After Our Love Prevails {Stelena} (2)

4- Stefan's Birthday

2 weeks later

Stefan's POV

My eyes slowly open to allow the morning sunlight to enter my eyes, and the first thing I notice is that I'm in bed alone and my wife isn't beside me.
I sit up and make my way off the bed, only to hear a clattering sound come from the kitchen. I make my way downstairs and into the kitchen before smiling at the sight. Elena, dressed in only my t-shirt and a pair of shorts with her hair in a loose bun, is currently stood by the oven with ingredients placed on the counter and about fifteen different pots and pans scattered around. Since she has no idea that I'm in the room, I decide on silently walking up behind her and surprising her with a hug. I feel her body flinch with surprise before relaxing against my own.
"You're not supposed to be up yet," she smiles as I kiss her neck. I smile in satisfaction as she shivers against me.
"I'm sorry, I didn't realise there was a schedule that I was meant to be following," I smirk before kissing her cheek. She laughs before turning around in my arms.
She smiles and loosely wraps her arms around my neck. "Happy birthday baby," she says quietly before leaning up and connecting our lips together. 
"Thank you," I reply as we draw apart. Her hands make their way to lie on my chest.
"Now, I have a lot to do so, in the nicest way possible, I need you to make yourself scarce." I can't help but to let out a laugh at her request.
"Well in that case, I'll go and check up on Layla," I say before kissing her forehead and leaving the room, all with a smile on my face. Elena always has the power to put a smile on my face, no matter what she does or what she says, she can always make me feel better.
My smile widens as I hear Layla's beautiful voice and see her sitting up in her cot with a smile on her face.
"Hi sweetie," I greet her. I open her curtains before lifting her up and putting her straight on her changing mat, knowing full well that she needs a nappy change.
I'm not sure what it is about nappy changes but Layla isn't too fond of them and a lot of the time ends up wriggling around in an attempt to get away.
"Well," I laugh. "This would be soon over if you didn't wriggle around so much."
After a further few minutes her nappy has been changed and disposed of, and so I bring her into the study with me so I can check my emails. She happily sits on my lap as I read the new emails I have and send the documents that I didn't have time to send last night.   
I spend a further twenty minutes replying to emails and finishing documents before I see Layla start to wriggle and stretch her arms out before she begins to frantically mumble and wriggle about. It takes me a few moments to realise that Elena is stood at the door, a smile on her face, holding a cake with lit candles protruding from the top. No wonder Layla was smiling like crazy, she's such a mummy's girl it warms my heart. I can't help but smile as she walks closer whilst singing 'happy birthday', all the while with Layla's giggles in the background. One thing I will say about Elena is that she has the voice of an angel and yet she rarely sings, one of the many cruelties of life.
When the song's over I blow out the candles and smile as Layla claps her hands with so much excitement, despite the fact she has no clue what's going on.
"When did you make this?" I ask, both surprise and love for her consuming me.
"Last night when you'd gone to bed," she replies with a smile. Last night Elena made me go to bed early, claiming that I looked tired and when I told her I still had loads of work to do, she played the pregnant card and told me that she'd start crying if I didn't come to bed with her. It's not as if I can say 'no' to her in the first place but I always give in to her when she brings on the waterworks, which she's scarily good at might I add.
"Thank you." She smiles before connecting our lips in a short kiss that simply conveys an infinite amount of love.
"No problem," she replies sweetly before standing up from her crouching position.
"I have something else for you." She stretches her free hand out for me to take, which I do, before leading me into the kitchen, where I'm presented with both a cooked breakfast as well as a little array of decorations scattered across the table.
"Before you thank me you might want to try the breakfast because I'm about 99% sure I've burnt or overcooked something."
"When are you going to get some confidence in your cooking skills?" I laugh before bringing her into a hug. "It looks amazing."
"Yeah?" She asks, surprise clearly evident in her voice.
"Yeah," I simply reply before we both sit down to eat. Layla decides she's more content sitting on my lap than in her high chair and, since it's a special occasion, I sit her on my lap as we eat, allowing her to take things off my plate as she pleased.