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Veronica rolls to her side instinctively while waking. Her eyes flutter open when her outstretched hand finds an empty bed, complete with cold sheets where her very warm husband usually lies. The sun is trying to make its way into the room through the slits where the curtains meet and around the edges. Confused, she looks over to Logan’s nightstand and the alarm clock sitting there.
10:09
Startled, Veronica sits up. The last time she slept this late was when she was pregnant with Athena six years ago. Well… she smiles to herself and her hand rests on her still flat stomach. I guess I know why I want to sleep in so late, but the question is how was it possible for me to sleep with your big sister in the house. Athena is usually in their room as soon as the sun is up, demanding mom to get up with her. It doesn’t matter if it’s a weekend or not, those things don’t matter to a six-year-old. And they really don’t matter in a pandemic.
It’s then that the date dawns on Veronica and her smile gets wider, her hand rubs slow circles against her abdomen. It’s Valentine’s Day, baby. And today we are going to tell Daddy about your impending arrival. I’m a little nervous, but if his reaction is anything like it was when I told him about your big sister, there’s nothing to worry about.
Mind wandering back in time for a moment, Veronica remembers how Logan had picked her up and spun her in circles in his excitement until she practically screamed at him to let her down before she puked all over him. And even then, after he set her down, he couldn’t stop laughing. His brown eyes filled with joy, sparkling with pure excitement.
Logan took to being a daddy like he was born for the role, despite his initial nervousness. The first time he held their daughter in his arms, she had him wrapped around her tiny finger. And if Veronica thought Logan was protective when it came to her, it didn’t compare when it came to Athena. It didn’t help that their daughter was just like Veronica. From the moment she could crawl, she was off and running, needing to investigate anything and everything. There was baby proofing houses and then there was baby proofing for Athena, two totally different things.
Athena wasn’t a child that liked to be confined, which made things difficult at times. Veronica thought Logan was going to have a heart attack the first time Athena hurt herself seriously. She was running around the living room, exploring things, and ran smack into the coffee table with her forehead, falling back onto her bottom. Before either of them could rise to help her, the baby had gotten herself back up and run off again, Logan had to stop her and hold her still, while she squirmed, so Veronica could tend to the small gash on her forehead. No tears came from Athena other than whines to be let down to play again. The tears had come from Logan, who worried over his baby being okay.
Veronica’s thoughts are again pulled back to the present as she wonders where her husband and daughter are. She knows they must be in the house as they are all quarantined together, but she can’t remember the last time she was allowed to sleep in. Stretching her arm, she reaches over to grab her phone on its charging station and makes herself more comfortable against the pillows against the headboard. She pulls up the security system app on her phone, smiling to herself.
Originally, she thought Logan went overboard with the security, but now she admits that it’s very handy to be able to see almost any room in the house, at any time. It was also the world’s best baby monitor. Her fingers quickly worked to swipe through the different normally used rooms of her house as she searched for her family.
Athena’s room is empty, but it’s obvious that Logan has been in there as the child’s bed is made neatly, her stuffed animals lined up in a row along the wall, standing guard. Toys put away, and the room looks clean. Only he can get their daughter to cooperate when it comes to putting away her belongings.
Both the living room and office show no signs of either party either. Her last place to check is the kitchen. Bingo! A smile spreads across her lips at the sight of Logan at the stove, dressed in jeans and a Henley that hugs his chiseled figure perfectly. Across from him at the island is Athena, swathed in an apron much too large and a chef’s hat, perched comically on her head, a toothy smile on her face. Veronica hits the button that allows her to listen in.
“But why do we have to let Mommy sleep?”
“Well, Pumpkin, Mommy is always doing stuff for us. She makes lunches and dinners and puts together stuff for us to do so we don’t get bored. Remember last week when she made a special movie night and made you a car so you could have a drive-in movie experience?”
Athena nods, biting her lip, considering as Logan continues.
“Plus, she works really hard catching bad guys like a superhero and taking care of Grandpa. That’s a lot of work, and sometimes it’s nice to let her sleep in for a day.”
“But it’s almost lunchtime and we’re making breakfast!”
The small blond’s face scrunches up, trying to comprehend the logistics, and Logan lets out a soft laugh. “It’s called ‘brunch’ Munchkin. It’s when you eat a breakfast kind of meal, but you eat it closer to lunch. It’s something adults do a lot.”
“That’s dumb Daddy.” Athena lets out a huff and her hands make their way to her hips. Veronica’s lips twitch as she watches her almost mini-me on the screen. “Why wouldn’t you want to eat breakfast and lunch? You’re missing a whole meal!”
Veronica can feel her toes curl as the warm, deep chuckle of her husband fills not only her kitchen but filters into the bedroom via the phone.
“You are your mother’s daughter, Pumpkin. Sometimes adults have brunch because they want to sleep in like we’re letting Mom do today. Or sometimes they do it because they are meeting friends and family and it makes more sense to meet later on in the day rather than in the early morning.”
The tiny blond shrugs. “Adults make no sense. You remembered bacon, right? Mommy will want bacon.”
Laughing, Logan nods again. “Don’t worry Athena, I’ve been cooking for your mom for many years now. I know better than to forget the bacon. Shall we add something to the pancakes, though? To make them extra special? Maybe some blueberries-”
“Chocolate Chips!” Athena bounces on the stool, the chef’s hat she’s wearing falling down over her eyes. “Mom likes chocolate chips in her pancakes, just like me!” With a sigh, Logan turns to the cupboard, as if he knows it’s a losing battle and that their daughter is right.
In the bedroom, Veronica grins slyly and rubs her rumbling stomach. “Good call, Sweet Pea.” She coos to the phone before realizing what she’s doing. She wars with herself about whether she should get up and join her family in the kitchen or stay where she is and let them bring what is obviously supposed to be ‘brunch in bed’ to her. She decides to stay put and enjoy the show father and daughter are putting on, anticipating both a tasty breakfast and some family cuddles in the near future.
On screen, her husband is looking through their collection of molds they use for pancakes and eggs when they want to make them special. Athena’s voice breaks in. “Why do we have to use the heart one, Daddy? Why can’t we make Mommy dinosaurs or teddy bears… or dinosaurs eating teddy bears!”
Snickering, he pulls out the heart-shaped mold and after testing the griddle that’s been heating on the stove; he sets it down and carefully pours pancake batter into it. “I’m not sure that Mom would enjoy dinosaurs eating teddy bears. Besides, it’s Valentine’s Day, so we must make hearts.” Logan reaches over and sprinkles chocolate chips carefully into the batter sizzling, waiting and then flipping the first pancake.
“What’s Bal- Balentine’s Day?”
“V- V- Valentine’s, Pumpkin. And it’s a day that’s about love. You celebrate your love for people.”
Athena’s face scrunches up in thought and then she looks at her father. “So you do special things for people you love?”
“That’s right. Like letting Mom sleep in and making her a special breakfast.”
“But what about me? You love me, right?”
Logan slides the first pancake onto a plate and then the plate into the oven before starting the process over. Then he comes over to his daughter, picking her up and hugging her fiercely. “I love you more than anything in the world, Athena. The day you were born was the happiest day of my life.”
His daughter’s arms are wrapped tightly around his neck and he carries her back around the island. There he lets her add a small handful of chocolate chips to the heart-shaped pancake before he sets her down.
In the bedroom, Veronica wipes tears away from her eyes. Her arms wrap around herself as if she can hug the precious baby inside of her. The fear about telling Logan slips away, and she smiles, wondering if they will have another little girl that looks like her except for the big expressive brown eyes or if this time they will have a little boy that looks like his father and maybe have his mother’s eyes. Either way, she knows it doesn’t matter, they will love their child and protect it just as they do and will continue to do with Athena.
Veronica turns off her phone, letting Logan and his daughter have their time together. She goes to take a quick shower and is back in her pajamas and settled neatly against the headboard when the door creaks open. Athena pushes it open the rest of the way and bounds in with all the energy of a rabbit.
“Good morning, Mommy. Happy Love Day! I made you breakfast… well, Daddy helped a little too.” The brown-eyed, blond little girl jumps onto the bed and snuggles into her mother’s open arms.
“Good morning, Sweet Pea, happy love day to you. You did? How did I get so lucky?” She glances up and grins at Logan, who's holding a tray in his hands.
The side of his mouth twists up into that smirk that still sends a thrill down her spine, and his eyebrow cocks up. “How long have you been up?”
“Oh, just a little bit.” She answers breezily, squeezing the little girl to her a little more before letting her go to climb onto the middle of the bed.
“I should have known we couldn’t surprise you.” He mumbles, but the smile stays on his face and he places the tray down on her lap. It has a plate containing heart-shaped pancakes, bacon, a side of cut up fruit and a glass of milk. He frowns a little, “I noticed you haven’t been drinking coffee, so I didn’t make you any, am I wrong?”
“No, it’s been sitting wrong with me, I’ve been drinking peppermint tea but this is perfect, Logan. Thank you.” Smiling at him and then their daughter.
“These are very important pancakes, Mommy.” Athena looks at her seriously.
“They are? Why is that, Sweetie?”
The little girl smiles, and it’s like the sun lights up the room. She has her father’s smile, and it stops Veronica’s heart every time she sees it. “Because, they’re made with love!”
Mother and daughter smile at each other for a moment, and then Veronica picks up her fork. Taking a bite, she makes sure to add extra humming to her eating, but it’s not an exaggeration. The food tastes wonderful. It doesn’t take long until the plate is clear.
Logan picks up the tray and turns to head out the door to the kitchen when Veronica stops him. “Can you put that on the dresser for a minute? I have a Valentine’s Day present for the both of you.”
Athena begins to bounce on the bed. She loves presents as much as her mother does. Logan, on the other hand, does as he’s asked and sets the tray down and turns around to regard his wife curiously.
Veronica slips out of bed and smiles, first at her daughter and then at her husband before bringing her hands to her abdomen. “We’re going to be adding to our family.” She says it quietly, biting her bottom lip. Turning, she regards her daughter. “Athena, you’re going to be a big sister.”
Brown eyes grow wide as saucers as the room stays quiet as a church. Then Athena lets out an excited scream. “You’re gonna have a baby? I’m going to be a sister? When?”
Veronica laughs at her daughter. “According to the doctor, not until September. On the fourteenth, to be exact, though babies rarely keep their schedule that precise. So when school starts for you again in the fall.”
Athena goes to take a flying lead at her mother, something she’s done a million times. She leaps and mom catches and they laugh and hug. But this time, dad intercepts her, holding her tight. “Whoa there. You can’t do that anymore with Mommy until after the baby is born, okay, Pumpkin?”
Looking over Logan’s shoulder to Veronica for confirmation, she sighs when her mom nods. Big hands rub her back and Logan speaks quietly and lovingly. “I know you’re excited, but we have to be careful with Mom. We don’t want to hurt your new brother or sister that’s in her tummy, do we?”
Shaking her head, the little girl hugs her dad tight. “Can I still hug her?”
Veronica kneels down and Logan lets their daughter down to her feet. “Oh Sweet Pea, of course you can. We just need to be a little more careful and no flying leaps at me, okay?”
Hugging tight, Athena agrees. “Okay, Mommy. Can I go color now?”
“You may, just make sure you stay on your coloring table and nowhere else, okay?”
Nodding her assent, the little girl bounces out of the room and Veronica rises to face her husband. She’s once again faced with a pair of large saucer-like brown eyes. These brimming with awe and love. His arms wrap around her and pull her close, and he drops his head to rest his forehead against her.
“Veronica, I don’t know what to say.” His voice comes out a choked whisper.
“Say you’re not upset? I know we weren’t actively trying. I think it was after I had food poisoning… we didn’t wait long enough for my birth control-”
She’s cut off by Logan kissing her breathlessly. “How could I ever be upset? You’re giving me the greatest gift I could ever ask for? How are you feeling about this? Are you okay? How are you feeling? Did the doctor say everything is okay?” The questions come in rapid fire and Veronica laughs softly, pulling her husband to sit on the side of the bed.
“I’m happy about this. I was surprised, but I’m happy. The doctor said everything is right on schedule. I’m eight weeks as of today, so in two weeks we can go in and I have my first ultrasound. We can hear the heartbeat and see our baby. I’m feeling okay, but this is why I haven’t been drinking coffee.”
He kisses her again, cupping her face delicately in his hand. “I love you so much, Veronica.”
“I love you too, Logan. Happy Valentine’s Day.”
Two Weeks Later
“Well, are you two ready to hear the heartbeat and see your baby?” The doctor smiles as the nurse wheels in the ultrasound machine.
Logan and Veronica hold hands and smile widely at the doctor, nodding. He shakes both of their hands and then leaves them in the hands on the nurse, leaving the room.
After getting settled, Veronica making a “squish” face when the gel is applied to her stomach. They wait anxiously to see and hear their baby. The nurse moved the wand around her stomach, frowning several times before mumbling. “Excuse me, I’ll be right back.”
As she leaves the room, the couple grips hands and tries not to panic. When the nurse comes back, the doctor is with her. Seeing the looks on Logan and Veronica’s faces, he is quick to reassure them. “There’s nothing wrong, I promise you. We just need to confirm something, but nothing is wrong.”
It didn’t do much to relax the couple. After a painfully long period of time, the doctor looks up and smiles. He turns on the sound of the fetal Doppler, letting them hear the fluttering heartbeat sound fill the room. The couple relax and smile at each other. But after a moment, both cock their heads realizing that this heartbeat sounds different from what Athena’s had been. Glancing at the grinning doctor for an explanation, he finally turned the screen.
“Mr. and Mrs. Echolls, I’d like to introduce you to your babies.”
Veronica stares at him, mouth open for a moment before managing, “I’m sorry did you say babies, as in more than one?”
The doctor nods. “Congratulations, it’s twins.”
Logan’s warm, deep laughter filled the room and when Veronica looks into his brown eyes, they are bright with happiness.
“Logan Echolls!” Veronica growls. “You are never touching me again.”
He only laughs harder and winks at her.