Golden

List 1 - #19.

And at this point it’s your birthday but we’re getting preseeeents. I love it.

❤️❤️❤️

Bestie, this ended up getting really soft. Like hella soft. Which I know you love 😉

The prompt is: "You're breathtaking."

-x-

Golden

Words: 1.7k

Warnings: mentions of pregnancy, but mostly just absurdly fluffy.

Read over on Ao3, or below the cut

She never thought she’d have this. 

It’s all she can think as she sits on a sun lounger, purposely staying in the shade, so prone to sunburn she didn’t want to risk it. She smiles at the scene in front of her, the beach stretched out in front of her, her family standing just in the water, ankle-deep on her husband. Jack and Aaron each firmly hold the hands of the little girl between them, the toddler screaming in delight as they swing her over each wave. 

It felt like the stuff of movies, so achingly normal it seemed far-fetched. A vacation with her family, the one she’d found and cultivated in the most unlikely of places, something she treasured. 

She never thought she’d have this. 

She sneaks a photo of the three of them, knowing this was something she’d want to revisit, to remember when the days of balancing work and being a mother felt endless. Guilt from feeling like she was failing at both weighing her down, only made lighter by her husband’s reassurances, or a hug from her children. She sends it to the group chat she has with Penelope and JJ, unsurprised when she almost immediately gets a response from both.

Pen: Wow boss-man really does hide a lot under those suits doesn’t he? ;) 

Pen: Please don’t tell him I said that. 

JJ: Oh look at them, I bet you’re so pleased you went!

Emily smiles as she replies, letting Penelope know she absolutely planned on telling Aaron what she had said, and she sets her phone next to her on the sun lounger. She feels a kick in her stomach and smiles as she looks down, rubbing her hand over her swimsuit covered bump. 

“When we come next year you’ll be here with us, sweet boy,” she says softly, her smile widening as she feels another sharp kick, as if he was responding. 

A third child had never been part of the plan. It had taken her a long time to fall pregnant with Evelyn, their little Evie. Then the pregnancy itself, and the labour, had been difficult, leaving Emily swearing she’d never do it again, that their family was perfect as it was.  

When her period stopped, she was convinced it was the menopause, that it was the end of that part of her life, and she’d felt a certain melancholy she hadn’t expected. Pregnancy hadn’t even crossed her mind when she went to see her doctor to ask about what she should do next. She still remembered the absolute shock she felt when she was told she was pregnant, quickly followed by a rush of happiness, so strong she was almost dizzy with it. 

Aaron’s reaction had been similar, smiling at her as he wrapped her up in a hug so tight he lifted her off of the ground. 

She looks back up at the sound of her daughter squealing, Evie now wrapped up in her father's arms, her hands grasping at the wet material of the t-shirt Aaron was wearing. She frowns as she notices how Evie is all but clambering higher up her father’s side, as if she was trying to crawl under his skin. 

Emily watches as Aaron walks over to her, throwing a comment to Jack at the shoreline, clearly telling him to stay where he was. When he gets closer she can hear him over the commotion of the people around them, the waves crashing against the sand, as he whispers words of comfort to their little girl, Evie’s face screwed up as if she was on the edge of tears. 

“Someone wants Mommy,” he says as he makes it to her side, and she sits up, reaching out to gather her daughter into her arms.

“What’s wrong, baby?” Emily asks, holding Evie as close as she can, kissing the top of her head, tasting the salt of the sea air. 

“She saw a fish in the sea and it spooked her,” Aaron explains, sitting on the sun lounger next to them, careful not to overbalance it. They exchange a smile over the top of their daughter’s head as she buries her face in her mother’s neck. 

Evie liked to pretend she wasn’t scared of anything, that nothing got to her, but underneath her bravado, she was a sensitive little girl. In tune with her emotions and those of everyone around her, always trying to be brave even when there was no need to be. 

Aaron often commented he knew exactly where she got it from, and Emily would glare at him, a flush to her cheeks that he would always ignore. 

“Oh, sweetheart,” Emily says, turning her attention to Evie, encouraging her to look at her, cupping her cheek to wipe away the tears, “you’re ok, and the fish is meant to be there, it’s where it lives.” 

“I don’t like it.” She replies, looking back over at the sea suspiciously. 

“Well, why don’t you stay here with me for a bit? I was thinking of having a nap, and Daddy and Jack can carry on having fun in the water.” 

Evie considers it for barely a second before she nods, settling back into her mother's side. 

“Stay with Momma.” 

Emily smiles and looks back at Aaron, briefly looking past him to check Jack was still where he should be, pleased to see him just out of the water, playing with wet sand in a way only a young boy would. 

“That settles that then.” She says to her husband, winking at him. She looks him up and down, and notices the wet material of his shirt sticking to his skin, the way he plucked it away from his chest, only for it to immediately re-settle where it had been. He was uncomfortable, and it encourages her to ask the question she’d been thinking about since they arrived just a few days before. “Why don’t you take your t-shirt off, love? You’re clearly warm.” 

He stops his movement with his hand and looks at her, a half smile on his face. “It’s fine.” 

“Aaron,” She says, readjusting Evie against her, the little girl already falling asleep in her arms, “as much as I personally love watching you parade around the beach in a wet shirt, you’re obviously uncomfortable.” 

He smiles at her, “I thought you’d be pleased I’m wearing it, stop all the other women on the beach from trying it on.” 

She laughs, “Well, if they do try they’ll have your pregnant and incredibly uncomfortable wife to deal with.” 

He chuckles once, void of humour, before he sobers, sighing before he speaks again.

“It’s just the scars, Em,” He admits, shrugging slightly as if he was embarrassed to say it out loud, “people stare sometimes and…”

He drifts off, not even sure what he wants to say and she sighs. She unhooks one of her arms from around Evie and reaches for Aaron’s hand, grateful when he links her fingers with his.

“Honey, they are nothing to be ashamed of.” She says gently, squeezing his hand in hers.

It was something they had comforted each other about countless times over the years. She hadn’t known him without them, and he hadn’t known her without hers. Both of them left with physical marks from their past before they started their lives together. Their history as much a part of them as their future, as the life they had now. 

“I know,” he replies, smiling sadly at her, “I just wish I didn’t have to think about it, about him, when I’m at the beach with my family.” 

“He’s not part of this Aaron, it’s just you, me and the kids,” she pulls him towards her, pressing her lips against his, “and,” she whispers to him, even though Evie is now fast asleep, “there is no way I’m having sex with you if you have tan lines in the shape of a t-shirt.”

He laughs as he kisses her again before he pulls back shaking his head at her before he removes his hand from hers, already ready to pull his shirt over his head. 

“Wait a minute,” he starts, raising an eyebrow at her, “you’ve got your scars covered.” 

“Yes,” she replies, settling back down so her back was against the sun lounger, taking Evie with her, “but I am also 6 months pregnant, and my boobs are massive. The only bikinis I have are the ones I took on our honeymoon, and I think if I wore one here you’d have to arrest me for public indecency.” 

“You’re breathtaking.” 

She hums, trying to fight a smile. “Nice save.” She admires him as he takes his shirt off, placing it amongst their other things, strewn all around her. “Now go play with Jack, he’s dying to get back in the water.” 

They both look over at him and see him staring at them, clearly attempting to maintain his usual patience, but a combination of the sun and the fun he was having was getting the better of him.

“You’ll be fine here?” Aaron asks, looking back at her and Evie cuddled up together, the little girl’s face pressed into her mother’s neck.

“We’re fine,” she says, smiling into the kiss he presses against her lips as he stands, “love you.” 

“Love you too.” 

She watches as he runs back towards Jack, the boy almost bouncing with joy that he was able to get back into the water as his father makes it to his side. 

She feels Evie shift next to her, one of her hands coming to rest on her bump as she snuggled in deeper, her mother’s embrace always one of her favourite places to be. 

“Baby.” Evie mumbles, her tiny palm tracing over Emily’s swimsuit covered skin. 

“Yes, sweet girl,” Emily replies, kissing the top of her head, “your baby brother is in there.” 

Evie hums as she falls back asleep, although Emily wasn’t quite sure if she was ever awake. The feel of her daughter pressed up against her, the roll of her son under her skin, and the sound of Jack and Aaron laughing together, an ease to their lives she never thought possible, starts to lull her to sleep herself. 

She never thought she’d have this, them, but she was grateful every day that she did. 

-x-

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