Olivia's eyes slowly fluttered open as she heard the faint sound of giggling downstairs.

Three little voices giggling, along with a much deeper laugh that belonged to the man she loved.

She smiled, waking up to such a delightful sound. And because she felt great. Before even looking at the alarm clock by the bed, she knew it was probably later than she normally woke up, because she felt very well-rested.

And she was spot on, because the clock read 8:13 am. She also noticed that right next to the clock, was a little piece of paper that looked like it had been torn from a small notepad.

The smile on her face grew larger, even before she read it. She knew what it was. And more importantly, who had written it.

She reached out and grabbed the piece of paper, sitting up and swinging her legs off the side of the bed to read it.

My dear Olivia (Momma),

We thought we'd let you sleep in this morning after your long day at work yesterday. You deserve it, superwoman. Come downstairs when you're up, we've got your favorite waiting for you.

-Daddy

-T

-E

-HC

P.S. We love you

Olivia traced over the nicknames signed at the bottom. "T" and "E" were very clearly signed by Thomas and Elle, as they were a little squiggly and not very neat. Not yet, at the age of four. But they always tried their hardest, and were always making more progress on their letters. They both already knew how to write all the letters in their first names, and loved to practice.

As for the "HC" signed at the bottom, that was very clearly written by Fitz, as their littlest couldn't write yet.

She even noticed her husband's best attempt at a paw print below the "HC," to show that their Arie girl was also being included in the thoughtful note.

After that adorable wake-up call, Olivia was very ready to get downstairs to her family.

So she quickly washed her face and brushed her teeth, and let her curls out of her blue head wrap.

While she put on a pair of pajama shorts over her underwear, she peeked through the curtains that covered their big, long bedroom window.

The sight outside of their cabin bedroom was always wonderful, especially in the morning. The pretty lake, catching the light of the sun in its waves. Their little sandy beach by the dock, scattered with sand toys. The stunning green and well-kept yard, hosting gardens and many of Arie's toys. The occasional fishing boats humming quietly by each morning.

It always made her smile. And today looked like a perfect summer day outside, which was good, because their weekends up at the cabin were always packed with outdoor activities.

As soon as she opened the bedroom door, she heard a gasp.

"Momma? Momma's up?"

"Momma! Momma!"

Fitz chuckled at the twins' reactions, and Olivia smiled, making her way down the stairs.

"Where are my T and my E?" she asked loudly.

"Here!" they exclaimed, as she turned the corner. They ran to her and hugged her legs, happy to see their mom for the first time that day.

"Hi, loves," she said, kneeling down to properly hug them, and kiss their cheeks. "Thank you for the hugs!"

Arie then came up to join the big hug, happy to see her mom for the first time that day, too. Olivia gave her a big kiss on her snout.

"Welcome. Mommy, mommy. Did you read our note?" Elle asked, wrapping her little arms around Olivia.

"I did!" Olivia nodded. "And I loved it so much!"

"We write our letters. We write 'T' and 'E' all by ourselves," Elle said.

"Yeah. And then we helped dad with breakfast. See? See, mommy?" Thomas asked, pointing to the kitchen.

Olivia stood up, rubbing the twins' backs and looking at the kitchen. And there on the counter was the food, being served up by her husband.

"I do see! That was so nice of you to make us all breakfast," Olivia said, smiling down at them.

Fitz was doing the best he could to serve up pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, and fresh fruit, all with one hand. Because his other arm was currently occupied, as he was holding their littlest.

He turned around and gave her a cute smile. "Hi."

"Hi," she greeted back, heading over to give her other two loves a hug and a kiss, too.

"And my little HC. How are you today, baby?" Olivia asked, reaching for the child that Fitz held in his arms. Their beautiful baby, just over a year old.

Harper Carolyn Grant.

"Momma," Harper said, reaching for Olivia.

"Yes, come here. Let me kiss you," she said, peppering Harper's cheek with kisses, causing her to giggle.

"Mmm, so kissable. Yes, you're so kissable!" Olivia said, smoothing back her fluffy curls. "Should I give daddy kisses too?"

Harper smiled, looking back and forth between her mom and dad after Olivia had said "daddy."

"Yes? Okay, I think so. I think I should," Olivia nodded, leaning in to kiss Fitz on the cheek.

He smiled and leaned his face closer to her so that he could, and then turned his head to her so that he could give her a proper kiss, too.

"Mwah," Fitz murmured, before turning back to the food he was serving.

"Daddy's so kissable, too. So kissable," Olivia said, kissing Harper's nose.

"Okay, how many pancakes, Tom?" Fitz asked.

"Two," Thomas said.

"What do we say, baby," Olivia reminded him.

He instantly remembered. "Two, please," Thomas said.

"Good man. Elle?" Fitz asked.

"Two, please!" she mimicked.

"Livvie?"

"Two, please!" Olivia said, giving her twins a happy look.

"Momma, you copied us!" Thomas exclaimed.

"I know I did!" Olivia nodded. "How many pancakes is dad going to have?"

"Daddy is more bigger. Daddy can have...ten!" Elle said.

"Ten!" Thomas exclaimed, looking over to Fitz.

He was chuckling. "I don't know about ten. I think I'm going to start with four, how's that sound?"

"Good. And baby Harp gets just one?" Thomas asked.

"Because baby Harp is little, right? She is more little?" Elle added.

"Yes, because she is more little," Fitz nodded.

Olivia put Harper in her high chair and poured some milk in her sippy cup.

"Orange juice or milk, kids?" Olivia asked.

"Ummm. Orange juice, please!"

"Orange juice, please!"

"Very good manners, good job," Fitz nodded proudly from the stove. He flipped a towel over his shoulder and turned off the burner so he could clear some things away and then join them for breakfast.

After getting everyone their drink of choice and cutting up the kids' pancakes, they settled down to eat. It was quite an extravagant breakfast, and everyone enjoyed it. Even Arie was lucky enough to get a strip of bacon because she was such a good girl.

And then it was time to get dressed and ready for the day. The kids were always eager to get outside when they were all at the cabin, especially when it was gorgeous out like it was today, and especially because they only spent their weekends at the cabin.

They were blessed, having lots of yard to play in at home, as well as a pool. But nothing quite compared to being up at the cabin with the sandy beach, and more water to swim around in.

And the twins loved the water. They had ever since before they were even a year old. It seemed as though little Harper was the same exact way, too. She enjoyed wading around in it, as long as she was holding on tightly to mom or dad.

There were many similarities between Harper and her siblings, of course. But right now at her age, she was more like Thomas had been at that age. Very gentle, very sweet. Not that Elle wasn't the sweetest, cutest little girl. She was adorable, and very well-behaved. But she did have a bit more of a fiery personality than her brother, and a lot more sass.

Harper, not so much. At least not yet.

As for looks, her curls were looser, like Fitz's, and just a tad darker than his. Whereas the twins' hair was the color of Olivia's, and their curls were much tighter. And while the twins' eyes were a dark brown like their mother's, Harper's were not.

Hers were a bright, striking blue. Just like her daddy's.

Harper took after Fitz in a lot of ways, another being her dominant hand. The twins were both right-handed like Olivia, and frankly, most of the population. But it was already clear that Harper was showing the early signs of being left-handed. She heavily favored her left hand and left side in general, when she played and when she grabbed or held things.

It appeared Fitz wasn't going to be the lone lefty in the Grant household, and he was pretty excited about that!

She was daddy's girl on many fronts. But, of course, she loved and resembled her mom a lot, too.

Getting pregnant with Harper had been a breeze compared to when they had tried with the twins.

Olivia had gone back on birth control eventually between the two pregnancies, because of the dreadful periods she'd always had when she was off of the pill. The kind that physically kept her home from work, and had even caused her to be sick to her stomach on many occasions due to the pain.

But when they'd decided to try again years later, she got pregnant just a month and a half after going off birth control.

They also had chosen not to know the sex of the baby until the baby was born, they'd just had names planned for both a boy and a girl. And it worked out perfectly. Because the minute they saw her, they instantly knew their plan had been the right one. She was definitely their little Harper Carolyn. It fit her so well.

The third little light of their lives. Well, human lights of their lives, that is.

They would never forget about their beloved fluffy girl.

She had just turned seven this May, and actually, her and Harper's birthdays were very close together. Arie's was the 25th, and Harper's was the 21st.

And Arie was still as lively as she was when she was just a little fluffy puppy.

She was just a little older now, and a lot more protective of people now that she had her very own little human siblings to watch over. But still, the excited, happy, blue girl that she was when she was a puppy. She still always wore that blue collar.

As for Fitz, he was now 45 years young, but didn't look a day over 35 if you asked Olivia. Or pretty much anyone. No gray hair. No age lines. Fantastic body. He still played baseball like he was in college, showing off his athleticism and his stamina.

And while he still did what he loved, teaching politics, he had also been promoted late last year. Cyrus had retired from Yale, as head of the Political Science Department. And not only was Fitz extremely qualified with his background, but his good friend and colleague, Sam Reston, had retired just a year prior to Cyrus. So that left Fitz top dog, and he had accepted Yale's offer to take over for Cyrus as soon as he left.

So now he taught, and managed other highly-ranked and acclaimed professors in the world of academia at Yale University. It was safe to say he was doing pretty well for himself.

And he certainly wasn't the only one.

Olivia was currently the Director of Strategic Communications for The Hartford, and well on her way to becoming the Vice President of Corporate Communications and Investor Relations. And from there, she'd keep aiming as high as she could go. She was determined; she worked extremely hard. And it all paid off, because she was already in a high-level position at the young age of 28, almost 29. The youngest to do so in the history of The Hartford.

Aside from Olivia and Fitz, the twins certainly kept pretty busy too, even at their young age of four. They both took swimming lessons every Tuesday evening, which also contributed to their love of, and talent in, the water. Olivia and Fitz were pretty sure at least one of them would be a swimmer in the future, if not both of them. When the time came, maybe even Harper, too.

They also did gymnastics. Which, wasn't too competitive at their age. But they both loved it, Elle probably a little bit more than Thomas. And it got them active, trying new things, and meeting new kids outside of their private preschool academy.

And last but not least, they both participated in the New Fairfield summer tee-ball league for kids every Saturday evening. Fitz was the coach of the little boys and girls team that the twins were on, and the entire family loved that. It worked out extremely well for them, because they were up at the cabin essentially every weekend in the summer, anyway.

And after the kids' leagues game finished, it was usually just a short drive or even a short walk, depending on which baseball diamond they played on, to the town team field. Because every Saturday night, Fitz stopped being a coach for a couple of hours and actually put on the uniform to play.

He was the best player, to this day. Well, in the eyes of Olivia. But she was pretty sure most of the town felt the same way.

So there was definitely a lot of baseball going on every Saturday for the family. Thomas had already shown a deep interest in the sport. He had a whole binder full of baseball cards that he loved to look through, even though he couldn't read them yet. He had, however, taken to memorizing the players based on their jersey colors.

He loved to play, and he loved to watch his dad play. Elle wasn't as into it as her brother, but she still tried hard, and it showed in both of the kids. They were both very clearly athletic, which wasn't a surprise considering both Olivia and Fitz were.

At their age, Olivia and Fitz just wanted to get them involved in things to see what they liked best. This winter they both really wanted to try out hockey, because they'd gone skating with their parents last winter on the frozen lake many times and loved it. At their age, hockey was more of just learning to skate, and getting comfortable skating with the weight of hockey gear on. But it would be good to see if they liked it.

The elementary school they would be enrolled in next year was quite a supporter of musical involvement, so aside from sports, they hoped the twins would also take some sort of music lessons as well, whether that be something like piano lessons, or voice lessons.

Overall, they were pretty busy little kids.

So, because it was Saturday, tonight they'd head to the ball field for another packed day of baseball. The twins would play first, followed by a little break in between, which allowed Fitz to change for his own game. And then he would play.

All the Grant children usually got to stay up late on Saturdays due to the games, especially their little HC, who would normally be in bed by 7:30. But it was only once a week, and it was summer, so they figured it was alright. They had a pretty set schedule otherwise.

The twins certainly loved Saturdays. Tee-ball game, ballpark food, all their New Fairfield friends, and getting to stay up late. They always looked forward to all of that.

"Momma. Momma. Are you happy we have baseball today?" Thomas asked, tapping Olivia's hand as they all sat in the sand, playing.

"Of course I am, baby!" Olivia nodded, fixing Elle's sand toy that had needed some reassembling. "Are you happy you have baseball today?"

She already knew the answer.

"Yes!" he exclaimed, packing sand into his little castle mold. "I love baseball, momma."

"I know you do, sweetheart. You and daddy. My baseball boys," she said, handing the toy back to Elle. "Elle, baby, here you go."

"Oh! Mommy, you fixed it," she noted happily.

"I told you I would. Mommy can fix everything," she said.

"Yeah—like...like superwoman. Mommy is like superwoman, daddy says," Thomas said.

"Mommy is like superwoman," Fitz nodded, coming to join them in the sand. He held Harper on one hip, who was now dressed in her adorable little ruffled bathing suit with a sunbonnet on her head. Fitz, also, was now dressed in a T-shirt and board shorts.

"Hi, daddy!" Elle exclaimed, waving to him excitedly.

"Hi, baby girl, what are you building over here?" he asked, crouching down with Harper in his arms. He set her down in the sand and she immediately starting making her way to Thomas, walking slowly and carefully. She, too, had been a decently early walker like her siblings.

"I builded a sandcastle for my fairy, Abby," she said, showing Fitz her little fairy toy.

"Oh, yeah, is that the fairy auntie Abby gave you?" Fitz asked.

"Yeah. So...I name her Abby. Like auntie Abby," Elle said.

"That's very thoughtful of you, E," Fitz chuckled. "What about you, buddy, what are you building?"

Thomas was currently holding Harper close to him, with the help of Olivia, just to make sure she didn't get too close to the water. He gestured to his sand creation that was still in the works.

"It's like Ellie's, but it's a tower. Like...like a sand tower. And there are sand fighters, too. Come look, dad. Baby Harp is guarding it all," Thomas said.

Olivia was smiling, almost laughing, next to Thomas because he was so cute. He held onto his sister protectively, and she didn't have a care in the world. She was looking around at everything in the sand, content in her brother's arms.

"Baby Harp is guarding it, huh? Well isn't that sweet of your sister," Fitz chuckled, coming to check it out up close.

"She's a good lookout, clearly," Olivia nodded.

"Yeah," Thomas giggled. "See, daddy?"

"I do see, very nice sand tower. I love both of them," he said, gesturing to the twins' creations.

Both of those sand creations were just about destroyed when their dog came sprinting through the sand, having just gone to the bathroom before coming to join her family. She'd come out with Fitz, and went as fast as she could in order to then come down to the beach.

"Woah! Arie!" Elle exclaimed, covering her castle.

"Ahh!" Thomas exclaimed, laughing at their dog.

"Arie, girl, come here," Fitz chuckled, patting the sand next to him. "Settle down, settle down. I know, you're just excited."

"Sooo excited," Olivia laughed, reaching out to give her a couple pats. "Good girl, yes. You're such a good girl. Can you lay down?"

She obeyed, trotting over and laying down smack dab in between Thomas and Elle. There, she could see everyone, and she was very pleased with that.

"Careful, Elle. You have to protect your fairy castle!" Thomas said, warning his sister now that Arie had come to join them.

Elle sat in thought, nodding. Her brother had a very good point.

"Abby can do it," she nodded confidently, positioning her in front of the castle.

"Good Abby," Thomas said, leaning to pat the little fairy's head. He and Elle looked at each other and started cracking up together.

The two were pretty close, and always made each other giggle.

"Even if you break my castle, I won't be mad at you, Arie," Elle said, patting Arie's head. Arie sat there, enjoying Elle's head pats.

"Yeah. Me neither, Arie," Thomas said, petting her back with his free hand.

Olivia and Fitz smiled at each other. The twins were not only close with each other, they were close with their dog, too. They loved her endlessly, and she loved them right back.

"That's right. She's just a big girl, she doesn't mean to get in the way, sometimes," Olivia nodded.

"Yeah," the twins agreed.

"Hey, dad. Who do you play for baseball tonight?" Thomas asked.

"You know, bud, I can't remember off the top of my head. I think maybe New Milford," Fitz said.

"New Milford! They have...the good pitcher! He throws really...super fast," Thomas exclaimed.

"I know, pal, very good memory!" Fitz nodded. "It's okay. We can beat them."

"Yes! You should play outfield tonight, daddy. You are good at catching in the outfield," Thomas said.

"Well thank you, Tommy! I'll see what I can do," Fitz smiled. "How's momma doing over here?"

"Momma's good!" Olivia said.

"Yeah. And momma is like superwoman," Elle announced.

"Yeah!" Thomas agreed.

"Thank you, kids," Olivia laughed.

"Welcome, momma," Elle said.

"Momma," Harper smiled, moving closer to her.

"Hi, Harp," Olivia smiled, holding out her arms for her. Harper reached for her mom immediately, leaving Thomas' sand tower without a...guardian.

"No! Harper—come back!" Thomas exclaimed.

Olivia and Fitz laughed.

"She'll be back. Why don't you finish up your tower!" Olivia said.

Thomas nodded, seeming to agree with that idea. So he kept building his tower while Elle played with her fairy, Abby.

Abby would certainly get a kick out of that.

Olivia brought Harper into her lap, kissing her cheek. She smiled, looking happily at Fitz as if to say, "momma gave me a kiss."

"You love your momma so much, don't you, HC," Fitz said, sitting cross-legged next to Olivia. He reached out a finger to her, which she immediately took, and then brought to her mouth.

"Are you getting me? Not again! Oh no!" Fitz exclaimed, gasping at Harper. She started to giggle, simultaneously nibbling on her dad's finger. She was heavily teething, so it was no surprise.

"Okay, okay. Daddy needs his finger back," Fitz chuckled. "Icky."

"Yeah, I don't think she thinks so," Olivia laughed, scooching her up on her lap.

"Nope," Fitz said.

He leaned in and pressed a kiss to Olivia's cheek and smiled at her when she turned to look at him.

"Hi," he said.

"Hi, baby," she replied, reaching for his hand.

"I love you," he said happily.

"I love you too," she answered, bringing his hand up to her mouth and kissing it a few times.

"And I love you," Fitz said, stroking Harper's cheek gently with his other hand. She smiled, leaning her face against his hand. Both of his hands were currently occupied by two of his girls.

"Yes I do. Yes I do, sweet girl," he nodded.

"Oh, me too," Olivia added, blowing a raspberry on Harper's cheek. She giggled. "Momma loves you."

"And me and Tommy, too?" Elle asked, standing up in the sand.

Fitz gasped, getting on his knees and crawling over to them. He grabbed both of them effortlessly in each arm and pulled them in for a hug.

"Are you kidding me?" he chuckled, tickling the both of them.

Giggles rang out from the both of them as they were relentlessly tickled by their dad, trying, but failing, to get out of his grasp. They knew it all too well. He was such a tickler.

Arie had to get up, seeing all that chaos. Thankfully, she didn't ruin the kids' sand creations, but she did go and try to figure out what was going on, jumping up and down in excitement.

Olivia couldn't help but laugh as she watched them, and heard their funny little high-pitched laughs. She could almost feel the tickling herself!

"Of course we love you, you little stinkers," Fitz said, kissing both of their cheeks.

"Sooooo, so much," Olivia nodded importantly.

"I tickle you back, dad," Elle said, starting to tickle him as best she could. By his neck, under his arms. Anywhere to get a reaction out of him. And then Thomas started too.

Olivia smiled, watching him laugh for the twins' sake, despite the fact that he really wasn't that ticklish. But it made them laugh more, so he faked it.

They eventually collapsed in a pile on top of Fitz's chest right near Olivia. She would have joined in on their little tickle fight except she was currently holding their other child in her arms.

"You two totally got him! Look, he's so tired!" Olivia exclaimed, pointing to Fitz.

He played along and put his hand to his forehead in exhaustion. "Yep, Yep. I give up!"

He laid there in the sand on his back, with two four-year-olds sitting on him very pleased with themselves.

That was just the start to their day. And it was a very fun start.

For the twins, though, it got less fun when it was time for their nap. It was definitely necessary on Saturdays because they had so much to do and they wouldn't be home until later. Some days, though, they could get by without one.

Harper, however, had taken a morning nap as well. She laid down for her second nap of the day along with the twins in the afternoon.

They were all only able to sleep after they completed their pre-nap routine.

"Momma. Momma. You can read this one?" Elle asked, handing Olivia one of her favorite books.

Goodnight Moon.

"Sure, baby. But you two remember the drill okay? After this one, we go right into our rooms to sleep, okay?" Olivia asked.

"Mhmm," they both answered.

She knew she may still get some resistance. Likely on Elle's end.

"Alright. Come and sit by me, loves," she said, patting the floor with a smile.

They excitedly came and snuggled up next to her on both sides, leaning their heads on each of her arms. In her lap, she held little Harper, who was currently sipping on her bottle of milk.

They were in Harper's nursery, so that Olivia could just put her right to sleep after their book without too much of a hassle. The twins' rooms were downstairs, and Harper's room was right next to the master bedroom. Which left the third room on the upper level, a guest room, that had been utilized many, many times by countless of their friends and family.

All three of the kids listened intently to Goodnight Moon, which they'd heard a million times, probably. But it never got old to them. Olivia understood. It had always been her favorite as a kid, too. And that very book had belonged to her when she was little. She only hoped it would continue to be passed down.

By the time she'd finished, she had a very sleepy Harper just slowly sucking away on her bottle, which was now almost gone. And two slightly more tired kids next to her.

"Okay, you two. Let me put Harper down, and then it's off to bed," she said, picking Harper up.

Harper went down easily, but Elle groaned at the idea of going to sleep. Thomas was just excited for baseball later, so whether he took a nap or not, he didn't care all that much.

"Eleanor, you know it's nap time," Olivia said, leading her down the stairs after Thomas.

"Momma, I don't want to," Elle said.

"I know you don't, but I'm going to go take a nap, too. So will dad. We all need to be rested to go to the ball field tonight. And guess what?"

"What?" Elle asked, somewhat disinterested. But still very clearly wanting to know.

"Maybe we can have a treat at the concession stand. How's that sound?" Olivia asked.

"A candy treat?" Elle asked.

"Any kind of treat you'd like!" Olivia nodded.

"Okay," Elle groaned. "But I don't want to take a nap."

Olivia shook her head. Such a stubborn child.

"Baby. We're all gonna go take naps. If we want to go have fun later, we need to take our naps first," Olivia said. "You know that."

Thomas went right into his room, looking behind him. "I go to sleep, mommy."

"Good job, sweetheart, I'll be right in, okay?" Olivia asked.

"Mmkay," he nodded, before disappearing into his room.

Elle took notice that Thomas got praise for his cooperation, and then started to fall in line, even though she knew the drill. She was just stubborn.

She walked into her room, then, and ran to her bed. "Okay...I'm gonna sleep fast, mommy."

"Oh, you're going to sleep fast, huh?" Olivia said, giving her a look.

Elle started to giggle, which made Olivia giggle back.

"Alright. Go to sleep, you," Olivia said, leaning down to kiss her forehead. "No funny business."

"No funny business," Elle nodded.

"That's my girl," she laughed. "I love you."

"Love you, momma."

Olivia headed into the bedroom next door, to see her sweet boy all tucked into bed, propped up on one elbow waiting for his mom.

"Sleep well, baby," she said, leaning down to give him a kiss. "Before you know it, it will be time for baseball!"

He nodded excitedly, laying his head down on his pillow. "I see you soon, mom."

"See you soon, T," she said, rubbing his soft, little hand. "I love you."

"Love you back."

Olivia smiled, knowing exactly where he had learned that phrase. From a very special guy in their lives. She loved that he took to saying it, like his dad did.

She left Thomas' bedroom, and with that, all children had been successfully put down for their naps. Now, she could go see what Fitz was up to.

She heard him yelling outside, and then she instantly knew what he was doing, even before she actually saw him.

She walked out the porch door, turning the corner to see him whipping a tennis ball to the way other end of the yard. Arie was sprinting as fast as she could to get it, and then sprinting right back to bring it to him.

"Ohh, that was a good one!" Fitz exclaimed, crouching down to grab the ball from her mouth.

He chucked it once more.

"Save that arm, mister superstar," she said, coming up behind him.

He turned at the sound of her voice and then smiled. "Oh, hi, you. Kids go down okay?"

"Two of them went down easier than one in particular," Olivia laughed.

He rolled his eyes, grabbing the ball from Arie's mouth again as she had just returned it. "Eleanor Maya," he said, shaking his head.

"Eleanor Maya, indeed," Olivia nodded. "But she really didn't fuss too much. How are you two doing out here?"

"Oh, good," he said, throwing the ball again. "Just making sure she gets her exercise in because we didn't run this morning and we won't be able to tonight."

"She looks very appreciative!" Olivia smiled, looking out at Arie tearing around in the yard. Playing her favorite game of fetch.

"Yeah. We'll take a break for now. Hey, baby girl, let's go inside. No more," he called out, patting his leg so she would come to him. "We'll play some more another time. You want a treat?"

Her tail started to wag faster as they all headed inside, excited at the sound of "treat."

Fitz put some peanut butter in her Kong toy, her favorite. She was very happy, and took it to her dog bed in the living room to enjoy it.

Fitz and Olivia headed upstairs quietly, peeking in on their little one as they went to their bedroom.

She was passed out in her crib, holding onto her favorite stuffed animal, who the whole family knew as "Deedee." Well, that's what Harper had grown to call her, likely because it was easy for an infant to say. So they all collectively referred to the pink stuffed poodle as "Harper's Deedee" now.

"Our sweet girl," Fitz whispered, smiling in at her, before quietly shutting the door again.

"Our little HC," Olivia added with a smile.

Fitz grabbed her hand casually, leading her down the hallway the rest of the way to their bedroom. He closed their door behind them, and then brought her to bed with him.

She got in after he did, allowing him to pull her close to him. He was warm, as he always was. He was only wearing a T-shirt and board shorts from earlier. He hadn't even gone in the water yet today, but they all normally walked around with their swimsuits on outside at the cabin, just in case.

His finger snuck up to her jaw, tilting her face toward him so she'd meet his eyes. And then he was leaning in for a kiss.

His warm lips felt good against hers. But they always did. It was nothing new to her, it just always felt special.

"Nice to see you," he whispered.

She could feel his smile against her lips, which made her smile back.

"Nice to see you, too, I missed you," she replied.

"Nice to see you" had become something they normally said to each other when they got a moment just the two of them. Especially, if it was the weekend, when more of their energy went toward playing and engaging with their kids. However, the phrase was usually shared after their long days at work as well, when they were finally happy just to snuggle in bed next to each other.

Of course they always saw each other during the day and interacted, whether it was a weekday or a weekend. But having moments just the two of them was harder to come by with three small children. They were the lights of their lives, no doubt, and put permanent smiles on their parents' faces. But whenever possible, they still liked to cherish the moments just the two of them, and remind each other that they were seen. That they were missed, and it was nice to have some time together.

"I missed you, too. I haven't kissed you enough today," he whispered, letting his lips linger against hers.

"Mmm," she murmured against his lips. "Then I guess you've got some making up to do."

"I guess I do," he nodded, giving her a smile.

His hands moved from the bed, sliding up her body slowly and making their way to her face. He held her face in his hands, tilting his head and getting lost in a deep, deep kiss.

She felt his tongue play with the idea of slipping in her mouth, so she opened her mouth wide against his and he understood.

The kiss shifted from a few pecks, to a makeout session in bed. They had been laying next to each other originally, Olivia fitting so perfectly next to him. But now she was on top of him, and had pulled the covers up over them.

She rested her arms next to his face on the pillow, kissing him slowly and softly. He rolled her over, and finally moved away from her lips and to her neck.

His fingers started to fiddle with the buttons on her blouse, which, was one of her favorite summery blouses. It was a light peach color, and it tied at the bottom right beneath its buttons. When she paired it with jean shorts, it looked particularly cute, and it was an easy bikini top coverup option.

Fitz apparently wanted it off, though.

He made quick work of the buttons, slipping a hand inside her blouse and starting to touch her breasts.

He peeled back half of her bikini top and brushed her nipple slowly with his finger. And then he moved down her body and used his mouth instead.

All she could see from her view was curls upon curls on top of his head, and his face now buried in her chest. His lips and tongue doing as they pleased.

"I love this bathing suit," he murmured, not stopping what he was doing even for a second.

"I see that," she giggled, ruffling his curls.

"Can you wear it more often?" he asked, peering up at her.

"For you, sweetie, anything," she smiled.

He smiled back at her. "Thank you. I do love it. However, it's going to come off now, okay?"

"Thank goodness."

He reached under her and pulled the strings, instantly loosening it from her body. She could almost feel the bulge in his shorts become more prominent.

He let out a happy sigh as he looked at her bare breasts in front of him.

"You're so beautiful, baby."

"Well thank you!" she said, stroking his cheek with her thumb.

"Mhm," he nodded.

"And you are so handsome," she whispered, admiring him. She could admire that face and that body all day.

His cheeks flushed in response, and he smiled. "Thank you."

"You are absolutely welcome," she replied softly, touching his bottom lip gently with her thumb. His eyes flickered to hers, and then he was kissing her again.

He was kissing her until her shorts were off, and his hand was inside her bikini bottoms. Her hand was inside the untied board shorts still clinging to his waist. But that didn't matter. She could make him feel good even if they were still on.

She was currently giving him the best handjob she could, given that he had two fingers deep inside her and she could already feel that she was close. She knew he wouldn't stop until he made her come, no matter what she did to him. He could hold off for an impressive amount of time, which she had to admit, she could not do. He had her beat. But she still stroked him under his shorts, feeling his arousal all over her hand.

She tilted her head back and let out a quiet moan, trying to focus on him even though she was so unbearably close.

"Let me get you there, baby," he whispered, dragging his lips along her neck.

"I'm so close," she whimpered, gripping his shoulder.

He listened, and he fingered her faster. Hitting that spot for her. Watching her body tense up, as it always did. Feeling her clench around his fingers, as she always did. He smirked. He loved that.

The second she stopped stroking him, he knew she was about to come. She'd held off as long as possible, before she just couldn't take it anymore. However, she made sure to still keep her hand in his shorts, because she couldn't bear not to. And she had some unfinished business after her body calmed down.

His name escaped her lips amidst her wonderful, glorious orgasm.

She realized as soon as she had finished, that her hand on his shoulder was gripping him incredibly hard, and that her eyes were squeezed shut. She had to physically relax her body after that one. She looked up at him as she laid back on the bed, and saw his gentle smile.

"That one was sexy to watch," he noted.

She smiled back. "Big one."

"Really big one," he agreed, pulling his wet fingers out of her bikini.

The hand she had in his shorts had just been resting there, but she immediately grabbed him again and started stroking him softly.

She was tired, but not too tired. That unfinished business she had wasn't going to be unfinished for long.

He sucked in a sudden breath, looking down at her moving hand in his shorts.

He leaned forward slightly, resting his forehead down against hers. They were both panting, Olivia coming down from her orgasm and Fitz building up to his. Breathing in each other's air. Seeing the pleasure in each other's eyes.

Fitz unconsciously started to move his hips, thrusting into her hand.

Olivia enjoyed feeling his thick, long dick thrust in and out of her hand. Making sure his tip was given extra attention.

After all that had already occurred, she knew he wouldn't last very long. And she was right.

He was shaking above her, his breathing irregular within minutes.

"Want me to slide these down?" she asked, referring to his shorts.

"S'okay—easier this way," was all he could get out. But he was probably right. It would contain some things and be easier clean up overall.

She nodded, kissing his cheek one after the other.

"Olivia—Olivia," he panted, clutching the sheets.

"Yes, baby," she nodded, stroking him faster.

His eyes rolled back, and then shut completely as he finished. She felt it warm and sudden, all over her right hand.

"There," she whispered, slowing down her strokes, but not hesitating to continue to touch him.

He took a few moments to catch his breath, still bracing himself on his forearms above her.

"...Yes," he moaned, rolling off of her and into his back. "God...yes."

"Yeah?" she giggled.

He nodded, letting out a big sigh. "Yeah."

She rubbed his chest softly, and laid her head down on it after pressing a few kisses to his soft skin.

They were in need of some rinsing off, so they quickly did that one at a time, so someone could keep an eye on little Harper just in case. Each put on some clean clothes, and settled back down in bed.

And there they laid, making the most of their kids' nap time. A little playtime. Some cuddles and whispers afterward. And even a small nap themselves, as they also usually participated in that for as long as they were able.

They only slept for a little over 45 minutes, as Harper then began to stir, and they woke up to her babbling to herself on the monitor. It was quite cute actually. They let her stir, and talk for a while, laying in each other's embrace. After about ten minutes, though, Olivia went to save her and change her diaper.

Then, in came Olivia with a very happy, very smiley Harper on her hip. Olivia peppered her cheek with kisses as she entered the bedroom, which was making the both of them laugh.

Harper grew even happier at the sight of her dad, now that she had her eyes on both her parents.

"Ahh," she smiled, clasping and unclasping her hand at her dad. It was her little version of a wave, and it made her parents smile every single time she did it.

"Oh, hi, sweet girl," Fitz greeted, giving her a wave back. "Did you sleep so well? It sure looks like you did."

"Dadda?" she questioned.

Olivia gasped, smiling at Harper. "Is that dadda?"

"Dadda—dadda," Harper said again, taking cues from her mom.

Fitz reached out to her. "Yes, baby. Come to dadda. He missed you so much."

Harper immediately reached back for him, smiling through the entire interaction.

Fitz lifted her up multiple times, blowing a raspberry on her little tummy each time he brought her back down. Harper was in a fit of giggles the whole time, which made all of them laugh. They were pretty sure all babies had contagious laughs, but their three children, in particular, had insanely contagious laughs and smiles.

They were probably just biased.

They all snuggled up together on the bed, Harper eventually settling down in between her parents. She wanted her pacifier, so they gave it to her, and she was then content to just sit there and snuggle up to them. She laid her head down on Fitz's forearm, and made sure Olivia's hand never left her leg. She would reach for her hand to bring it back, otherwise.

"Momma," she murmured, putting her hand on top of Olivia's.

"Hi, baby," Olivia whispered, lifting up her adorable little hand and giving it a few kisses. It made Harper's lips tug upwards in a soft smile. "You have such pretty eyes, Harper. Yes you do."

Harper smiled, as if she understood what her mother was saying. She didn't. But she did just love the sound of Olivia's voice, no matter what.

"Yeah," Olivia laughed, seeing her smile. "Those big, blue eyes. Where the heck did those come from?!"

Fitz peered around his daughter's shoulder with a smile.

Olivia laughed, looking back and forth between her husband's and her daughter's eyes. Virtually two same exact pairs of eyes were staring back at her. Harper's eyes were even the shape of Fitz's, whereas the twins' eyes were all Olivia in every way.

"Oh, that's right!" Olivia exclaimed. "You've got daddy's eyes, don't you? Yes you do!"

"Dadda," Harper said confidently, looking behind her.

"Yes, hi, Harper," he smiled, kissing the top of her head.

"Mommy. Daddy."

They both turned, seeing a little Thomas standing in their doorway.

"Oh, hi, baby," Olivia greeted. "Did you just wake up?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "Can I come in?"

"Of course, honey."

He walked in quietly, pushing himself right up on the bed with them to snuggle.

"How'd you sleep, bud?" Fitz asked.

"Good," Thomas nodded, laying down by his little sister and cuddling up to his mom. "Hi baby Harp."

Harper smiled, putting her hand down right smack dab in the center of Thomas' face.

Thomas giggled. "Harper! That's my nose."

"You silly girl," Fitz chuckled, rubbing Harper's back.

"Did you and daddy sleep, mom?" Thomas asked.

"We did," Olivia nodded. "We needed our rest, too!"

Although they had needed some other things as well…

"Ellie is still sleeping. I looked," Thomas noted.

Olivia had to laugh, because this was exactly how Elle rolled. Wanting to "sleep fast," but sleeping the longest of all of them. Oh, their silly girl.

And she didn't wake up for another half hour. And when she did, she was raring to go. She did come to join the party up in her parents' bedroom, however, it had transitioned to more of a playtime for the kids, who'd gathered their toys on the bed. While Olivia and Fitz were comfortable just laying in bed and chatting, the kids—not so much. So they played with their toys for a while, until it was time to start getting ready to go. Arie had even come upstairs to settle down on the floor by their bed with her bone to keep herself occupied.

They all then got dressed, which for the twins, meant their adorable little uniforms. At that age, it was really just a T-shirt with the name of the league, and baseball pants. But Olivia packed their other jerseys, that they would change into later for Fitz's game.

They put Harper's on her right away, though.

They all had a snack, knowing that they'd have dinner right after their tee-ball game. Except for Harper, who had her real dinner and some milk before they left. Olivia just packed her a snack instead, so she didn't have to worry about what concession food she could manage to eat.

They packed their baseball bags and filled their water bottles, and packed the diaper backpack for Harper.

And before they knew it, they were all off to the ball field for the twins' game.

As soon as the Grant family arrived, all the other children and parents were happy. They were pretty well-liked within the organization. The moms gravitated toward Olivia. The dads gravitated toward Fitz. And all the kids loved both Thomas and Elle. Not to mention, both parents and kids loved Harper. She was the littlest Grant, and she was so adorable.

"Okay, have lots of fun and play hard tonight you two!" Olivia exclaimed, patting both their shoulders. They assured her that they would.

"Tommy!" Brayden exclaimed, running as fast as his little body could carry him.

"Brayden!" Thomas exclaimed back, going to meet his best friend by the dugout.

Elle immediately went to her best friends on the team, too, Lizzy and Shay.

But there wasn't all that much time for visiting, because soon they all had to gather around "Coach Fitz" as they all called him.

At that level, the opposing coaches would switch off pitching from a very close distance. Tonight, it was Fitz's turn to pitch. Most times, the kids couldn't hit one thrown to them, and that's when the baseball tee would come out, and they'd get an easier chance to hit it. But, regardless, they were always given a shot at hitting a live pitch.

So Olivia held Harper, watching and cheering from the grass with the other parents. She sat next to Shay's mom, Candice, like she always did, as she was probably her closest friend in New Fairfield, although she had grown to know many people in the town.

Along with Shay, Candice also had a little boy the same age as Harper, so the two of them always had some fun playing together. Olivia always laid down a blanket on the grass, so that Harper could play with her toys. They wouldn't get to do that later, as at Fitz's game they'd have to sit in the bleachers. So Olivia tried to make it as fun as possible for her little girl.

Olivia loved watching Fitz coach, because he was so good with the little kids and they all loved him. She knew someday, if he wanted to, he would truly make a really good coach for a higher level of baseball, too.

Their games always went by pretty quickly. And by the time it was over, they only had about thirty minutes until the town team game started. So, they packed up, and tried to make their way over there quickly.

"Good game, Tommy!" Their teammate Elliott yelled.

"Thanks, you too!" Thomas yelled, sipping his water bottle. Both twins got congratulated on their game as everyone packed up, although mostly, it was Thomas. Thomas was by far more interested in the sport, and was just a natural, truly. Elle always tried hard, but even she knew it just wasn't her favorite sport. She did, however, make tons of friends on the team, so they all talked to Elle in passing as everyone left. Some of them were also heading to the town team field, because on most Saturdays, that's just what people did in this town in the summer. Saturday night baseball, ballpark food, kids' laughs and screams from the town pool right next door. It was a really nice, family environment to spend an evening in.

Plus, for the whole Grant family, it was just fun because everyone loved to watch Fitz. He was a great player, and always tended to play a pretty key role in each game.

Thomas and Elle, being his kids, were seen as pretty cool by many of the other little players they played with.

And Olivia was proud to be his wife. Not just because he was a stud on the baseball field. But because he was Fitz.

And of course, the adorable, littlest Grant always stole the show, if her dad didn't.

They drove over to the other baseball field, which only took about two minutes, and the drive was filled with lots of encouragement by Olivia and Fitz about the twins tee-ball game. How well they did, and how proud they were. The twins were very appreciative.

They quickly changed into their other jerseys in the car. Their real jerseys, that their parents had had specially made about 2 years ago. They'd ordered them big, so that they'd fit for a good few years. They fit perfectly at their size right now.

They had the 'NF' New Fairfield logo on the front, with tiger stripes filling the letters as New Fairfield's mascot was the Tigers. Fitz's number 24 was stitched on the back, with "daddy" written on the nameplate instead of "Grant."

Harper wore one, too. She drowned in it. But she still looked adorable.

That was always the game-day attire for the kids, they insisted on it. They loved to support their dad.

Olivia, however, kept it a bit more subtle, with her New Fairfield Tigers baseball T-shirt, which still did have Fitz's name and number on the back.

Fitz gave Olivia a quick kiss before he ran back to the shed to change, since he couldn't in the car.

The kids didn't want to go without some affection too.

"Daddy!" Elle said, turning her cheek to him.

He chuckled, picking her up and groaning, as if she was super heavy, which made her giggle.

He gave her multiple kisses on the cheek, which satisfied Elle.

He set her down and leaned in to give Harper a bunch of kisses too. She was smiley because of it.

"Good luck, dad," Thomas said, extending his knuckles for his dad.

Fitz bumped them and smiled. "Thanks, little man. I'll try and hit a double for you like you did today."

"Yes!" Thomas exclaimed, pulling on Fitz's hand.

Fitz smiled and leaned in once more to kiss Olivia. "Alright, babe, I'll see you after."

"Okay, sweetie. Good luck, play hard."

He winked back at her, and then was off.

Olivia and the kids made their way to the bleachers, with the music playing loudly over the park speakers. The kids both got hot dogs and chips, their favorite meal to get at their dad's baseball games.

And immediately, Kathy waved them over to where she was sitting on the bleachers.

They always sat by Kathy, who was probably the town's best fan, truly. Her husband didn't play much anymore, as he'd gotten older and his shoulder bothered him, but he was still their beloved "captain" and often signaled to his batters from the third baseline.

The kids loved Kathy, and she loved them back. She'd known Fitz since he was a teenager. So growing to know his girlfriend turned wife, and then eventually growing to know his children, made her very happy.

They chatted with Kathy all throughout the game, and even littler Harper enjoyed Kathy's attention immensely.

Fitz did hit a double, as he'd told Thomas. Thomas screamed especially loud when he did, and watched his dad after he'd safely reached second base. He was adjusting his batting gloves, and he looked up at the bleachers in search of his son. When he spotted him, he gave him a quick thumbs up and a smile.

"Good job, dad!" Thomas exclaimed, giving him a thumbs-up back. "That was so good!"

He sat back down, blushing, after his loud public announcement.

The other fans around them all laughed in amusement at Thomas. They knew he was Grant's boy.

"Yay, daddy!" Elle exclaimed, dancing around where she was sitting. She didn't even look up at the field, she was too busy enjoying her sour skittles that she'd gotten from the concession stand. Her candy treat.

Fitz had a couple good hits, including that double, and a home run. Although, the team wouldn't have needed it that night. They beat New Milford by a score of 6-2. New Milford was a good team, and New Fairfield had lost to them before. But that night, it was clear who the better team had been.

The win was celebrated by the fans flooding the field, and going to see their favorite players. That was also one of the twins' favorite parts of the games.

"Okay. Should we go see daddy, kids?" Olivia asked, grabbing Thomas' hand.

"Yes!" Elle exclaimed, jumping up and down on the bleachers, which made quite the racket.

"Elle, shh, settle down. Tommy, hold your sister's hand, okay."

He obeyed, immediately grabbing Elle's hand. Olivia had a very sleepy Harper in one arm, Thomas' hand in the other, and the diaper backpack on her back, so she had her hands full.

They made their way down the field, through the open chain-link gate.

Thomas spotted Fitz first, just coming out of the dugout with his glove in one hand, and his batting helmet in the other.

"There he is!" Thomas exclaimed, pulling on Elle's hand. "Momma, momma, can we go see dad?"

"Go ahead, baby," Olivia laughed.

The two twins took off, running to their dad.

Fitz's face lit up, and he dropped everything he was holding. He crouched down, opening his arms for them to hug him.

Olivia smiled the whole way there, seeing him chat with the little kids before she reached him.

He stood up as soon as she got there, leaning in for a kiss immediately. "Hi, you," he smiled.

"Hi! Good game, mister superstar!" she exclaimed, kissing him again.

"Mmm," he murmured against her lips. He didn't pull away, which got a reaction out of their kids.

"Gross!" the twins exclaimed.

"Yeah, gross!" one of his teammates said, as he passed Fitz and Olivia.

Fitz chuckled, rolling his eyes at Dean, a teammate that had turned into a good buddy of his.

"Oh, and there's my baby. There you are. How are you?" Fitz asked, reaching to grab Harper.

He kissed her cheek, and she immediately rested her head into his chest as he held her.

"Tired, I see," he chuckled.

"Yes, very tired," Olivia nodded. "She actually made it past the seventh inning tonight, though, I was impressed!"

"Wow! You like to watch baseball, huh?" he whispered, kissing her cheek again. "Alright, kids, time to go home, okay?"

They both groaned, wanting to stay a little longer out on the field.

"I know, I know. But your sister needs to go to bed, and so do you two!" Fitz exclaimed.

"But dad!" Elle exclaimed, giving him a sad look.

"No, no buts," Fitz said, shaking his head.

"No buts," Thomas repeated, making himself giggle. Which, then, made Elle giggle.

"You two!" Olivia laughed. "Come on, you heard dad. Besides, don't you wanna go let your dog out? I bet she misses you both!"

Elle gasped and then nodded, and so did Thomas.

"Arie! Fluffy girl!" Elle exclaimed.

"Yes, we gotta go let fluffy girl out," Fitz agreed, crouching down to pick up his things.

That seemed to satisfy the twins.

"Okay. I'll be quick, babe," Fitz said, letting her take Harper back.

"Okay. Meet you at the car," she nodded.

He ran to the shed to change back into shorts and the tee-ball shirt that he had to wear for the twins' game, and came back to the car with his bag all packed up.

They headed home, immediately letting Arie out so she could go to the bathroom.

Harper woke up enough to have some bedtime milk, but otherwise, she was down for the count. She went down easily and without a bedtime story, because it was far later than her normal bedtime.

"Goodnight, baby," Olivia whispered, kissing Elle's cheek and laying her down. She was in her yellow fuzzy pajamas, the ones her grandma Maya had picked out for her.

"I love you," Olivia said, rubbing her little hand.

"Goodnight sweet girl, I love you, too!" Fitz exclaimed, smiling down at her.

They headed back downstairs, to see if the twins had been doing what they'd told them to be doing. Which was to put their pajamas on and start brushing their teeth, even though they would need some help with that part.

And sure enough, there they were in their pajamas, sort of brushing their teeth. Although, they were giggling at each other more than brushing their teeth.

"What are you two doing in here?" Olivia laughed, peeking into their bathroom.

"Tom squeezed the toofpaste too much," Elle giggled, her mouth full of white, foamy toothpaste.

"But our teef will be really clean, Ellie," he murmured, his mouth also full of foamy toothpaste.

Oh, goodness.

Olivia and Fitz each helped them out, making sure their "teef" were, indeed, really clean.

And then, they all went to Elle's room for a story, because Elle's bed was pushed up against the wall and it made it easier for them all to sit and lean against it if need be.

Olivia made sure to do Elle's hair as she normally did for when she went to sleep. She twisted it in sections, so that it would be contained under her satin bonnet.

Elle wasn't a huge fan of her bonnets, not yet. But Olivia was teaching them both to love their curls, and their natural hair. And part of that, was the satin bonnets Elle wore to sleep and the satin pillowcases they both had, that didn't rub or dry out their hair. And hey, it did keep Olivia more accountable too!

Elle liked if others wore them too, if she wore one, so she and Fitz, both, obliged multiple times. Olivia really enjoyed seeing Fitz rock a hot pink bonnet in order to please his daughter. A cute sight, it really was. But tonight, Elle didn't put up a fuss. She was just eager to listen to some good stories.

They all sat up on Elle's bed against the wall so they'd all fit, but huddling close together so that both kids could see the pictures.

Up tonight was Cat in the Hat, and Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

But first, Thomas had a very important request.

He brushed his fingers over his mom's tattoo on her wrist. The one that said "Fitz."

"Mommy, can we see our letters?" Thomas asked.

"Yeah, can we see our letters?!" Elle asked, too.

Olivia smiled and pulled up her shirt slightly, showing them the area on her side just under her bra strap. There, in little black writing, was her three kids' initials, each in their own row.

Both Thomas and Elle leaned in close to see, even though they'd seen a thousand times. Recently though, they'd become even more fascinated because they were learning more about letters, and reading and writing in general. So to know that their mom had "their letters" on her body, made them happy.

That, of course, led to another request. This time, to Fitz.

"Daddy, daddy. Our names, our names!" Elle begged, pulling on his hand.

"Alright, alright," Fitz chuckled, pulling his shirt over his head.

He turned his back so they could see. The upper right side, where he had all three kids' names written out, first and middle, in the same cursive lettering that Olivia's name was written in on his wrist. All done by the same tattoo artist, Trevor.

They both patted his upper back, delighted at seeing their names spelled out. Little Harper's, too.

"Yay!" Elle exclaimed. "One more."

"The other drawing. The drawing on your fingers," Thomas agreed.

They smiled at each other and both held out their left hands, turning their ring fingers so the dates could be seen. These ones were identical, and their most recent additions. Their wedding anniversary date in Roman numerals, written horizontally across the sides of their ring fingers.

That one had come about because when Fitz played baseball, he had to take his wedding ring off, or else it would rub and feel uncomfortable under his batting glove. And he really didn't like to take it off.

So Olivia came up with that solution. It was cute and subtle, and didn't draw any attention. But it was there, and it was meaningful.

He, of course, was far less thrilled about the idea, simply because of his opinion on needles. But with having gotten the kids' names on his back already, he knew he could do it again. They were pretty sure there would be no more tattoos in their future. But the ones they had meant a lot to them. And apparently, to their kids as well. Their "drawings."

"Pretty," Elle said. "I want one."

"Ha! Yeah, you're gonna have to wait a while, silly girl," Fitz chuckled, putting his shirt back on.

"But we can have the ones that rub off in the water?" Thomas asked.

"Yes. Those ones you can have," Olivia laughed, kissing his head. "Alright. Are we ready for storytime?"

"Yes!" They both exclaimed.

Olivia read one book, and Fitz read the other. They read them slow and very dramatically, as that got the best reaction out of them. Usually laughter.

But by the end of the two, they were both sleepy. Elle was laying her head in her mom's lap, holding tightly to her hand. And Thomas was absolutely passed out, leaning against his sister's body. His beloved "Ellie."

So Olivia tucked little Elle into her bed, pulling the covers up over her and adjusting her bonnet to make sure it wouldn't move throughout the night.

Both Olivia and Fitz gave Elle a kiss.

"Goodnight, baby. I love you," Olivia smiled, stroking her soft cheek gently.

"Night, momma. I love you."

"Goodnight, E. Sleep well, I love you," Fitz whispered, patting her arm.

"Love you, daddy, goodnight," she murmured, grabbing his finger tiredly and closing his eyes.

He smiled, kissing her hand and slipping his finger out of her grip so he could grab Thomas.

He scooped up the sleeping boy in his arms, and Olivia followed him out, shutting off Elle's light.

She shut her door just a bit, before going next door to Thomas' room. He laid him down, and they adjusted his covers. Both giving him a kiss, and telling him they loved him even though he was asleep. It was just as important.

After shutting his door a little bit, they went to check on Harper one last time. Sweet Arie was laying outside her nursery, as Arie always did. The sweetest, most protective dog they thought had ever existed. Although, they were probably biased in that regard, too.

Harper was fast asleep, with her pink poodle right next to her.

So now that their three kids were safely tucked into bed, they went to do one of their favorite things.

Not in the bedroom.

They encouraged Arie to come with, and they went out to the back porch, where their marvelous wooden porch swing sat in the corner.

And there they sat, enjoying the summer evening breeze, and the sounds that came with it. Some people were still out on their boats, either fishing, or just going for an evening cruise. It was a pretty sight to see, all of the lights on the boats lit up, and shining on the lake.

There were still sounds of their neighbors, both near and far; some slight laughter and audible chatter.

The smell of the outdoors, and of bonfires nearby.

Her husband's arm around her, and his body next to hers. Her dog's snout prodding her hand, so that she would pet her.

It was a pretty nice evening.

"Nice to see you," Olivia whispered, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"Nice to see you, baby," he whispered back, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

Sometimes, in quiet, peaceful moments like these, she would think about how she had gotten to where she was today.

A fantastic husband, three beautiful children, and her sweet dog.

Her loving parents, three grandparents still with her to date, and all her wonderful extended family members.

All her little cousins, each getting older and more mature every time she saw them.

And her older ones, doing amazing things. Her cousin Dillon, off traveling the world with his boyfriend, Lucas. They were both working in the medical research field, and had taken an extended period of time off to do what they'd always wanted to do together. Olivia was envious. Their social media pictures displaying each new place they visited were gorgeous.

Her cousin Macy, also in the medical field. She was a nurse. And along with that, she was engaged to none other than her great friend Harrison Wright. He'd proposed to her this summer, and they'd all been there to see it. They were a great couple, no doubt. One she would have never foreseen, that was for sure. But a really good one.

Then there was her best friend. The best friend she'd had ever since her freshman year of college. Happily married to the love of her life, with one perfect little boy, and a girl on the way. And knowing how adorable that little Benjamin Rosen was, that little girl was going to be just precious.

Little Benny, who was a mere boy of two, was Olivia's godson, and she, like Abby, took her godmother duties very seriously. She spoiled that sweet red-headed boy rotten whenever she could.

Then, there were her sweet friends back home, the other two members of their beloved "three musketeers." Two members that she still considered her best friends; and who were now happily married to each other. Stephen and Sandra were living the life in Virginia Beach. They didn't want any children, but they had three dogs, all of which, they loved immensely. They had fantastic jobs, an elegant house, and a great marriage. They all tried to get together as often as they could, despite the long distance between them.

Their other friends that were a little ways away were also doing fantastic. Brett, Lauren, and Mia still lived in Pennsylvania, and Mia was now in middle school, which baffled both Olivia and Fitz. Fitz had known her since she was just a baby, and now she was growing up so fast. As was Riley, just a couple years older than Mia. He and his parents, Matt and Emma, still lived in New York, as did Jason and Janelle. Their little Lucy was three now.

Then there was Charlie and Quinn, and their adorable little girl, Robin. She was just four months old, and looked just like Charlie. They were all pretty excited to get together for Charlie and Quinn's wedding this fall, where Benny was even going to be part of the wedding party as the ring bearer. Another chance to see everyone all together was always awesome. And knowing Charlie and Quinn, their wedding would be a great time.

Even if not everyone could drink and go crazy at the reception. For example, Abby, who was 16 weeks pregnant, as well as another female member of their friend group.

Teagan. She was 13 weeks pregnant with a boy, they'd just found out last week.

She and Huck, also happily married now, planned to name him Diego, after Huck's dad, who'd passed away shortly before Huck went to college. He was the reason for many of Huck's tattoos. And now, their little boy would honor him as well.

Thinking about where they all were today always made her smile. Because she remembered how they all started off. Just a crazy bunch of college kids who were all unbelievably smart in their own ways, but sometimes, still up to no good.

Studying a lot, but drinking too much, probably. Meeting new people and taking chances. Suffering through heartbreaks, and falling in love.

And they did it all together.

And now, here Olivia sat, appreciating everything. Appreciating the blessed life she lived, with all the amazing people in it.

And the love of her life by her side through it all. The man who knew her better than anyone else. The man who still gave her butterflies, and made her heart beat fast. The man that was her rock, and her best friend. The man that had once been...

Forbidden.