Dimitri was pottering around the kitchen. He'd been back at work for a month since their son Ivan had arrived, but it felt like he hardly ever saw his wife anymore.

He'd taken the first two weeks off to help out and settle in together as a family. Initially Rose had loved having him at home to help her with the new baby. She had no experience with infants, whereas Dimitri knew a thing or two thanks to helping Karolina with his nephew, Paul. However by the time the end of the fortnight came around, Rose was getting sick of Dimitri's well-meaning advice and corrections on how to do things. So he'd returned to work as Christian's Guardian.

To say Rose was finding it hard was an understatement. Which was fine, but she was determined to do everything 'right.' At first, Ivan had struggled to settle into a day/night sleeping pattern. For two weeks after Dimitri's return to work, Rose had been a nervous wreck; sleeping while Dimitri was on shift and then awake all night trying to settle Ivan while Dimitri rested. Once that had been resolved, Ivan had gone through a growth spurt that saw Rose up numerous times overnight trying to keep up with his feeding demands. As often as not, Dimitri would come home after a shift to find a cranky wife, an irritable baby, a filthy house and a kitchen entirely bereft of food.

Things had finally settled down; however, Rose was now so worried about changing anything in Ivan's routine Dimitri barely got to see his boy, and Rose was in bed every evening almost as soon as their son was. Dimitri didn't like to admit it, but so far fatherhood had been a lonely experience. Instead of feeling like part of an exciting new phase in their lives together, Dimitri had begun to feel like an inconvenience. One more thing for a strung out Rose to try and fit in.

He loved his son very much, but it felt like he only ever got to glimpse him from the doorway as he slept. And Roza was so busy looking after Ivan, sometimes Dimitri felt like he could be standing in the kitchen on fire and Rose would be too preoccupied or tired to notice. Something had to give, so Dimitri had confided in Christian that they were struggling, and asked for an extra day off so he could have Friday and Saturday to spoil his wife and spend time with his son.

Knowing Rose and Ivan had their six-week checkups with the Obstetrician and Pediatrician respectively, and were then meeting up to spend the afternoon with Mia, Dimitri thought Friday was the perfect opportunity to get things fixed at home. He'd dressed in the morning as though he were headed for his shift with Christian, in reality heading to the grocery store. He wandered around for an hour buying fresh produce and replenishing their sadly depleted pantry stores. Waiting to make sure Rose and Ivan had left the house, he returned home, opening up all the windows to air the place out, putting away the groceries and starting his endeavors.

First stop was the kitchen. There was literally no food in the house, anything quick or easy having already been consumed. Chopping and dicing, Dimitri set to work making several bulk meals to freeze. He also pre-prepared tubs of fruit salad, raw veggies, and dip and other healthy snack options for the fridge.

Satisfied everything was underway in the kitchen, Dimitri moved through the rest of the house, changing their sheets and towels, collecting the washing and straightening as he went. The washing machine running, he loaded the dishwasher, did the vacuuming, wiped down the surfaces and dusted a little, popping back and forth to check on everything in the kitchen. By lunchtime, their house looked like a home again, and Dimitri sat down to have his first balanced meal in weeks before ladling meals into plastic containers and leaving them on the counter to cool before loading up the freezer.

His afternoon was spent doing much of the same, finally restocking all the supplies in the nursery and packing an overnight bag. Half an hour before Rose was due home, Dimitri looked around in satisfaction; the house was spotless, and a delicious meal was bubbling away on the stove ready for his wife's arrival.

Setting the table for two, Dimitri pulled out the insulated baby bottle pack ready to load it with Rose's expressed breast milk when Janine arrived.

He wasn't sure how Rose was going to cope with Janine taking Ivan for the night. Things between his wife and her mother had never been better, but Rose had never been away from Ivan overnight, and Dimitri was second-guessing his decision to organize a sleepover for the evening.

Still. Done was done. Janine was going to be there any second, and hopefully Rose would be as happy as he was at the prospect of a delicious meal and a night alone together. Right on cue, there was a knock at the door. Ever punctual, Janine Hathaway stood in the doorway. Inviting her in, the two sat on the sofa waiting for Rose and Ivan to arrive home.

"Mom?" Rose said in surprise as she walked through the door not long afterward. "What are you doing here?"

"Dimitri said you and Ivan had your checkups, today. I thought I'd see how you went?" she said, grinning at her chubby grandson. With dark hair and dark eyes, it was too early to tell which of his parents he favored, although Janine and Olena both secretly felt he took after their side of the family!

"Both got a clean bill of health," Rose said, flopping onto the sofa opposite her mother, barely giving her husband a second glance.

"He's putting on weight like a champion," she said fondly. "The pediatrician said he's meeting all his milestones and is developing perfectly!"

Finally looking up at her surroundings, Rose's eyes widened as she took in the pristine state of the house. "Oh, Mom! Did you do all this?" she asked in wonder.

"Not me. It was all Dimitri," Janine said smiling indulgently. "However I do have a surprise for you. I'm here to take Ivan for the night so you can have a proper meal and sleep."

Rose's eyes narrowed and her lips pursed as she looked at her husband. As Dimitri had feared, Rose didn't seem thrilled at the prospect of a night without their son.

"There's no need for that, Mom. Ivan's just settled into a routine, and I really don't want to break him from it."

"Nonsense," Janine said in a tone that brooked no refusal. "You're exhausted, Rosemarie. You need a few hours to eat, rest, spend time with your husband and sleep. Dimitri has written down Ivan's schedule. I'll take his bassinet so he's in his usual sleep environment and Dimitri said there's plenty of expressed milk for him when he wakes overnight. I'm only four hundred yards down the road - if there are any problems I can have him back here in minutes."

Rose said nothing, switching sides and feeding Ivan from her other breast. Janine and Dimitri took her silence as grudging acquiescence, so Dimitri fetched Ivan's bassinet, overnight bag, and the expressed milk, collecting his mother-in-law's keys and carrying it all down the street to Janine's unit. Setting everything up ready for Ivan's arrival, he hurried back to his own apartment, hoping Janine had managed to reassure Rose.

"All ready to go," he heard Janine say as he walked back inside. Rose was fussing as Janine loaded a sleepy Ivan into the wearable baby carrier. "I have done all this before, you know," Janine reminded her daughter.

"Yeah. A quarter of a century ago," Rose bitched nervously.

"We'll be fine Rosemarie," Janine said peevishly. "I'll have my phone on all night, so message me if you need to," she added more gently. "I know it's a big step, but I'd never let anything happen to him, and if he doesn't settle I'll bring him home, I promise. Now go have a shower and relax," she ordered.

Giving her son a teary kiss goodbye, Rose fled for the shower, not wanting to be there when her mother took him away for the night.

"Could you message her a photo when he's gone to sleep?" Dimitri suggested to his mother-in-law. "It might reassure her."

"I will, and good luck," Janine said, recognizing the build-up to a Hathaway explosion when she saw one. Rose might appear to have taken the sleepover calmly, but Janine knew her daughter well enough to know the issue was far from over. If Dimitri thought he was in for a night of conversation and romance with his wife, he had another thing coming!

In the bathroom, Rose barely noticed the clean surfaces and fresh towels. She was seething! How dare Dimitri decide Ivan was ready for a night away from home? He was only a month and a half old, for Vlad's sake! He should be at home with his Mama, not farmed out for relatives to mind. Ivan was probably terrified!

Her anger increasing with every moment, Rose stepped under the shower – nonetheless appreciating that it was pleasant to have a few uninterrupted minutes to wash her hair and shave under her arms. Still angry, but at least feeling clean, Rose walked through into the bedroom she shared with Dimitri, noticing the fresh sheets and her clothes hanging in the closet. Slipping into a pair of yoga pants and a fresh top, she looped her hair up into a loose bun and padded out to the living room.

"Are you hungry?" Dimitri asked cautiously, trying to get a read on his wife's mood.

"A little," Rose replied. In reality, she was ravenous. It seemed all she ever wanted to do these days was eat, although the obstetrician had assured her today it was perfectly normal. Ivan was a big baby, so his feeding needs were likewise sizable. She needed to eat a lot, and regularly, to keep up with her body's needs as well as provide the nourishment she was giving Ivan.

Dimitri set a heaped plate of beef stroganoff in front of Rose as she took her seat at the table, pouring her a glass of non-alcoholic cider to go with it.

"Did the obstetrician have much to say today?" Dimitri asked, sitting in front of his own plate.

"Not a lot. I've recovered from the birth, and there are no complications. I had an implant put in today." Rose said it matter of factly. They hadn't discussed contraception going forward, and while Dimitri knew they definitely weren't ready to conceive another baby, he was still a little hurt Rose hadn't at least discussed it with him.

"Ok," he said.

"When did you get time to clean up the house?" she asked, now taking a good look around. The place was spotless.

"I took the day off," Dimitri said tenderly. "I knew you had a busy day planned, so I thought I'd try and help out a bit."

"Yes I know I've dropped the ball around the house," Rose snapped irritably. "I have a baby to look after, you know!"

"That's not what I meant," Dimitri said with a sigh. "I just wanted to surprise you with a night off and nothing to do around the house."

"So you're behind my mother taking Ivan for the night?" Rose spat angrily, getting to the heart of the issue.

"Yes. You're doing a wonderful job, but I know you're tired. You need a night off, milaya. Ivan will be ok, but you need a proper meal and an uninterrupted night's sleep. You need some downtime."

"Well it's not about what I need, is it?" she snapped. "I'm a Mama now. It's about what Ivan needs, and what he doesn't need is to be sent away whenever I get a little tired or behind in the washing!"

"And what about what I need, Roza?" Dimitri finally snapped back. "It's been months since you've touched me and weeks since we've had anything approaching a real conversation. You're so damned set on Ivan's routine I'm barely allowed to see him. I sneak out to work, so I don't wake either of you and by the time I get home you're putting him to bed. I miss my wife, and I want to get to know my son!"

"So you think you're going to get to know your son by sending him away? How does that work?" Rose roared, intentionally skipping over the other part of his argument. Rose knew she'd been neglecting Dimitri – she was just so damned tired all the time, she honestly had nothing left to give.

"Well I'd hoped maybe with Ivan being cared for by his loving grandmother, and nothing to do around here, you might want to spend a little time with me?" Dimitri said sadly, all the fight leaving his body. "Obviously I was wrong."

He pushed his chair back, standing up and walking to the door, pulling on his duster and picking up his keys. Before Rose had a chance to say another word, he was out the door, taking the stairs two at a time. Rather than follow him, Rose stayed at the table finishing her food. She was too angry to go after him, although most of the anger was directed at herself. Eating until the plate was empty, she slowly got up and put her plate and glass in the dishwasher. Opening the pantry to get the plastic wrap for Dimitri's barely touched meal, Rose noticed it had been completely restocked. Similarly, the fridge and freezer were stacked with neatly labeled containers. Dimitri must have worked all day to do all this.

Rose was reaching for her phone to ring and apologize when it pinged. Picking it up, she saw a photo of Ivan sleeping in his crib.

All going well here. Fell asleep with no problems. I'll bring him home tomorrow after breakfast. Hope you're having a relaxing evening together, love Mom.

And if anything, that made Rose feel even worse. Flopping onto the sofa, she tried to call Dimitri only to hear his phone ringing in their bedroom. He hadn't taken it with him. Now feeling sad, lonely and remorseful, she rang to speak to the only person she thought might understand.

"Алло?"

"Olena?" Rose moaned, bursting into tears. "He's left, and I don't know if he's coming back!" she wailed.

Insisting Rose start at the beginning, Olena listened as her daughter-in-law explained what had happened as well as the events leading up to it. While Rose had been anticipating sympathy, that wasn't what she got. At least not entirely.

"So you've been so determined to do things perfectly you haven't let Dimka near his son, and you've been so tired you've barely talked to him in weeks? Rose, can you see why he might be feeling hurt?" Olena asked reasonably.

It sounded so much worse when she said it that way.

"Yes," Rose said in a small voice. "But I don't know what to do about it."

Olena laughed before lovingly giving her advice.

"Are you sure that's going to work?" Rose asked feeling very foolish.

"I don't think it can hurt," Olena said sagely. "And don't feel bad; it's very common for couples to take a little while working out how to adjust from being two to being three," the older Dhampir soothed. "Don't be afraid to ask for and accept help. It's healthy for you and Ivan! Now go to bed and have a good sleep. You can start your plan in the morning."

"What if he doesn't come home?"

"If he doesn't tonight, he will tomorrow," Olena promised. "Dimka loves you both far too much to let a little argument keep him away."

Hearing the wisdom in Olena's words, Rose took her advice – getting out her breast pump and retiring to bed, catching up on a few Game of Thrones episodes before expressing milk so she'd be able to sleep comfortably. It was 11 am by the time she fridged the milk and climbed back into bed. It looked like Dimitri wasn't coming home tonight, and while they'd spent plenty of nights apart since they'd been together, tonight Rose particularly missed him.

At 6.30 pm Dimitri silently let himself into the house. Looking around, it was every bit as clean as it had been when he left it, which was a good sign. Rose had a penchant for throwing things when she was really angry, so a lack of broken items to clean up boded well.

Tiptoeing into their bedroom, Dimitri was relieved to see his wife curled up on their bed sleeping peacefully. Sometime in the night, she must have grabbed his pillow, because she was nuzzling it in her sleep, her beautiful long, dark hair spilled across her soft unblemished skin. Dimitri regretted spending the night in a bunk in the Guardian transit dorm rather than curled up with his wife in their bed, but he had to leave last night lest he say something he might regret.

Not wanting to wake her, Dimitri dropped the posy of flowers he'd bought onto Rose's bedside, silently getting his uniform from the closet and taking it into the laundry to get changed. He was meant to have today off, but he thought a bit of space might be better for them both, so he'd signed up for an extra shift guarding around Court. Going to the kitchen, Dimitri turned on the coffee pot, put a plate with sliced fresh fruit, a variety of cheeses and some sourdough bread onto the counter for Rose, covering it with plastic wrap before letting himself out of the unit.

Rose woke thinking she'd heard the front door. Sure enough, jumping up and looking out the bedroom window, she saw her husband's tall form walking away from the house in the late afternoon sun. Even in the distance, she could see his stooped shoulders and slightly dejected stance, and her heart went out to her kind, loving man.

Back in their room she found the posy on her bedside and smiled. It was a sweet gesture. She admired the bright, pretty blooms as she grabbed her pump, sighing in relief as the machine coaxed the excess milk from her rock-hard breasts. She'd slept through for the first time since having Ivan, so while she felt refreshed, she also felt as though her boobs were about to explode!

In the kitchen, Rose found the breakfast Dimitri had prepared and nearly cried. She'd been such a horrible wife to him, and he'd still lovingly set out food for her. Brushing tears from her eyes, she straightened up after her meal and waited for her mother to arrive with Ivan.

"Did you have a good night with Grandma?" Rose asked, holding her arms out for her little man as soon as he arrived home. She was relieved to see his eyes light up when he saw her. "Was he alright, Mom?"

"He was a delight. He woke twice overnight for milk but went straight back down after a feed and a diaper change. I tried to feed him this morning, but I think he really wants you."

Rose smiled, her Mom bringing in his bassinet and overnight bag while she sat on the sofa feeding Ivan. He nursed with gusto, happily draining each breast.

"Did you two have a nice night?" Janine asked, wondering where Dimitri was.

Not wanting to admit to her mother they'd quarreled, and Dimitri had slept elsewhere last night, Rose kept her eyes fixed on Ivan.

"Yeah, thanks, Mom. A good rest is just what I needed."

"Good. Maybe we could make this a semi-regular thing? Once a month? I enjoyed my night with Ivan," Janine said fondly.

"That would be great, Mom," Rose said, nuzzling her boy and pulling faces to earn gorgeous gummy smiles.

After her mother had left, Rose started putting her plan into action, making a few phone calls and explaining what she needed. As Olena had foreshadowed, everyone was only too happy to help. The hours ticked away, and Rose was getting more and more nervous as she waited, hoping Dimitri would come home soon. Ivan was bathed and dressed in his overnight sleepsuit when Rose finally heard a key in the door. Feeling the tension fall from her shoulders, she put a smile on her face, quickly checked her reflection in the glass on the oven door and walked out to the entryway.

"Hey Comrade," Rose said softly, wrapping her arms around her surprised husband's neck and kissing him tenderly. "Good day at work?"

Dimitri nodded, savoring his wife's tender affection.

"It was ok," he said gruffly. "Some idiot posted the wrong roster up this morning at headquarters, so it took an hour to figure out where everyone was meant to be," he grumbled.

Rose tsked sympathetically, taking his duster from him and hanging it up on the rack beside the door.

"Why don't you go sit down?" she said sweetly, picking Ivan up out of his bouncer and following him into the living room.

"Look, Ivan! Papa's home!" she said smiling at their little miracle and turning him around to face his father.

"Dimitri? I've been thinking about some changes to Ivan's schedule I'd like to run by you. Is now a good time to discuss it?" she said, casually walking past Dimitri and handing Ivan to him.

"If you want," Dimitri replied, distracted by the unexpected opportunity to cuddle his son.

"Well I've been thinking, Ivan goes to bed just after you get home each night. It's a busy time of the day for me, so I thought if I give him his bath before you get home, you might like to give him a bottle of expressed milk while I fix dinner and get his bed ready?"

"I'd like that, milaya," Dimitri said, stroking his son's soft cheek with his finger, staring at him adoringly.

"Good! I've been warming a bottle so you can start now if you'd like?"

Dimitri grinned as Rose passed him the warm bottle of milk, carefully testing it on the inside of his wrist before cradling Ivan in the crook of his arm and teasing his lip with the silicone nipple, laughing as his son eagerly took the teat into his mouth.

"You might need this," Rose said sweetly, handing her husband a flannelette burp cloth before dropping an affectionate kiss into his hair. "He tends to spit up more when he drinks from a bottle."

Dimitri nodded, watching entranced as his son guzzled the milk, Ivan's eyes slowly losing focus and his small limbs relaxing as he got the sustenance he needed.

"Come on зайчик, I think you need a bottom change," Dimitri crooned, gingerly lifting his sleepy son. "Roza? Ivan's sleepy. Is it alright if I change him and put him down for the night?"

"That would be wonderful, thank you, Comrade," Rose called out from the kitchen, careful to keep her voice light and not sound anxious. She was used to settling Ivan at night herself, so was apprehensive about Dimitri doing it. But she needed to give him a chance. "I'll be there in a moment to kiss him goodnight."

Setting the table and pulling the casserole from the oven, Rose made sure everything was ready before she padded quietly toward Ivan's room. Peering through the doorway, the sight before her was adorable. Dimitri carefully leaning over their son's bassinet, crooning to him in Russian. Tiptoeing in quietly, Dimitri turned to watch as Rose switched on the sleep monitor and turned on the nightlight. Wrapping his arms around Rose's waist from behind, they stood in silence admiring their son for a moment.

Canting her head to the side, Rose wordlessly indicated it was time for dinner, and the two padded out of the room to the dining table.

"This looks delicious, milaya," Dimitri said huskily, noticing Rose had made chicken and mushroom stew; one of his very favorite dishes.

"The house was so tidy, thank you. Other than today's washing there was nothing to do, so I thought I'd make something," Rose said nonchalantly, but Dimitri noticed she looked pleased by his compliment. They sat eating in silence for a few minutes before Rose cleared her throat.

"Mom said Ivan slept well overnight. She suggested she could have him once a month to give us a break?" It was a statement, but she asked it as a question.

"How do you feel about that?" Dimitri replied.

"I think it's a good idea. He's safe with Mom, and we need to get used to leaving him in case something comes up and we have to. It would be better if he's used to being cared for by others occasionally," Rose lectured.

Dimitri smiled at his plate. He knew the lecture was for herself, not to convince him! They finished dinner, Dimitri jumping up to clear the table and stack the dishwasher before Rose had a chance to.

"Thank you for my flowers," Rose commented shyly. "And my breakfast."

Dimitri shrugged, coming around the table to pull his wife gently into his arms. "I couldn't go to work without seeing you," he admitted. "It was hard enough not getting to see Ivan before I left."

"I missed him, too," Rose sighed. "Although it was wonderful to sleep through overnight!"

Dimitri smiled, albeit a little sadly.

"I missed you, too," Rose added. "I'm sorry I shouted last night. You were right. We need more time together, and I have been neglecting you."

"No, I'm sorry, milaya. I shouldn't have organized something so important without consulting you first. You're his Mama."

"But you're his Papa, and it's time I start letting you experience that," Rose admitted ruefully.

Dimitri didn't know what to say, so he gave his beloved a delicate kiss.

"It's still early… Are you tired?" she asked.

"Not particularly," he replied.

"Good. Let's cuddle in bed," Rose suggested, giving Dimitri a sweet look and tugging him toward their bedroom.

They stripped down; Rose into boyshorts and a nursing singlet, Dimitri into boxers. Slipping into bed, Dimitri held his arms open to Rose, relishing the feeling as his wife cuddled him. It had been too long since he'd held her, other than when she was asleep. But tonight she consciously curled against him, stroking his chest lovingly and letting him play with her hair.

He must have been more tired than he realized, because the last thing Dimitri remembered was kissing Roza's soft lips and whispering tender words of love, and then he was waking up in the morning to an empty bed.

"Roza?" Dimitri called out, a little sadly.

"Just getting our little man," she said, walking back into their bedroom holding a gurgling bundle of joy.

"Did you want me to feed him?" Dimitri asked hopefully.

"Sorry Comrade, the morning feed is always mine," Rose said with a little laugh pointing to her breasts before lying on her side and unclipping her top. Nestling Ivan in against her chest, Dimitri spooned Rose with his arm around her waist, and peering over her shoulder, they both watched as their son contentedly suckled.

"I have to get ready for work," Dimitri grumbled, kissing Rose gently before climbing out of bed. But he was smiling as he undressed and jumped into the shower.

"I have tomorrow and Sunday off," Dimitri announced on Friday as he was feeding Ivan after work.

"I know. I'm going shopping with Lissa tomorrow, so I was hoping you could have Ivan for the day," Rose said nonchalantly.

"A whole day?"

"If that's ok?" Rose said, turning away so her husband couldn't see her little smirk. Rose had only had to hint at a shopping day, and Lissa had been on the phone to Hans rearranging the Guardian schedules so Dimitri could have the day off to stay with Ivan. Not that Rose couldn't take Ivan with them, of course. But Rose had explained she was trying to give Dimitri more one-on-one with their son.

"Is there anything, in particular, you're shopping for?" Lissa asked excitedly as the two of them wandered through Court's most exclusive shopping district the next day. Between Lissa's duties as Queen, and Rose becoming a mom, it had been ages since they'd had a girls' day together.

"I thought I might buy some new underwear," Rose muttered quietly, so not to be overheard by the Guardians trailing behind them.

"Do you need more nursing bras?" Lissa asked understandingly.

"No. I thought it was time to get things going again,"Rose said, lifting her eyebrows meaningfully.

"Oh!" Lissa said with a giggle as her best friend's meaning became clear. "That's been a while…"

"I know," Rose groaned. "I've just been so tired, but now Ivan's schedule is sorted, I'm feeling a bit more energetic," she said, her face flaming.

"We need to go to Madame Zsar Zsar's," Lissa grinned.

Two hours and several thousand dollars later, Lissa declared them done. Lissa had confided that she was hoping to fall pregnant herself this year, so she wanted lots of sexy underwear to keep Christian 'inspired.' Accordingly, Rose had spent the last half an hour expressing milk in the palatial VIP change room while Lissa modeled each of her selections. Rose was feeling fat and frumpy, and seeing Lissa's model thin body really wasn't helping matters.

"Let me see you try on yours," Lissa cajoled.

Muttering peevishly the whole time, Rose slipped on the ruby red and black lace number she'd decided to purchase. A demi cup with matching boyleg panties, the bra didn't give a whole lot in the way of support and was nowhere near as comfy as her nursing bras, but she figured it wouldn't be on long enough for comfort to be a factor.

"I wish I could fill out a bra like you do," Lissa grumbled, taking in her best friend's ample cleavage before staring dispiritedly at her own. "And I hope I lose my baby weight as quickly as you have!"

"Are you kidding? I look a heifer," Rose moaned, grabbing at her stomach.

"Are you kidding? You look like a hottie!" Lissa corrected. "You're a very yummy mommy, and Dimitri's going to be eating out of your hand!"

Rose smiled a little. Yes, Dimitri would love it – and that was the whole reason for the purchase, after all.

The two spent the rest of the day lunching and shopping before returning to Lissa's apartment to hang out. Rose was getting more and more edgy being away from Ivan for so long, so as soon as 4.00 rolled around, she made her escape.

She'd told Dimitri not to worry about dinner, so before she left Lissa's she rang and ordered pizza to be delivered in two hours time. Climbing the stairs, hoping to slip inside and stash her purchases unobserved, Rose opened the front door to see the most gorgeous sight ever; Dimitri lying propped up asleep on the sofa, Ivan in the wearable baby carrier asleep on his father's chest. The two of them looked so peaceful; Ivan with his head resting over his father's heart, Dimitri with a huge hand placed protectively on his son's back

Suppressing a happy sigh, Rose slipped into their bedroom, putting away her purchases before sneaking back out to the living room and taking photos of her handsome men. She kissed Dimitri's forehead, smiling as he opened his eyes. "Hey, sleepyhead! Have a good day?"

"Roza!" he gasped. "What time is it? Ivan was asleep, so I thought I'd just sit down for a moment…"

"It's 4.30 and don't stress. He's due up any minute. Look - he's stirring now."

Lifting Ivan out of the baby harness, Rose covered his little face with kisses before settling in for a feed. While expressed milk was good, they both preferred to breastfeed when they could. Once he was done, Rose suggested they bath him together.

"I usually wash him in the baby bath, but you boys could share a bath and tell me about your day if you'd like?"

Rose got a little flustered seeing her handsome husband strip down and sit in the tub. It had been a while since she'd had a chance to admire him au naturel, and she'd forgotten just how lucky she was! Rippling muscles and a sexy happy trail leading downward… It was definitely putting her in the mood for what would hopefully take place later in the evening!

Passing Dimitri their son, it was adorable listening to Ivan's excited little squeals as the bath filled and he enjoyed it held firmly in his Papa's arms. What was usually a ten-minute procedure ended up taking an hour, and Rose wasn't sure who was smiling the most; herself, Ivan or her doting husband. She even managed to sneak a photo or two of the two of them!

Eventually scooping Ivan into a soft, warm towel, Rose dried him off while Dimitri did likewise. Stopping to watch Dimitri throw on a pair of workout pants and a top, the three went through to the nursery to choose a sleepsuit for Ivan. Dimitri read a Russian bedtime story, Rose gave Ivan another feed, then they put him down for the evening.

"We should probably think about dinner," Dimitri sighed. He was hungry, but couldn't really be bothered cooking.

"Pizza should be here any moment," Rose announced happily. "Why don't wait for it? I'm just going to shower."

Racing into their bathroom, Rose showered in record time, slipping on her sexy underwear and throwing clean yoga pants and a loose top over the top. Putting a tube of cherry flavored lube on her bedside, just in case, she came out just in time to see the pizza arriving. Spurning the dining table, she led Dimitri to the sofa to enjoy. Sitting at opposite ends, they ate in happy silence. Once they were full, Rose looked up at Dimitri from under her lashes.

"I know it's still early, but I fancy an early night. Want to watch a show in bed?" Rose suggested sweetly.

Dimitri nodded. They'd been cuddling every night since their falling out, and he wasn't averse to another evening with his girl in his arms. Closing the blinds and following Rose through to their bedroom, Dimitri's eyes nearly bugged out of his head as he watched his wife slowly strip off her clothing.

"Do you like? I bought it today," Rose asked, giving Dimitri a smoldering look, running a fingertip coyly across the lace cup of the bra.

"You look beautiful, milaya," Dimitri groaned, trying unsuccessfully not to ogle. It had been two months, and he wasn't made of stone!

"If you didn't want to watch TV, maybe we could… cuddle?" Rose said with a cheeky grin, the emphasis on the final word making her intentions clear. With a deep growl, Dimitri started peeling his clothes off, making his way across their bedroom to his woman. Scooping Rose up into his arms, Dimitri threw her into the center of their bed, looking at her like a starved man.

Reminding himself he needed to take it slow; that Rose was probably apprehensive, he used every technique he could think of to relax and excite his wife. And after not so very long, she wordlessly passed him the lube, biting her lip nervously and looking up at him with big dark eyes before he nodded and kissed her again.

Afterward, Rose was curled up tightly in Dimitri's arms, giggling at her husband's blissed-out grin.

"I really needed that," he murmured, kissing her hair.

"I did, too," she replied, meaning every word. She felt so much closer to her man now they'd been intimate again. "Did it still feel ok?" she quizzed nervously.

"It felt great for me," he confirmed. "You?"

"A bit different, but still really good," Rose said with relief. She'd worried it would hurt or wouldn't be pleasurable, but the magic was still there. And most importantly, she felt she and Dimitri were back on the same page. She'd have to ring Olena to say she'd implemented her advice, and it had worked, Rose thought flushing a little.

The lovers drifted off to sleep, waking a couple of times throughout the night when Ivan needed to feed, the second time deciding to see if their second time making love post-Ivan would be as good as the first. It was even better!

Tiptoeing out when Ivan woke in the morning, Rose put on the coffee pot before climbing back into their bed bringing Ivan with her. She nursed while Dimitri surfaced into wakefulness. Sitting up in bed, he looked lovingly at Ivan who was busy at Rose's breast.

"Morning, milaya. As for you, young man? Papa loves you, and you're just lucky Papa was brought up to share!"

Happy birthday to one of the kindest, talented, erudite and downright wonderful persons I know! Hope you enjoy this bit of fluff!