I don't own HIMYM and never will. No copyright infringement intended.
As much as she loved being a mother, Lily refused to give up her career. Many women had told her that wives and mothers couldn't have it all, but she was determined to prove them wrong. And happily for her, Marshall supported her all the way. "I don't want you to be a stay-at-home mom, Lil. That's not you and it never has been."
She visibly sagged in relief as she sat down their third (and last) child, Ariana, in the swing to calm her down. "Thank God. That's not me. You know I love all three of you, but I can't spend twenty-four hours with you."
He laughed. "I feel the same way, baby. And hey, we got our parents helping out."
Lily bit her lip as she struggled to find the words for what she was about to say next. She wasn't a huge fan of the idea, but they had helped out considerably with Marvin and Daisy in Italy. "What do you think about our parents moving in with us? I know it sounds like a horrible idea, but the house does have extra bedrooms."
He hugged his wife, catching her off guard. "That does sound like a horrible idea, but it's still a good one. Mom and Mickey took them off their hands and gave us breaks when we needed them. The kids are outnumbering, Lil. I'm scared."
Lily stifled giggles. "I'll call and ask them tonight then." She also needed to call the Captain to ensure that her position was still open – she had told him she had been thinking about quitting right after they found out about her third pregnancy but right now, she was still on maternity leave.
Marshall looked down at their already sleeping three-month old. "I am so glad Marvin and Daisy are in school."
She playfully swatted her husband. "Marshall! But yeah, me too." Lily felt guilty admitting it, but that was the truth. Three kids were absolutely exhausting and the fact that they were now outnumbered didn't help things much. They were done for sure – Marshall's vasectomy after they learned of this pregnancy had ensured that.
He kissed the top of her head. "Love you."
"And I love you." The baby whimpered and Lily tensed up but relaxed when Ariana quieted down and continued sleeping.
After calling the Captain – and working out the details to ensure that she still had her job – Lily went to work on making dinner. She stirred the sauce as she waited for Marshall to come home with Marvin and Daisy. When she talked to her father on the phone, Mickey didn't even hesitate – he and Judy happily agreed to move in with them to help take care of the kids. The two of them adored their grandchildren and loved spending time with them. Plus, Lily honestly thought her father and mother-in-law were in grandchildren withdrawal after spending pretty much twenty-four hours with them while they were in Italy.
Marvin and Daisy rushed to their mother's side and hugged her as soon as they came in. "Don't wake the baby!" she whispered. That was a tactic that always quieted them down – neither of them could stand the baby crying. They weren't a huge fan of her yet, but Marshall and Lily hoped that changed soon.
"Sorry," Daisy apologized. She handed a picture over to her mother and grinned when Lily's face lit up.
"It's beautiful, baby. Thank you." Lily kissed her and then hung it up on the fridge.
When they sat down to eat dinner about ten minutes later, Lily decided to break the news to the kids then. Marvin wrinkled up his nose. "Are you two having another baby? Gross."
"No, sweetheart. No more babies so you don't have to worry about that. I'm going back to work, and Grandma Judy and Grandpa Mickey are moving in with us! Isn't that exciting?"
"Yes!" Daisy cried. She loved her grandparents (not surprising since they gave her anything she wanted, claiming it was their right).
"I like it." Marvin was only up for it since Mickey and Judy let him get away with everything, but Marshall and Lily wanted to put a stop to that.
Lily started back to work two weeks later – she chose to wait until her father and mother-in-law had moved and settled into the house. And they took the chaos of the Eriksen house in stride, despite the fact that it hadn't been this bad when Marvin and Daisy were babies. A lot of things had changed in the past few years.
The transition was a difficult adjustment for everyone at first, but they gradually figured it out. "I miss you, Mommy," Daisy mumbled in bed that night.
Lily's heart broke for her middle child. "I miss you too, Daisy. But I am never going to leave you – when you need me, you call me. I will always be here for you."
"Okay." That satisfied her, and she fell asleep within five minutes. After checking in on Marvin and Ariana, she headed back to her and Marshall's room.
"You happy, Lil?" He really hoped so.
Lily nodded. "I'm the happiest I've ever been. I have a job I love, a perfect husband, and three mostly great kids."
"I love the 'mostly great' caveat you added." Marshall snorted.
"You know what they're like! I'm surprised Dad and Judy haven't run out the door screaming yet."
He pulled her closer to him. "We made some wonderful kids, but I'm glad we stopped when we did. Four would have been too much."
"And I'm grateful you agreed with me. No way I'm going through this again." Lily still couldn't believe she had been in labor three times and hadn't killed anybody. She snuggled up next to her husband.
When Lily went to work, she focused solely on her job and tried not to think about her family (she wasn't always successful). At home, she focused on Marshall and their kids. Judy and Mickey were definitely a big help, something they deeply appreciated. There were some hiccups – like the time Daisy got sick at school and wanted only her mom to help – but it wasn't as bad as anyone thought it was going to be when Lily first made the decision to return to her job. Being a stay-at-home mom was just not in the cards for her. And occasionally she needed to escape to breathe, but Marshall understood – he let her relax on her own when everything got to be too much. She loved them and wasn't going anywhere, and he knew that.
Lily was exactly where she wanted to be and fuck what anyone else thought.