Author's Note: Thank you, everyone, for continuing to support me and this story.

Chapter Twenty-One

Parenting

Andy woke up before the alarm was set at four. It was instinct, years of having to get up and go into the restaurant before the rest of the world was even considering waking up. He turned left to see Sharon on her stomach, head deep into her pillow. Smiling he turned on his side softly putting his hand on her back and stroking his finger up her back. She took a breath but did not wake. They had been up most of the night, making love, something Andy had discovered Sharon loved and enjoyed with a shyness yet desire that drove him crazy. They had also spent some time just holding one another, talking about everything and nothing. Sharon was the woman he was supposed to spend his life with. He did not doubt that anymore it was just about convincing her. He leaned forward and kissed the back of her neck, gently at first then not being able to resist his hand moved down her body and lips traveled up her spine.

"Hmm…we fell asleep," she moaned in that sexy morning voice he had come to know.

"We did," Andy whispered into her ear. He pressed a warm kiss to the back of her neck. "I'm not complaining though. I like waking up to you like this. Naked," kiss down her back, "bare-skin," another kiss," soft, and beautiful," and then another at the small of her back. Sharon let out a small surprised yelp as she felt his teeth playfully sink into her skin of her butt cheek. "And very alluring."

Sharon smiled turning and greeting one of the most beautiful sights she had discovered since being with Andy. He was smiling, hair tousled, looking at her like she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Slowly he moved on top of her, and she sighed rubbing her hand along the muscles of his back, down to his bottom. "We've never woken up naked together, have we?" she asked. He shook his head, grinning and then pressing a soft kiss on her lips, then her collarbone and then her chest. More kisses until she was squirming beneath him, needing more.

"You broke your own rule," he teased as he laced his fingers with hers.

"You wore me out," her breath was heavy, labored, "no energy to get dressed."

Andy brought her hands up pinning them above her head.

"Don't you have to get to the restaurant," she asked playfully.

He huffed an eyebrow quirking up, "I have other priorities at the moment."

"Hmm…." she said, "do you know how much I love waking up to you?"

"Yeah?" he asked, quickly pressing his lips to hers.

Slowly he released her hands, never being able to get enough of how her fingers ran along every part of his skin. Her nails were marking him when he was doing something she absolutely loved. "For a brief moment, when we are alone in bed, everything goes away, it's just you and me. I can get lost in the way you look at me, touch me, and the way your hands," she grunted, "God your hands!"

"My hands, huh?" he said mischievously. "Well, how about I prolong this moment and show you what other…"

Sharon stopped him by pressing her lips to his. Slowly her hand laying flat against his chest and pushing him, he moved with her groaning when he landed on his back. Her lips moved at a steady pace, along his neck, down his chest, and then climbing on top of him.

Sharon pressed her fingertips to her temple as she looked at the paperwork spread on top of the desk. Andy had put the desk in the living room after she deterred him from converting the guest bedroom into office space for her. She knew that she would be able to spend more time with the family there instead of being cooped upstairs. However, she forgot what distractions and mayhem children could cause. Tommy had half-day at school, which Emily laid down for her nap when they returned from the pickup. He decided to watch a movie while Emily slept, but then it soon turned into an argument about who got to watch television. Sharon had let it play out, but when dodo head and weirdo were being shouted out, she had them shut off the screen and pointed to the stack of board games and toys. That had caused them to argue about what it was they were going to play. Sharon watched Emily cross her hands across her chest and huff. Tommy grabbed the board game he had asked to play and tossed it across the room. Pieces scattered across the room.

"Okay, that's enough!" Sharon stood and walked over to both children. Their eyes were wide, startled at hearing her voice rise. She sometimes forgot she had that power, the enforcing teacher voice. "Both of you up to your room and write…" stumbling she came up with the quickest thing that came to mind, "write a list of ten things you like about each other."

"But…" they both started.

"Now!" she watched them both storm up the stairs and bickering as they went.

She wondered how many words they were going to stumble over. Emily knew how to write very few words, not more than ten. Tommy hated it. She looked at the stairs groaning at the terrible punishment. She put her hands over her face and shouted quietly into them, trying to release some frustration.

As she began picking the pieces of the board game up, she felt a sense of relief when she heard the front door open. And then Andy shouting, "Hello, I'm home." He found her on her knees looking exhausted, searching under the coffee table. "Hey?" Andy scanned the room and then frowned when his eyes landed on the pile of paperwork he knew she needed to get through by the end of the day. "Everything okay here? Where are the kids?"

Sharon popped the dice into the box and then pushed up guiltily looking at Andy. "Upstairs, writing a list of things they like about each other." Andy quirked his eyebrow. "It's pathetic, I know, but Andy, I think our children…well, they can't stand each other." She sighed deflated. "Plus, what kind of punishment is it to give two children a writing assignment neither of them can complete."

"Hey," Andy came up to her and pulled her into a deep hug, kissing the top of her head. "First off," he gave her a deep kiss, which made her hum then smile. "Hi." Thank you for being there for early pickup."

"A little awkward, people were asking what happened to his mother, to Sandra" he looked at her apologetically. "But, not to worry Tommy didn't hear a thing. I was able to make awkward easy and pleasant."

He smiled, caressing her cheek. "Well, it took me a minute to land on the right one." Sharon smiled, humming. His hand slowly moving to her bottom, "What took you so long to come find me?" Andy did not wait for a response, he leaned down and kissed her, his lips moving delicately. Andy pulled back and whispered. "Secondly, our kids love each other. Sometimes we forget they are opposites and need time to entertain themselves with their own interests." Andy removed her glasses and leaned down kissing her again, pulling back and staring into her eyes.

"What do you have in mind?" she asked. When Andy looked at her that way, she was sure she would do anything he asked for.

"Well we go upstairs and help each one individually with their task, then I was thinking…ballet and baseball. Maybe she'll find another ballet boy to boss around."

Sharon melted at the words our girl. "Hmm…she is a bit of bossy pants, isn't she?"

Andy grinned down at her and nodded, "says the person she inherits it from."

She smacked his arm, rolling her eyes and walking to the staircase. "Alright how about I take Tommy, and you take Emily."

"Deal," he said as he hurried to catch up to her, stopping her halfway up the staircase. She turned to face him, and he leaned down and kissed her gingerly. She pulled him back down to her, a hand behind his neck and deepened the kiss. He continued, "After dinner, I will take over, and you'll have all night to work on the paperwork."

Sharon's eyes darkened as she bit her bottom lip, her fingers slowly undoing the topmost button of his shirt. "Not all night," she husked. "I want a repeat of this morning."

"Yeah?" he said just remembering the new position they had discovered, how she had to turn her head into the bed and bite the sheets to keep from waking Emily and Tommy. He got distracted as he watched her climb her way up the staircase and then hurrying after her.

At the dinner table, each one with their notes beside them, Sharon and Andy instructed them to take turns reading off their list.

Tommy grumbled, making a scene of having to go first, wrestling with the sheet of paper. He took a moment to look up at Emily and then down at his paper. "Number one." Andy encouraged.

Tommy hissed than stated, "Number one, Emily helps me clean my toys." The adults smiled when Emily smiled, sitting up straighter, anxious to hear more. "She sleeps with me when I'm scared," he was shyer about that. "Plays superhero games, and doesn't just want princesses, she helps with my reading homework, and she always forgives." Tommy looked at Sharon first as if her approval was most important.

Andy smiled proudly at his son, leaning over and kissing his forehead. "Good Bud, how about you do five Emily." Andy watched Sharon stand up and walk over to Tommy picking him up and sitting him on her lap. He could see the pride in the woman's face, her love for his son was always growing and loved to see the bond they were forming.

Meanwhile, Emily climbed off her chair and stood up, clearing her throat. "Tommy makes me laugh, he shares his snacks, he lets me play with his superheroes, he's very good at baseball, and he lets me give him hugs."

Sharon kissed Tommy's shoulder and nudged him off her lap. The two children hugged one another with a tight hold.

"Good, how about we save the other five for next time we need it?" Andy asked lifting an eyebrow at Sharon as both children took off together to the living room. "See, two years' age difference, always being a single child, they just need to get to know one another more than weekend friends."

Sharon sighed, standing. Andy watched her come around to him and sit down on his lap. She put her hand to his chest and started slowly. "I think you're amazing."

"Is that right?" he teased.

"Yes, and I think their friendly rivalry will become more like sibling rivalry in time. We should not rush it." Sharon leaned down and kissed Andy softly, her hands coming to his cheeks and deepening the kiss when his hands reached around her.

"Mommy, can you stop kissing Andy and can we have our dessert now."

Sharon pulled back laughing with Andy as they both stood up.

As she watched Andy hurry over to both children and chase them out of the kitchen and their giggles hurry through the house. She found herself surprised at how easy of a transition it had been for Emily and Tommy. Their living together, seeing them kiss and hold each other's hands. It was as if it was completely natural to them as if it was something they had grown up witnessing. It made her feel like they should have always been that way, raising their children together.

They spent the rest of the night eating ice cream and huddled together on the couch taking turns reading from Tommy's comic book. As Sharon's eyes shifted over to the boy with the messy hair sounding out his words like he had been practicing every afternoon all she could see was the radiance of his mother. Even though there was so much of Andy in him, he lit up any room he walked into just like Sandra.

Sharon could picture her hundreds of miles away, watching the clock hit 7:50. Ten minutes before bedtime, as Andy and Sandra had agreed so that she could say a goodnight prayer with her son. Looking at Andy filled with joy, happiness, and laughter meant that Sandra must be suffering because Tommy was not with her. To have left him behind, not because she chose her career over her son. Sharon understood that because every day she got up and made every decision hoping that one day Emily could have the best opportunities life had to offer and when she's long gone the stories Emily tells about her are filled with pride.

When everyone was down for the night, Sharon walked over to the bedroom decorated with every Batman toy in existence. As she looked at the boy, just making sure he was okay, just like she checked on Emily at least once every night, Sharon realized how many mistakes she had made in interjecting herself into the boy's life and not having a one-on-one conversation with Sandra just to acknowledge all the worries she had confessed to Andy.

Second Author's Note: A couple of things...

1. I answered or responded to some reviews from this story on Tumblr if you're interested. My account name is: smile4please.

2. Congrats to Ie79 who wrote the 500th review. I contacted her and she made her choice. Thanks again to everyone for all the support!