moments ♡

exhausted ♡

Motherhood was hard. He didn't necessarily know that from experience, but he could see it in the little line that formed beneath her eyes. It had only made an appearance during finals week or when a new installment of her favorite series of books came out at first. Now that their son had learned to say “one more story please?” and smile his cute smile, the line beneath the eyes that could see into his soul never quite went away.

Of course, he still thought she was the most beautiful person in the whole world. He told her so, too. Often.

The way she stood with her hip popped out to one side when she packed their daughter's lunch for school.

The way she poked out her lips when she fed their little boy, complete with airplane noises when he was being stubborn.

The way her hair fell across her shoulders when she knelt to listen to whatever their daughter had to say with rapt attention.

The way her face lit up when one of their children learned something new.

The way her graceful fingers wiggled when she tickled the kids to make them laugh when they were frowning.

The excitement in her eyes when their little girl got home from school.

The way that she smiled a smile more knowing and sensuous than she ever had when she caught him watching her from across the room...

He couldn't help himself. He was absolutely certain that he had married the most beautiful person that God had ever created. He hoped she knew. He hoped she was paying attention and that she believed him all those times that he told her. No one should be so beautiful and not know it.

That night, he found his beautiful girl being beautiful lying on the couch, the book she'd been trying to read for over a year laying open over her lap and her head laid back adorably over the armrest as she snored softly. Though the kids were asleep, it was far from the time that Mommy and Daddy went to bed. That was no matter, though. She'd get a kink in her neck if she kept sleeping like that.

Smiling to himself, he took the book from her lap and placed her bookmark on the page where she'd left off. He folded her reading glasses neatly and laid them beside the lamp, which he switched off. She grunted a little in her sleep, and the sheer cuteness made him weak. He bent to scoop his sleeping girl into his arms, holding her against his chest as though she was a treasure he'd guard with his life - because that's what she was.

He realized when he got to the bedroom that he should've thought ahead and turned down the covers on her side of the bed before he carried her in here. Her arms had wound around him in her sleep, and he couldn't help but chuckle as she held on more tightly when he bent to pull down the comforter and sheets so that she could nestle underneath.

She curled up sweetly as soon as he had broken her vice grip on him, and he pulled the covers up to her chin like she usually kept them. She sighed sleepily, and he bent to press a kiss to her forehead before brushing his teeth and getting ready for bed himself.

"Dangit," she muttered as he crawled into bed behind her.

He cursed to himself for waking her up. "What is it, Babe?"

"I wanted to finish that chapter tonight," she huffed.

He cuddled close behind her, acting as the big spoon to her little spoon. "There's always tomorrow. And the next day."

Somehow, she found more ways to touch his body with hers. "I'd argue, but I'm too sleepy." Within a minute, she was snoring adorably again.

A light chuckle escaped his lips. He pressed a kiss to her neck and thought to himself that the thought of waking up to her could get him through anything.

Author's Note:
So, this was inspired by my grandparents, Ann and Doug. She told me that she was reading one night and woke up with a bookmark in her book, her glasses on the nightstand, and her honey cuddled up beside her in bed. When I asked him why he did that, he told me that he couldn't bear the thought of sleeping without the promise of waking up to her. Fifty years later, and they're still kissing when they don't think anyone is looking. #RelationshipGoals anyone?