THE ONE AND ONLY

"So, what do you think of our performance?" Akademieder Künste's biennale after-party had just begun but Lydia already found herself tucked in the corner evading the crowds. She had spent most of the evening working to deliver a great performance with the orchestra and failed. All the socializing that loomed over had her already-limited battery drained. She needed a break and this felt like the right time to just sip quietly from her glass of wine before diving into the boring social setting. It was such a coincidence that she found Francesca on the balcony, watching the dark night sky alone

"It was delightful." Per usual, Francesca didn't look at Lydia when she talked. "Spellbinding as always."

"Oh, Francesca." Also out of habit, Lydia let her hand land gently on Francesca's shoulder. Her eyebrows quirked. "Remember what I've told you about being able to speak your mind? That wasn't the answer one expect to hear from Dresdner Philharmonie's assistant conductor at all."

Lydia had been feeling awry about letting Francesca go. Yes, she was losing the most efficient assistant she had ever known but there was something else. Dresdner was good but it wasn't Berlin Phil. The position wasn't exactly promised either. The girl still needed to work hard. Not as hard as she had to under Lydia but still, it wouldn't be easy. It felt unfair.

"Well, for a start, everyone in the horn section seemed to forget to drop all the embellishments like you've told them to about one hundred times in practice." Francesca made an air quote. A cautious smile rose on her face as she slowly met Lydia's gaze. "Andre, especially."

"Yeah, saw that coming when I found him and Luca each had a drink in their hands just before the auction." Lydia scrunched up her nose. "What else?"

"You know it already. Wolfgang is not Sharon."

"Hmmmm." Lydia sipped her wine before resting the glass on the ledge. She hated to be honest but tonight's performance was definitely one of her worsts and it almost had nothing to do with Sharon's absence. Putting both hands in her pocket, she gazed at the sky. Not a sliver of the moon there, and no star either. She wasn't one to read natural occurrences for signs but maybe tonight's darkness was supposed to be a hint.

"How is she?"

"Fine, I hope." Lydia wasn't one to pray either yet lately she often found herself begging whatever deities out there for Sharon's well-being.

"And the baby?"

"We're out of the wringer but you know? Fear tends to linger." There was a tug at Lydia's heart upon thinking of her wife and the baby she was carrying. Maybe she didn't need to exchange pleasantries with fellow musicians or attend this party at all. Maybe she could just go home to Sharon and talk about this particular thing that had been bothering her lately.

"I'd love to see Sharon before leaving for Dresdner."

"I think she'd love that too." Lydia knew there was some sort of bond formed between Sharon and Francesca since that day. A friendship if she might say so. "I'll ask her if you can come over for dinner."

"Thank you. That will mean so much."

"When are you leaving? Monday?"

"Tuesday." Francesca's smile appeared a little more carefree now. "Thank you. For the recommendation. For everything."

"Don't." Lydia shook her head, giving Francesca's hand a squeeze. "You deserve more."

"I'll work hard."

"You should. I expect an invitation to your debut in my e-mail before next year."

Francesca laughed, sipping her wine before sighing and gazing at the clouds again. "I'm glad everything works out."

Not everything. Sharon had had a complication as soon as they left her apartment that day but her Ob-Gyn had promised them it was nothing to be too worried about. Lydia could list a few other stuff that she wished she could undo but she was also grateful that everything worked out this way. 

There were still a few things that needed to be sorted out. She and Sharon were barely three sessions in with the couple therapy and as much as she hated it, Lydia had to admit that it actually worked. Not the blink-of-an-eye patch to their wounded relationship she hoped for but it worked nevertheless. She started to see the side of their marriage she had never cared to recognize before. She learned to listen to everyone else but herself, realizing that Sharon was, and had always been, the perfect sounding board to her noisy mind. 

Sharon. One whisper of her name in her heart and a glance at the dark clouds were enough for Lydia to decide. "I'm going home." She took her glass and sipped its content dry while glancing at the crowd inside. "Will you cover for me? Take it as your last errand as my assistant?"

"With pleasure, I'll tell them you're on night craving duty." Francesca's smile was a caring one. Everyone close to them was fully aware of Sharon's pregnancy now. Everyone that mattered. The tribe that Lydia knew Sharon would need to be around.

"That's actually a great idea. I can get her some pastries on the way home." The prospect of stopping at the bakeshop to get Sharon her recent favorites excited Lydia somehow. "Thank you, for everything." Without hesitation, Lydia wrapped Francesca in a hearty hug. "See you around, Francesca."

"See you around, Maestro."

Sharon rose from the toilet seat, steeling her heart, and panned her gaze at everything else but her underwear as she pulled them up. It was such a destroying habit to look down there every time, expecting to see spotting or worst, blood show. Her ob-gyn had told her not to worry but how can she? The three days of hospitalization after seeing Krista was so traumatizing she had been standing on the edge of her nerves almost at every ticking moment, expecting the worst.

It stopped today though, she had decided. She didn't want to spend the rest of this pregnancy caged in fear. This precious baby going to grow within her surrounded by nothing but positivity and that positivity started within her mind.

"You stay in there, okay?" She whispered while washing her hands, gazing down at her belly, and smiled. She was twenty-two weeks along now, excited to feel the baby move for the first time.  "Hang on for a few more months. Give me a kick soon."

"Honey. What's on the stove? I think it's almost burning."

Lydia was home. Sooner than Sharon expected her to be. She walked to the kitchen seeing the maestro take off her dinner jacket while hovering over the bubbling pot. "Give it a stir, please. Don't turn off the stove."

"Alright." In a quick series of fluid moves, Lydia draped her jacket on the chair, rolled up the sleeves of her sleek blue shirt, and reached for the wooden ladle. "What is this?"

"Some midnight snacks for Petra." Sharon sat on one of the stools, propping her chin on one hand, enjoying the view. Lydia wasn't one to dwell in the kitchen often so this was one of Sharon's most treasured occasions.

"Petra? Isn't she asleep?" When Lydia moved her eyebrows in that teasing way, Sharon felt a gentle tug to her heart. She missed Lydia. She missed the two of them together like this. Between Krista, Sharon's stay in the hospital, and the academy's biennale performance, they had been whirling around each other trying hard not to fall apart. Now felt like the best moment to restart, to get back to where they used to be. Maybe, if she was lucky, Lydia would even allow her that one thing she needed the most right now.

"Yes. Petra," Hiding her smile behind her fingers, Sharon let her eyes meet Lydia's teasing gaze. "and this tiny human ruling my uterus."

"Thought so." Lydia sniffed at the steam coming from the pot only to pull back almost immediately. "How many cheeses did you dump into this? And what kind?"

"All of them, maybe." Sharon craned her neck to see the seemingly foul concoction. "Give it a few more stir, it's supposed to look a little bit like condensed milk."

"Looks more like glue to me." Lydia made a show of stirring with extra effort. "Anymore heat and this will stuck."

Sharon sighed. "Maybe we should get Lieferando instead."

"I bought you some fresh-from-the-oven bierocks." Lydia glanced at the paper bag sitting on the counter next to the stove.

"Opa's Corner?" Sharon couldn't hide her excitement. Standing up so quickly, she practically dashed to get the bag.

"Better. Du Bonheur."

"At this hour? No way." It was so impossible how quickly the smell wafting from the opened bag made Sharon forget her craving for cheese. She immediately grabbed one pastry and bit into it, laughing at herself when crumbs started falling all over the oversized checkered shirt she was wearing.

"Good?" Lydia asked. One hand still actively tried to save the mixture in the pot while the other reached to wipe crumbs from the corner of Sharon's mouth.

"Best." Trying not to lean too much into the soft touch, Sharon searched the bag for more. "God, franzbrötchen too. How did you do it? Aren't they supposed to run out early in the evening?"

Lydia didn't answer, simply giving Sharon a quick kiss on the cheek and a smile. A smile that was smudged with smugness. A show that Sharon admitted to loving and longing. This was the maestro she knew. The maestro that would do anything to make Sharon feel precious.

"Just throw that abomination away." Sharon sighed after finishing her second piece of pastry, already wanting another one. "Nothing can't beat Du Bonheur ."

"How about Petra?" Lydia turned off the stove, wiped her hands, and moved to hug Sharon from behind. "And this tiny bean ruling your uterus? Wouldn't they prefer the cheese mayhem?"

"Don't worry. Your impeccable taste runs in your children." Savoring, reeling, Sharon leaned back into the touch. There was something so comforting about Lydia caressing their unborn child through her skin. The way her pregnant belly fitted perfectly in the soft cradle made of Lydia's long lean fingers. Her touches made Sharon feel like everything was alright. That whatever nightmare happened to them two months ago wouldn't happen again.

" In music, hopefully." Lydia's chuckle was a symphony to Sharon's ear. The way her thumbs rubbed gently just below her navel was heaven. "I'd rather have them eat like you."

"Are you saying I eat a lot?"

"I'm saying you look the happiest having your favorite meal." Lydia laughed again, probably realizing the trap she had almost set herself into. "I love you so, you know? Miss you much."

"Is that why you leave the biennale early?"

"Uh uh." A kiss landed on Sharon's cheek before Lydia's chin rested on her shoulder. "You and the fact that we performed like a mess tonight. I couldn't concentrate. I think I need a sabbatical."

"What?"

"You know? Leave of absence. Furlough."

"Come on now." Sharon strayed from Lydia's touch to turn around and look at her. Lydia and her work were two sides of a shining coin. They couldn't be set apart. "It can't be that bad. You were probably just distracted with..." Sharon took a deep breath. The idea of the maestro having a sabbatical just seemed so out of this world and it felt like it was all her fault. "Everything."

"But we're alright now." Sharon continued, running a hand on her belly for emphasis. She gave Lydia the most confident smile she could muster, hoping it would assure Lydia. "You and I. The baby. We are fine."

"I do feel worried sometimes." Lydia pulled Sharon close, resting her hands on each side of Sharon's hips. "I wish I could just put you and the baby in a safe cocoon until the time arrives but that's not what had been bothering the most lately." Lydia took a deep breath." I think this old engine needs a break."

"Lydia..." Suddenly, old insecurities flooded in. Sharon gazed into those eyes, trying to see what was wrong. "Is it because I demanded you to let Francesca go?"

"Hey come on." Lydia lifted one hand to touch Sharon's cheek. "Letting Francesca spreads her wings was the right thing to do. For everyone. In fact, I think it's a sensible decision long overdue."

"Then why? Why do you want to quit?"

"Honey, no one says anything about quitting." Lydia grinned, hand getting back to Sharon's waist and rubbing gently. "I'm talking a year or two without going to work. Music is in my blood, I'll keep making art even if God says otherwise."

"But why? You are the maestro, your work is your life."

"I want to spend more time with you." The hands resting on Sharon's waist now moved to lay gently on top of her bulging belly. "I want to help you prepare for little bean's arrival. I want to know Petra's friends and teach her piano. I want to spend the afternoon watching our children playing in the park then cook you dinner after. I want to take care of my family."

"You can't cook." Sharon laughed. There was a proverbial lump in her throat and real tears in her eyes yet she laughed. Her heart was soaring and sinking at the same time. Her arms automatically went to search for Lydia's warmth as her lips kissed those sweet lips. In between those feelings, she could feel herself falling in love with Lydia all over again. "You broke the oven reheating a pizza."

"I can learn." Lydia returned the hug and the kiss in a way so loving and so gentle it broke the mental dam that blocked Sharon's tears from falling. "With all the free time I'll have in my hands, I bet I already know how to make Pizza from scratch before our baby arrive."

"I love you, Lydia." After a whole lot of crying while laughing, and laughing while kissing, Sharon held the love of her life at arm-length. Gazing into those eyes and found the remnants of happy tears almost got her undone once again but she held on, wanting Lydia to see how much this one decision meant to her. "I love you very much."

"Me too, my love." Lydia smiled, reaching for Sharon's face with both hands and kissed her even more reverently. "Now," she pulled apart after one long moment of savoring each other. "Do you want hot lemon tea with those pastries or do you want warm chocolate milk instead?"

Sharon shook her head. Lydia's taste was a lingering spark on her palate. It had been too long. She wanted that spark to turn into a fire that burn every doubt left between them. "I want you." She blinked.

"Sharon..." Lydia blinked too, gaze drifting toward Sharon's belly.

It was so easy to recognize the fear in those eyes and Sharon loved Lydia more for it. Slowly, she took her hand and let their fingers intertwine. Their gazes connected. "It will be fine." She smiled. "Please, we can trust each other again."

There was no need to plead the second time. Lydia brought Sharon's hand to her lips. Her eyes brimmed with affection when she kissed the back of Sharon's hand. "Should I draw us a bath first?"

Lydia had the sleeves of her dress shirt pulled up to her elbows, She was just finished brushing her teeth. A soft jazz number was trickling out of a speaker somewhere. The water was at the right depth in the bathtub, warm and inviting.  Sharon's favorite essential oil and bath salt had been previously added to the tub. The enclosed space now smelled like geranium with a hint of peppermint. Everything was almost perfect

"Hey." Perfection herself entered the premise, dressed in an oversize shirt that once belonged to Lydia. There were pastry crumbs no more on the shirt. There weren't any pants on those long legs too.

"Hey, beautiful." Lydia smiled, taking Sharon's hands in hers, and pulled her dear wife close. "May I?" She fingered the first top button. The tips of their noses nearly touched. Their breaths mingled.

Sharon nodded, licking her lips as Lydia started to unbutton her shirt. When Lydia pushed the garment off Sharon's shoulder, admiring her naked breasts and the way her belly protruded under them, she could feel Sharon mentally squirm.

"Don't look at me like that, I'm fat." Her words affirmed Lydia's suspicion. It was completely normal for Sharon's confidence to thin out during this huge physical change but Lydia really wished she could make Sharon see how gorgeous her pregnant body was. How she adored every inch of her right now.

"Yeah?" Lydia's right eyebrow rose as she wrapped a hand around Sharon's waist and touch her neck with the other. "Where?" Tilting Sharon's head for a kiss, Lydia gave her ass a squeeze. "All I can see is the love and protection you give for our baby."

"Will you still love-"

"Always. Forever." Lydia didn't even let Sharon finish with that insecurity, kissing her once again before kneeling down to take off her black cotton panties. "You're too wonderful not to fall in love with. Every second. Every time." She said upon gazing at Sharon's naked pussy, breathing that scent in, gulping the pressing need to run her tongue against that fold. "Don't you worry."

"Lydia..." Sharon's hand was on Lydia's shoulder, squeezing. She probably wanted Lydia to take her then and there but of course, the maestro knew better.

"Careful." Lydia stood up, leading Sharon to the bathtub. Slowly, aware of how sudsy the water was and how slippery the bottom of the tub might get, she helped Sharon get in.

"Join me." Sharon clutched at Lydia's hand. Her eyes searched,  probably doubting herself once again.

"Later." Lydia reached into the water for Sharon's right hand, took the organic bamboo charcoal loofah, and ran it gently against Sharon's soft skin. She made sure every inch was covered. She took extra care. From the tips of Sharon's fingers to her shoulders until she reached the other hand, she treated her like an absolute queen. Her queen. When it was the turn for Sharon's feet, Lydia ran her index finger up and down the arch. It was Sharon's weakest spot. A single touch there could get Lydia what she wanted. Not breaking eye contact, she watched Sharon's toes curl at every teasing touch.

"Please, baby. " Sharon leaned forward to grab the loofah from Lydia's hand, throwing it aside. "Come here."

"Alright." Lydia turned on the hot water tap and turned it off again as soon as she finished taking off her pants. When she tried to fold the garment neatly, Sharon shook her head.

"Can't take it, baby. Hurry up."

Lydia grinned, throwing the pants away but taking time in unbuttoning her dress shirt. Her eyes gazed at her wife, enjoying the annoyed sparks in those eyes and the way a frown slowly made an appearance on that beautiful face.

"Don't make me stand up and grab you, maestro." Sharon splashed the water with a kick of her foot. "Get in now."

Laughing, Lydia practically ripped herself out of every little fabric covering her body. "Scoot up, lady." She dipped herself in, taking position behind Sharon so the expecting woman could settle between her legs.

Sharon didn't wait, turning her head so Lydia could grant her that long languid kiss. Her hands were busy. One grabbed Lydia's thigh in the water while the other was on the back of Lydia's head, deepening the kiss. Sharon kissed as if she had been denied Lydia's taste all her life. Her tongue explored as if Lydia was someone new to her palate. Her fingers grabbed hard underwater. Her nails clawed Lydia's scalp.

Lydia refused to stay idle herself. Both her hands had been craving to grab Sharon's breasts. Her fingers ached to touch those perky nipples, playing with them. Touching and caressing with so much more gentleness than she thought she could afford, Lydia gladly found how sensitive pregnant Sharon was. She swallowed Sharon's moan whole, tasting her wife in all her senses. This definitely wouldn't take long for both of them but she was sure enjoying every millisecond of the ache she felt between her own legs.

"Baby, please." Sharon stopped kissing to take a short breath, grabbed Lydia's right hand, and brought it between her thighs. "Do me. Love me."

Lydia obeyed. Tongue and lips worked Sharon's ear as her fingers parted the soft petals down there. One finger barely dipped to familiarize Sharon in case she had forgotten, Lydia was having the other hand rolling Sharon's nipple.

"More." Sharon bucked, pressing herself against Lydia's touch.

"As you wish." Lydia put two fingers in, running them up and down gently, picking pace only when Sharon practically begged for it. The woman had her head rolling on Lydia's shoulder. Each hand grabbed at Lydia's knees as if they were her lifeline. Her thighs were open as wide as the bathtub could allow. Her hips pushed up and down trying hard to match Lydia's rhythm.

"Please, I'm so... oh, God."

Sliding her two digits even deeper, Lydia curled them right where a single graze could trigger Sharon's shiver. Sharon writhed at every repetition. Her grunt got caught in her throat, it came out like a growl.  Lydia drank it all, kissing her wife, and eating every whimper. When she was about to cum herself over all the friction and the noises, Lydia pressed her thumb deep against Sharon's clit. Pinching then rolling the perky nipple jutting above the water surface, Lydia hoped this wouldn't end up hurting her wife.

It didn't. Calling Lydia's name in a way only pure ecstasy could have, Sharon arched her back as far as her pregnant belly could allow. She cum on Lydia's finger in the sudsy water, rolling her hips to the side, all slick and wet.

"More?" Lydia whispered, watching those pretty eyelashes flutter as her fingers slowed down but not moved out of the warm passage.

Sharon nodded, biting her lower lip.

"Now?"

"God, yes."

"On your knees, baby." Pulling out of Sharon's warmth, Lydia carefully maneuvered her to lean forward. Prying her eyes off the magnificent view of Sharon's ass for a few quick seconds, Lydia made sure her wife had a secure grip on the edge of the tub before putting her finger inside the slick hole again. She started slowly first, one finger in while another hand cupping Sharon's belly underwater.

"Faster..."

"Hold on tight, momma." Lydia knelt in the tub and pressed her cheek again Sharon's back. Devoting both hands to Sharon's pleasure, her left fingers were now busy giving Sharon's nub little pinches while the right ones still went in and out of her. Sharon was practically a trashing mess now, thrusting down against Lydia's hand. Her hips gyrated so fast, the water splashed out of the tub onto the granite tiles. It scared Lydia actually. This wasn't the safest environment for Sharon to get so wild. A few seconds later, Lydia took the shortcut she knew better than the back of her hands. Three fingers curled inside Sharon's pussy, she had her's clitoris pinched between her thumb and index finger and got the poor tiny nub twisted and pulled hard. Sharon moaned long and loud, cumming so hard her whole body trembled.

"Beautiful. Too beautiful, baby." Lydia peppered the smooth skin of Sharon's back with kisses and caresses before helping her sat back down in the water. Watching her wife quivering against her chest, Lydia had never felt so proud and so in love. Sharon's eyes were closed. Her breaths were shallow. A few strands of her damp hair stuck to her face and Lydia carefully swept them aside. "You okay?"

"Fuck, no." Sharon's eyes fluttered open as her body went weak in Lydia's arms. "Too good."

Lydia laughed, caressing Sharon's head while cradling her belly underwater. "I thought we agreed not to swear in front of our kids."

"Yeah? You're about to do the same."

"Are you sure?" Lydia kissed the warm pink cheek. "Aren't you tired?"

"Just give me a moment." Sharon sighed, resting her head on Lydia's shoulder, gazing at the ceiling. "That was fuck-"

Lydia swallowed the dirty word whole. Not because she was afraid the baby might hear but because those swollen pink lips were too irresistible. Every inch of Sharon was and Lydia was ready to get drunk with love again.

"Ow." Petra winced a little, the hand that had been busy caressing the fluffy tail of her favorite plushy stopped moving.

"Sorry." Lydia loosened her hold on Petra's hair, kissing the side of her daughter's head before carefully brushing the curls up and pulling them into perfect ponytails with Petra's scrunchy of choice. "Done." She smiled, looking up so they could both admire her work in the mirror. "What do you say? Nine across the boards? Nine and a half?"

"Ummm." In an expression so earnest it betrayed her young age, Petra tilted her head and tested Lydia's latest work by pulling at it a little. "Six?"

Lydia groaned, bending to back hug the girl. "I beg to differ, your highness. There are at least seven points of effort in there."

"Seven and a half." Sharon came behind them with the latest, tiniest addition to their family snuggled against her chest. Her smile beamed in the mirror and Lydia gladly drank the view. It was always easy to bask in the glow of Sharon's presence but these past few weeks since the baby's arrival were particularly special. She suddenly had all these new-found admirations toward her wife with no exact words to describe it.

"Come on, princess. Your carriage awaits." Sharon handed the baby to Lydia before coming in front of Petra to perfect the amateur work.

"So, what time will Heike pick me up tomorrow?" The big sister looked at her mother with her sparkly round eyes.

"Eight." Hands move around Petra's hair with ease, Sharon had a glint of tease in her answer. "She will pick you up at exactly eight a.m. tomorrow."

"Nooo. You promised me nine, remember?"

"I did?" Sharon laughed, cupping their daughter's face to kiss her forehead. "Nine it is then. Be good with the Mazurs, okay?"

"Okay."

"Don't be too mean to Armand."

"Armand?" Stopping herself from re-cataloging every color she could find in her baby boy's eyes, Lydia's ears immediately perked up. "I thought she was having a sleepover at Nina's place."

"She is."

"With Luna, Grace, and Louisa?"

"Yes." Sharon's eyebrows rose, probably surprised that Lydia knew the names of Petra's closest friends.

It was one of the therapist's suggestions for Lydia to get more involved in their daughter's life. Lydia would have bragged about how much more she knew their daughter compared to months ago if she wasn't so distracted by this surprising fact she just learned. "Then who is Armand?"

"Grace's brother."

"Brother? Like, baby brother?"

"No, Lydia." Petra giggled. "Armand is eight and a half but I'm taller than him. Waaaay taller."

"Eight and a half ?" Lydia suddenly felt the need to scratch the non-existent itch on her neck, eyes searching for Sharon's. "There's an eight and a half years old boy in Nina's household?"

"Yep. The same boy we attended the baptist of about eight years ago." Sharon grinned, probably reading where Lydia's question led to. "Petra, honey, go get some snacks to share with your friends tonight. There are some apples in the fridge, I think."

"Can I bring cheese sticks too?" Petra was already halfway out of the room.

"Sure."

"Okay, maestro. Don't look so distressed." Sharon's eyes were filled with tease when Lydia came to her side. "Save it for when she's reaching pre-teens."

"God." Easily holding the baby close to her chest with one arm, Lydia rested her other hand on the small of Sharon's back as they walked out of Petra's room. "I didn't really realize that there will be boys in her life. Stinky, dangerous, little boys. I need to retake my boxing class."

"Careful there. You have one stinky little boy yourself."

"Oh, you meant this perfect one?" Lydia moved her arm up so she could kiss the boy on the forehead. "With a father like me, he'll treat every girl like a queen."

Sharon laughed. A mirthful one whose vibration could be felt in the palm of Lydia's hand. They headed to the kitchen with Sharon probably unaware that Lydia's eyes were all on her, admiring the way she looked so mesmerizing from this side. Not only because her breasts were getting more prominent under her clothes but mostly because of the way the corner of Sharon's eyes crinkled when she laughed. The hair, the lips, and the skin were obvious reasons for Lydia to worship Sharon but it was her unconditional love that Lydia was so grateful for.

"Stop staring." Apparently, Sharon was fully aware of Lydia's awestruck glances.

"Can't do." Lydia landed a kiss on Sharon's soft cheek. "Too beautiful."

"Hmm." In a move so slow yet so surprising, Sharon turned her head and let their lips meet. It was their first real kiss since the baby arrived. Not wasting time, Lydia moved her free hand to cup Sharon's face, drinking in the feeling of having Sharon's tongue exploring her mouth again.

"Thank you." Sharon sighed into Lydia's lips. Her hand landed gently on their son's chest. "Thank you so much for being the best partner to me, the most amazing father to our children."

"No." Lydia suddenly found it a little hard to swallow. Sharon, who had given her so much, still felt the need to thank her. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

"Can't find the apples!"

Petra burst out of the kitchen with two bags of cheese sticks just when Lydia was sure she was about to shed tears. Reluctantly, she let go of her wife and stared at their daughter amusedly.

"It's in the fridge, baby." Sharon's gaze on Petra was even more tender.

"Can't open it."

"How come you have no trouble grabbing those bags from the upper cabinet but can't open the door to a fridge?" Lydia laughed, reaching to playfully jab Petra's arm then laughed some more when the little girl just shrugged.

"I'll get the apples. You guys get to the car first." Sharon gave Lydia a quick peck on the cheek and was about to walk away when Lydia grabbed her hand.

"No. No. No. I'll get the apples. You go have some girls talk with Petra in the car" Lydia whispered. "Warn her about the boy. Tell her to be careful."

"Lydia, she's six." Sharon laughed as quietly as possible. Petra was still in the perimeter, trying to stuff the bags of snacks into her backpack. "This boy you're worried about, she bullies him so often his mom personally complaint to me."

"Please, just talk to her before I go insane."

"Alright. Alright." Smiling, Sharon took the baby back and walked to Petra. "These won't fit, dear. Your father will get you a paper bag with the apples, okay?"

"Okay. Let's go! Let's go!" Petra stood up, jumping up and down in excitement but stopped when the baby started whining in their mother's arms. "Will Eddie be okay when I'm gone?"

"I sure hope so." Sharon smiled, caressing Petra's head. "He will definitely miss you but I think he'll manage one weekend without his favorite sister."

"I'll be back Sunday afternoon, Eddie. Don't worry." Eyes all sparkly and loving, Petra whispered to her sibling while trying her best to wrap her arms around the baby and Sharon. "Don't get into trouble too."

Lydia could hear both herself and Sharon drawing awing breaths. Her heart grew significantly bigger at the lovely sight. "You, little miss, are the one who's not allowed to get into trouble while away from us." Lydia couldn't help but join the hug, wrapping her hands as far as possible around her family.

Her one and only.