Mark stared into the fridge, looking for ideas. He’d been planning to just microwave a frozen burrito and have a beer, but now Leah was coming home. Frozen burritos just wouldn’t do.

His eyes fell on the bottle of capers. He could do that old tuna and caper pasta dish. He dug out the little three by five card from the recipe box. He had the rest of the ingredients. With a little salad, some wine, and maybe some ice cream for dessert?

He snorted softly. When was the last time he’d tried to impress his girlfriend?

Maybe that was part of the problem.

He checked the clock. He had enough time if he worked fast.

He started by clearing all his work papers off the table. There were way too many of them. He glanced at the marketing plan he’d been working on when Leah’d called. Did he really need to turn it in tomorrow? His boss had wanted it Monday. Monday would be good enough.

While the pasta water boiled, Mark made the salad and set the table. He found a chianti in the cabinet that he’d picked up before Christmas and opened it to let it breathe. He was back at the mise en place when the front door opened. He wiped his hands on a towel and headed into the living room.

Leah’s face was long and worn. She gave him a small winsome smile as she set her suitcases down. Mark’s eyebrows rose.

“Yeah,” she said. “I’m back for good. Christy’s doing a lot better.”

He just pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight. She returned the clench, her head on his shoulder. Finally, reluctantly, he pulled back.

“Don’t wanna to overcook the pasta.” He grinned and nodded toward the kitchen. “Join me? You can have some wine while you watch.”

“Oh?” she smiled.

“C’mon.” He led her into the kitchen. She smiled, less tired and forced, when she saw the table was set.

“It’s not much,” he said as he returned to the stove, “but I figured it was better than ordering a pizza.”

“I’ve had too much pizza lately.” She chuckled. “It was the easiest thing with Christy and the girls.”

“She’s doing better?”

“Much.” Leah poured him some wine, and then hesitated. Instead of pouring herself some, she filled her own glass with water. “It was time for me to come home.”

So you didn’t do it for me. He pushed that momentary stab aside.

Leah sensed it anyway. She moved to his side and stroked his shoulder.

“I’ve missed you,” she said. She leaned in for a kiss.

“I’ve missed you, too.” He fished a fusilli noodle out of the water and offered it to Leah. She took it and chewed and then nodded.

“It’s ready,” she said.

“I’m glad you can stay,” he said as he drained the pasta in the sink.

“If you’ll have me.” For the first time, her smile betrayed her own fears.

“Why wouldn’t I? I know we both need to change some things, but…” He shrugged.

“Oh,” she darkly chuckled, “things are gonna change.”

He raised an eyebrow, but she didn’t explain.

Dinner started with small talk, mostly about his day. Leah shared stories of taking care of Christy’s babies while she napped, though Laurie really wasn’t a baby at three. Some of them she’d already told him, but he didn't call her on it. He just waited for her to work through her nerves.

“So…,” she eventually said with a more serious tone. “I’ve really enjoyed spending time with Paul and the girls and my career’s going well enough so… I was thinking…”

“You’re pregnant.”

She rocked back in surprise. “How’d you know?”

“Good guess,” he shrugged. She wouldn’t have spent so long working up to anything less.

“And in case you were worried—”

“I wasn’t. I’m not.”

“Paul and I didn’t—”

“You said it wouldn’t be fair—”

For you either.”

He shrugged.

"You could've called someone. Wren. Or Mindy.”

“It wouldn’t have been fair to you.”

“I wouldn’t’ve minded.” Despite her smile, there was still a bit of uncertainty in her eyes.

“It still wouldn’t’ve been fair. Besides, I don’t want Wren or Mindy. I want you.”

“Even after everything?” Her eyes started to cloud.

“Even after everything.” He dropped his eyes to her tummy. “And especially now.”

Her small wry smile contained a glimmer of hope.

“You want this baby?” she asked.

“I do. More than anything. Except… maybe her mother.”

Leah raised an eyebrow. “Her?”

“Of course,” he gently teased. “There aren’t enough Coulter women around. The world needs more of you. Of course it’ll be a girl. The universe demands it.”

Leah actually chuckled.

“Your mom’s gonna be thrilled.”

“I don't want to tell her yet.” Leah’s jaw tightened. “We need to be sure. I don’t need to give her another reason to be disappointed.” The again went unspoken.

“After the first trimester,” he agreed. “Then we can tell everyone.”

“You’re really happy about this.” It wasn’t quite a question.

“I…” His heart trembled as he looked for the words. Raw honesty seemed best.

“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking,” he said, “while you were staying with Paul and Christy. About us. About my job. About what I really want. And… I want you."

Tears formed in her eyes as she smiled at him.

“Whatever you want,” he said. “I’m in."

“Will you make love to me?”

Mark smiled. Then he stood and offered her his hand. The rest of dinner could wait.

Mark stared at the ceiling. Leah had drifted off to sleep after her third orgasm, but he couldn’t, despite her warm, nude form being nestled next to his after what had been far too long. He’d tried spooning her and drifting off to sleep but his mind just wouldn’t stop.

I’m going to be a father. I’m actually gonna be a dad!

The fear and the excitement churned in his gut. This would change everything. He hoped that would be a change for the good. He’d had way, way too much time to think while she’d been staying with the Hughes, helping as Christy recovered.

At least Christy had recovered. He hadn’t seen her much—no one other than Leah and Paul really had—but she'd been haggard and glum when he had. He hadn’t realized how bad postpartum depression could get until Leah started filling him in.

He fervently hoped Leah wouldn’t get it.

He’d have to keep an eye on things. But how? What did he need to watch for?

He mulled over how to find out for some time before he finally fell asleep.

Trip hovered over the distant, smoking grill. He’d declared it “his responsibility” and since it was his backyard, no one had seen fit to complain. Mark was fine with that. On a hot July day, he didn’t want to be anywhere near a fire. He turned back to his conversation with Paul.

“Well," Paul said, “this is going to sound stupid, but it snuck up on us the second time. You're too busy with life to notice. Hindsight's 20/20.” He ruefully shook his head. “Why?”

“I just want to understand,” Mark said. “She’s a friend and I missed it completely.”

“You weren’t around for that part of it.”

“Yeah. I was always at work.” Mark sucked in his breath. “That’s something I’m gonna have to change, too.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. Starting Monday.”

Paul didn’t ask. Then Leah came out of the house with a new batch of lemonade and smiled at them. Before she made her way over, Trip called out that the burgers were done.

“Hey,” Mark said after Christy answered the phone. “I’m taking Friday afternoon off from work and was wondering if you and the kids might wanna go to the park?”

“The park…?”

“Yeah. I wanna see the girls,” he went on, “And you. The weather’s supposed to be nice, so I thought, why not? I can stop at the bakery and pick up some incentive for you and the girls…”

“I can’t,” Christy said. “I’m watching Wren’s kids on Friday.”

“Bring ’em with you. We can handle four kids between us.”

She went silent, and he could almost sense her disbelief through the phone.

“Or… somewhere else? As long as the bakery’s on the way.”

“How about the backyard?”

“Sure,” he quickly agreed. “Now do you want eclairs or tarts?”

“Eclairs, please.”

Mark lowered Laurie into the toddler swing and checked that she was secure. She laughed and smiled at him so he got behind her and gently pushed. Christy sat at the patio table with Emily in her lap. From the looks of it, Emily was on her second bottle. Christy had her own empty juice box near by as well. 100% juice of course. Missy napped in her carrier nearby.

Mark pushed Laurie until Davis started climbing to the top of the little jungle gym that Paul and Christy had installed. Laurie saw and immediately insisted on getting down. Mark stopped the swing, took her out, and set her on her feet. She immediately dashed off to join Davis.

Mark sauntered over to Christy. He smiled when he saw her gently rocking Emily, now asleep. She smiled as he sank into a chair next to her. They chatted about the kids and other minor things before Mark turned a bit more serious.

“Nice to see you smiling,” he said.

She snorted softly. She’d caught the subtext.

“I know it's been a rough year,” he said. “This spring. Wow. I wasn’t sure we were gonna make it.”

“What was happening with you?” she asked suspiciously.

“I… well, I was in a pretty dark place. Work. Leah. Work. Yeah, I… well, you know how it is.”

She grimaced, but nodded.

“It’s hard to talk about,” he admitted. “Even when it’s getting better.”

“You can say that again!”

A wail went up from the kiddie jungle gym. One of anger or frustration instead of pain. Christy climbed to her feet.

“No, no, no,” Mark said as he rose. “Let me.”

“Thank you,” Christy called as he rushed over to lift Davis to the climbing bar just out of his reach.