor groaned.
Joe leaned in to kiss it off her face, but she pushed his head away, wiping it off her face with a napkin.
"Meanie," Joe pouted.
After they settled the check, they decided to walk to Rydal Mount together. Since it was summer, the sky was still bright, and it would not be dimming anytime soon.
"Remember when you were pregnant and we came here, then we talked about baby names for Tizzie?"
"I do," Taylor smiled. "I also remember you trying not to fall off the damn boat while proposing to me."
"I'm so glad you said yes, I love you so much," Joe said, leaning in to kiss her.
"Come here," Taylor pulled him into a hug, inhaling his comforting scent.
They pulled out of the hug slightly, still holding each other close by as they walked the remaining distance to Rydal Mount.
"We're here," Joe said softly, pointing at the familiar wooden sign. "Let's get my lovely wifey a rose, hm?"
They walked further into the garden, hand in hand, then Taylor pointed out a singular rose for Joe.
"That one," she nodded. "It's pretty."
"Anything for you," Joe said, leaning slightly over the picket fence to pluck it out of the soil.
"Excuse me," a voice behind them said.
They turn around to face a security guard, a displeased look on her face.
"Oh, I'm so sorry," Joe immediately put down the rose and dusted his hands off on his jeans. "I was trying to get a rose for my wife here, but I clearly missed the sign." he said, gazing at the "no picking" sign.
"I'll let you off with a warning," she said, walking off.
Once she was out of earshot, Taylor and Joe immediately burst out laughing, covering their mouths to muffle the sounds.
"I've come here for like..." Joe scrunched up his nose. "Five, six years to pick you a rose, and never once have I been caught," Joe said, still howling with laughter.
"Shit," Taylor giggles, wiping the tears from her eyes.
Joe once again leaned over the fence and plucked the rose out, covering the stem with tissue to prevent injury from the thorns and handed it to Taylor.
"Joseph!" Taylor said, exasperated yet happy.
"I love you," Joe said. "Now let's get out of here," he said, taking her hand.
They started to run until they weren't within the area anymore. They bent over and gasped for breath, chuckling at each other.
"You might not be getting old, but I am," Joe said, taking deep breaths.
"Was that really... necessary?" Taylor huffed, sitting down on a bench to remove her heels.
Joe shrugged. "It was fun."
—
"We should do this more often," Joe said, sliding into their hot tub next to Taylor.
"What, you mean abandoning our cheekies, turning our teeth black with squid ink and getting in trouble with the Lake District security? I think the fuck not, babe." Taylor said dryly.
"I just meant date night with the two of us," Joe said, grabbing her hand. "Tonight was nice."
"Just nice?" Taylor said, fake wounded.
"It's missing something," Joe said, gliding his hand onto her thigh and caressing it gently.
"Joey," Taylor groaned, wrapping her arms around his hand.
Joe's hand wandered even further in, while Taylor helped him unclip her striped bikini top.
"I'll never get tired of you," Joe murmured, kissing her neck passionately.
"Mm," Taylor mumbled, and their festivities began.
—
"What the fuck," Taylor mumbled, opening her eyes to the harsh sunlight and her two children patting her face and giggling.
"C'mere," Joe lifted Willow off Taylor's face into his arms and cuddled with her, patting her soft curls.
"Morning," Taylor groaned, rubbing her eyes. "Hi love bug," she said softly, pulling Lucas closer to her and inhaling his comforting baby scent.
"I'm so sleepy," Joe said.
"That's what you get for deciding to walk around at 2 am last night," Taylor scoffed.
It was the second to last day on their trip, and it was almost noon time.
"I honestly don't know how the hell they got up here," Taylor said, looking at the height of the bed. "It's pretty high up, and I'm surprised Lucas could manage."
"You never know what kind of shenanigans these two might pull," Joe said, looking at Willow. "Right, Willow?"
"I still don't know why she only listens if you're the one calling her Willow," Taylor complained. "The rest of us are stuck with Tizzie, even poor mumma who carried you for nine months, baby," she said, mock glaring at the toddler, who was sucking on her thumb.
"She just loves me more," Joe said playfully.
Willow suddenly sneezed, her sneeze petite and adorable.
"Sneezy Tizzie, hm?" Taylor said, wiping her daughter's nose. Her comment made Willow giggle, then return to sucking on her thumb.
"I have something for you, love bug," Taylor said, glancing at Willow who was crawling around in Joe's arms.
"OOH," Willow exclaimed.
Taylor got off the bed and walked to their luggage, unzipping it all around. She pulled out a book, then returned to their bed.
"This, is a Peter Rabbit book that Mumma bought from here a few years ago when your Dadda and I came here. And that time we came here, your Dadda and I began dating," Taylor smiled in reminiscence.
"Rabbit!" Willow exclaimed excitedly, reaching for the book.
"It's yours now, love bug," Taylor said, pressing a kiss onto her forehead.
"What do you say to Mumma?" Joe asked Willow, who had begun flipping through the pages.
"Thank you," she said shyly, gaping at her.
Taylor reached over to her bedside table and took out her phone, trying to take a photo of Willow.
"Hey Willow, look over here for Mumma?" she said softly.
Surprisingly, Willow looked directly at the camera and gave her mother a cheeky smile, still grasping onto the book.
"Babe!" Taylor exclaimed excitedly. "Did you see that? She let me call her Willow!"
"I saw," Joe said, placing a kiss onto Taylor's forehead. "My two girls," he mumbled.
"Aaaa," Willow said, flinging her arms excitedly.
—
"Ready?" Taylor asked Willow, who was sitting on her lap. They were sitting together at their piano, a little tired after the long road trip back home.
"Yes!" Willow clapped her hands excitedly, still full of energy.
"I wrote this song the night we chose your name, my love," Taylor explained.
"Willow?" Willow asked, as she started to suck on her thumb again.
"Yes," Taylor nodded, then began to play.
Life was a Willow and it bent right to your wind
They count me out, time and time again
Life was a Willow and it bent right to your wind
But I come back stronger than a nineties trend
"Willow!" her daughter applauded her, then started to smash the keys, playing a rather atrocious tune.
"Oh baby, no no, you're going to wake up your brother," Taylor said, gently removing Willow's hands from the piano.
Willow's face began to crumple up, and Taylor could tell a meltdown was on the horizon. She placed her hands on the keys again and began to play once again.
The more that you say, the less I know
Wherever you stray, I follow
I'm begging for you to take my hand
Wreck my plans, that's my man
You know that my train could take you home
Anywhere else is hollow
I'm begging for you to take my hand
Wreck my plans, that's my man
Willow's face morphed into a smile as she heard her mother's familiar voice sing with the piano. She turned her head around and buried her face into Taylor's body, her tiny fingers clinging on to Taylor's cotton shirt.
"Hm? You liked that, didn't you," Taylor smiled, hugging Willow.
Lucas's cries suddenly echoed through the baby monitor that was on the piano top, and Taylor immediately sprung into action.
"We were a bit too loud, hm, my love?" Taylor laughed as she passed by their master bedroom. She placed Willow in front of the door and knocked on it. "Joe? Take Tizzie, I'm getting Lucas," she called through the door.
As she walked down the hall, she could hear Joe's faint reply and Willow's giggles.
"Hey, Lucas," she cooed as she picked him up from the crib. Bouncing him softly, she walked slowly to her bedroom where Joe and Willow were.
"Hi loves," she said, joining them on the bed, where Joe was reading Peter Rabbit to Willow.
"Once upon a time, there were four little Rabbits, and their names were— Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton Tail and Peter." Joe read, his hand holding the book, his arm around Willow.
"Rabbit!" Willow gasped, reaching for the illustrations.
"That's right," Joe said. "They lived with their Mother in a sand-bank, underneath the root of a very big fir-tree."
"Ooh," Willow said.
Taylor smiled at them before walking back to Lucas's room, who had since passed out once again.
She sat down on the rocking chair and started humming a random tune, to make sure he was really fast asleep. After a while, she put him into his cot and got up, walking back towards their kitchen.
Taking out a vase, she filled it halfway with water and unwrapped the rose from the tissue, placing it inside. She carried it back to their bedroom, and displayed it on their shelf.
She climbed into bed to find Joe and Willow sleeping, in the same position she found them earlier.
Quietly sneaking a picture, she admired their cute bond.
"Love, let's get Willow to bed," she said, gently shaking Joe to wake him up. "And don't say 'my baby' again, because you already know my answer."
"She's not a baby anymore," Joe smiled sadly, getting up, Willow and the book still in his hands. They walked softly to her bedroom and placed her down onto her bed, each giving her forehead a small kiss.
"She's so cute," Joe said, wrapping his arms around Taylor. "I love you, wifey."
"I love you too," Taylor replied, kissing his hand.
I'm begging for you to take my hand, wreck my plans, that's my man...