𝔪𝔞𝔯𝔦

But today? Silence. No hi Mama with his brightes voice.

Drew followed in behind him, his brows pulled together in concern.

He mouthed to you.

“Something’s off.”

You nodded.

Rustyn plopped down at the table, pulling his favorite cup close and sipping from it slowly. He stared down at his crackers without a word.

Drew crouched beside him.

“Hey buddy, no big stories today? No recess drama?”

Rustyn shrugged. “It was okay.”

That’s when you knew for sure your boy was feeling something deep.

After Lola had been born, Rustyn had been the most excited big brother anyone had ever seen. He’d helped pick her onesies, chosen bedtime books, and always kissed her on the forehead like it was his job.

But now, watching him push his crackers around his plate, your heart clenched.

You walked over and gently rubbed his back.

“Rusty, baby, wanna come sit with us on the couch for a bit?”

He looked up at you with those beautiful eyes that looked so much like Drew’s.

Slowly, he nodded.

You and Drew sat on either side of him, wrapping him up in that kind of hug only parents can give a soft, warm, and full of more love than the universe could ever measure.

“Hey bud,” Drew said, voice soft,

“We noticed something’s been bothering you today. You’ve been really quiet. Did something happen?”

Rustyn’s lip wobbled for just a second before he looked down at his lap.

“I… feel like you don’t love me as much anymore.”

Your breath caught.

You blinked fast to stop the sting in your eyes, leaning forward.

“Rusty, sweetheart what makes you feel that way?”

He sniffled.

“’Cause Lola gets all the hugs. And everyone comes to see her. And you’re always with her. Even when I talk, sometimes you don’t hear me the first time…”

Drew exhaled gently and pulled Rustyn into his arms.

“Oh buddy. I’m so sorry you’ve been feeling like that. That must hurt a lot.”

You rubbed his little knee, your throat tight.

“We never, ever want you to feel like you’re not loved. Rustyn, you are our first baby. You’re the one who made us Mama and Dada. There’s not a second where we don’t love you with everything we’ve got.”

Rustyn mumbled, “But I want more hugs too.”

Drew kissed the top of his head.

“Then more hugs you’ll get. As many as you want. You can ask for them whenever you want, okay? You don’t have to wait.”

You took a deep breath.

“You know, Dada and I made a promise a long time ago. That no matter how big you or Lola get, we will always be your safe place. You can come to us with anything. If you’re happy, sad, mad even if you’re not sure what you’re feeling you can talk to us. We’ll always listen. You never have to hide your heart from us.”

Rustyn looked up at you with eyes a little glassy but soft now.

“Even if I say something not nice?”

You nodded.

“Especially then. Because that’s when you need love the most.”

Drew leaned over and added,

“That’s what families are for. We don’t just love each other when things are easy. We love each other always. You, Rustyn, are such a big, strong, kind boy. It’s okay to feel jealous. It’s okay to feel left out. What matters is telling us, so we can fix it together.”

Rustyn threw his arms around Drew’s neck, then reached for you too. You both held him close.

From the playmat, Lola let out a squeal, and Rustyn turned to look at her. You saw a flicker of guilt in his face, but Drew caught it too.

“Hey, Rust,” he said softly,

“Lola’s really lucky to have you. But being a big brother doesn’t mean you stop being our baby too. You still get all our love, always.”

Rustyn nodded.

“Can I feed her today?”

You smiled, brushing his hair from his forehead.

“Of course. She loves when you talk to her while she eats.”

After dinner, you sat on the couch while Lola had her bottle in your arms. Rustyn sat beside Drew, cuddled close under a blanket.

“Dada?” he whispered.

“Yeah, bud?”

“Thanks for still loving me.”

Drew tightened his arm around him.

“Always. No matter what.”

And that night, while you rocked Lola to sleep, you looked at your boys your sweet little Rustyn and your golden-retriever-hearted husband and you knew love multiplies. It doesn’t divide.

There was Lola to take care of, Rustyn to chase after, bottles to warm, lullabies to sing. The nights blurred into days and back again, and amidst the warm chaos of new life, your quiet hesitations faded into the background.

Until they didn’t.

It was the fourth evening in a row where he reached for the bathroom door to tell you dinner was ready only to hear the soft click of the lock before his hand touched the knob.

He didn’t say anything at the time. Just paused, hand hovering, and slowly stepped away.

But he noticed.

He noticed the way you kept the towel wrapped tightly around your body until you were safely tucked into pajamas.

He noticed you flinch slightly when his fingers grazed your waist without warning.

And he especially noticed the way you avoided his eyes when he asked if everything was okay.

That night, after both kids were finally down and the house fell into a rare silence, you crawled into bed beside him, quiet, tucked in a soft cotton tee, your back turned to him the way it had been more nights than not.

Drew slid closer anyway.

Wordlessly, he wrapped one arm around your waist, his nose tucking into the space where your shoulder met your neck, the tip of it brushing the baby hairs near your ear.

“You’re quiet tonight,” he murmured.

You hummed, eyes focused on the shadows dancing across the ceiling.

“Just tired.”

He didn’t press. Just held you tighter.

But then,soft, slow, and safe he asked,

“Is it because of me?”

You blinked.

“Because I noticed…”

He added gently, his thumb brushing over the hem of your shirt.

“You’ve been locking the door. Not letting me see you.”

You swallowed.

For a moment, you thought of deflecting again. Maybe even blaming hormones, or sleep, or some other distant excuse that didn’t carry the weight in your chest.

But Drew’s voice was so quiet.

So careful.

And his arms around you didn’t budge. They only held you steadier.

You turned your face slightly toward him, just enough for your voice to find its way back.

“It’s not because of you.”

He kissed the back of your head once, then rested his forehead there.

“Then talk to me, baby.”

You exhaled shakily.

“After I gave birth to Lola, my belly never went back. The stretch marks… they’re everywhere. They’re deep. And red. And I know they’ll fade, but Drew, I don’t look the same. I don’t feel the same.”

He said nothing, but his hand shifted, sliding beneath the hem of your shirt, palm flat against your soft tummy.

You tensed.

“I used to be confident,” you added, your voice cracking.

“I used to love when you looked at me. Now I just… I can’t stand the idea of you seeing me like this. Of seeing what’s left.”

The silence was heavy but not cold.

He was thinking.

You were about to speak again maybe take it back and when his hand gently turned you over to face him.

Drew’s eyes met yours, soft and sea-glass blue even in the dark.

“You think I’d stop wanting you because your body did something incredible?”

You opened your mouth, but he kept going, his words steady, raw, and real.

“Do you know how many nights I stayed up just watching you sleep with one hand on your belly, feeling her kick? Do you know how much I loved your body then? How I love it now?”

His hand rested over your ribs.

“You made our baby. You made two of them. Your body changed because it had to because it grew love inside of it.”

You looked away, embarrassed by the tears slipping down your cheeks.

But Drew gently brought your face back to him, kissing your temple.

“I miss seeing you,” he whispered.

“Not because you look different but because I want you to know that nothing’s changed for me. Not one damn thing.”

You closed your eyes, letting the truth in.

He continued, his voice barely above a whisper.

“I married you knowing every version of you will evolve. That’s the promise, right? I don’t just love the you from our wedding, or the you carrying Lola. I love the woman you are now, a strong, tired, stretched thin but still here, still beautiful, still mine.”

Your lips trembled.

“You think I see stretch marks?” he asked.

“No. They’re like… superhero battle scars. You literally built humans, babe.”

You let out a shaky laugh, burying your face in his chest.

“That was so corny.”

“It was true, though,” he teased, smiling softly against your hair.

You stayed like that for a long time, breathing him in, letting his warmth push out every last lingering shadow.

Eventually, your hand found his.

You pulled it under your shirt again, guiding it to your belly.

“They’re really red right now.”

“I know,” he murmured.

“And I still think you’re the sexiest damn thing I’ve ever laid eyes on.”

You snorted. “You’re impossible.”

He tilted your chin to kiss you slow.

You whispered with a grin as Drew pulled out your chair.

“Leaving the house without a diaper bag?”

Drew chuckled, shrugging off his jacket.

“It is a little dangerous. We might accidentally talk about something other than naps and spit-up.”

You laughed, slipping your fingers through his across the table.

“God, I missed this.”

“I missed you,” He said, no hesitation.

“All of you. Just like this.”

The waiter brought wine, and for a moment, the two of you just… breathed.

No baby monitors.

No background cartoons.

Just clinking glasses and candlelight.

“Remember the last time we came here?” you asked.

“After Rustyn?”

Drew smirked.

“Yeah. You cried because they brought out the wrong pasta and you were hormonal. Then we made out in the car like teenagers.”

“Hey,” you pointed a fork at him, “it was the wrong pasta. And you said you liked hormonal me.”

“I loved hormonal you. Still do,”

He teased, sipping his wine. “You were feisty. You still are.”

You rolled your eyes playfully, heart already melting.

“So,” you said after a few bites, “how does it feel being a dad of two now?”

Drew leaned back in his seat.

“Honestly? Kinda like walking around with your heart outside your body… but now it’s two tiny hearts and they’re both really loud.”

You giggled.

“You’re doing great, though.”

“You’re doing better,” he said, reaching for your hand. “You’re supermom.”

You blushed, then paused, chewing slowly as a familiar curiosity stirred in you.

“Hey babe,” you said softly.

“Can I ask you something kind of random?”

Drew looked up, curious. “Of course.”

You tilted your head, tracing the rim of your wine glass.

“Why… why did you decide to have kids with me so soon? I mean we weren’t even dating that long. And then you said you were ready. You wanted a baby.”

He blinked.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean… I know you loved me. I know I loved you. But still, there had to be a real reason.”

He smiled a little, eyes crinkling.

“Baby. Of course it’s because I love you. Love you like… a lot a lot.”

You laughed, “I know. But I want the real real answer.”

He leaned in, resting his forearms on the table.

“You really wanna hear it?”

You nodded. “Yes.”

Drew let out a breath, thoughtful. “Okay.”

He looked at you, not just at your face, but at everything behind it. Your journey. Your shared life. The girl he fell for and the woman who gave him a family.

“I decided to have kids with you,” he said slowly,

“because I couldn’t stand the idea of someone else’s children having your eyes. The eyes of the girl I love. I wanted that to be mine. All mine.”

Your heart dropped right into your stomach in the best way.

“Mine only,” he added, voice softer now.

“That was it. That was the moment I knew.”

You stared, stunned into silence. The kind of silence where you know you’ll remember this for the rest of your life.

“…Well,” you finally said, voice catching,

“Drew… you know both Rustyn and Lola have your eyes, right?”

He grinned, a little smug. “Of course I know. Rustyn’s got my exact shade, and Lola’s got that brighter blue but your shape.”

You smiled.

“I’ve always loved their eyes. When you’re away filming, I look at them and I see you. It’s like your love is right there in their faces.”

Drew reached across the table, brushing your hand with his thumb.

“I love their eyes too. Because they’re ours. They’re proof. You know?”

You nodded. “Yeah. I do.”

He leaned in again, whispering just loud enough for you to hear,

“Also… if we’re being honest… I was trying to trap you.”

Your eyes widened. “What?”

He grinned mischievously.

“Trick you into staying forever. Knock you up and never let you leave.”

You laughed so hard the table shook. “Drew!”

“I mean, it worked, didn’t it?” he said, eyes sparkling.

You threw your napkin at him and he caught it mid-air, laughing.

“But seriously,” he added after a beat, softer now, “you’re it for me. You’ve always been it.”

The waiter walked by just then and refilled your glasses like nothing in the world had just happened but you were still holding onto those words.

You’ve always been it.

Date nights were rare.

Alone time even rarer.

But nights like this where Drew looked at you like you were still his favorite thing in the room, even after babies, spit-up, and endless laundry made every moment count.

You didn’t say anything else for a while, just curled your fingers into his, and smiled like you were still that girl who first said yes to a forever with him.