#dad!ted

Dad!Wilbur:

- this man is a girl dad through and through. he’ll make sure the night before he picks out your daughters clothes so it’s easier to dress her in the morning

- he’ll purposely wake up before you to make sure he can get everything done and prepare your day. he’ll change your guy’s daughter, make breakfast, turn on your favorite show for when you come downstairs

- when he hears you waking up, he’s quick to be by your side again. while you’re in the bathroom brushing your teeth or doing skincare, he’s coming up behind you and hugging your waist

“you look so pretty, love.” he kissed the side of your head, smiling lightly as he rested his chin on your shoulder. “i don’t get how you think that.. i just woke up. my hair is a mess, my eyebags are pretty noticeable-” your words were cut off when he pulled you into a quick kiss, but parted your lips before you could react. “you’re still beautiful.”

- occasionally bring greeted by your daughter giving you small gifts that wilbur had bought you, which results in him acting as though he didn’t buy it

- it takes him around an hour to change out of his pajamas from the night before, he’s too busy focusing on you and your daughter to realize he hasn’t changed

Dad!Ted

- boy dad. that’s all i’m gonna say

- he’ll have you trapped in bed until your son is jumping on you guys, yelling for you to get up and make him breakfast

- ted insists that you get changed and take care of yourself while he focuses on the kid, to which he throws your son over his shoulders and carries him downstairs

- the entire time you can hear ted and your son talking about you, whether it’s what you’d want for breakfast, what you might wanna do today, or just how much they love you

“what do you think they want?” he raised a brow at your son, earning a dramatic hum as if he was thinking, before he turned and shouted upstairs. “WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR BREAKFA-” he words were cut off with ted’s hang covering his mouth, staring at him with a fake annoyed look. “hey! it’s a surprise!”

- earning a kiss as soon as you get downstairs

- switching places with ted so he can get changed, fix up his hair, brush his teeth, etc. and you take the time to watch your son, and of course talk about ted <3

Mom!Softball!Wilma

- girl and boy mom, specifically older son and younger daughter

- hearing her round them up in the morning as if she’s coaching a team, followed by rapid footsteps downstairs and into the living room or kitchen

- she makes sure you take care of yourself before focusing on the kids, persuading you with a bunch of kisses and promises that she’ll let you wear one of her old jerseys for that day

- getting the kids ready for a day out — which just means taking them to the local fields and batting cages

- hearing her tell the kids to keep it down so you can have a bit more peace in the morning, only for them to get loud again when they see you, bombarding you with hugs

“guys, come on. they need some peace while getting ready!” she groaned and picked up your daughter, grunting when the small girl jumped from her arms and ran over to you. “oh, hey baby.” she wore a goofy smile, walking closer and leaned down to kiss you.

Ted was gone at an away match, they ended up having to stay two extra nights due to snow and icy roads. You thoroughly embraced this quality time with Henry. After you picked him up from school, you two went by the shops to get groceries for the next few things, and the young Lasso boy was extremely enthusiastic to help you cook dinner. 

With Christmas music playing softly in the background, you and Henry cooked together while he told you all about his week at school. The two of you shared many laughs, but after a few slower, more melancholic Christmas songs you felt that familiar feeling again. Like something was sitting on your chest. You thought you’d done a decent job playing it off. It was Henry’s night to pick the movie, so the two of you ate on the couch while laughing over his choice. Ted typically insisted on eating at the table together, so the nights the two of you shared dinner on the couch held a special place in Henry’s heart.

You’d successfully tucked Henry in and gotten yourself ready for bed. Ted and the team had walked to a nearby pub for a night out, so you hadn’t heard much from him. Although, you trusted the team to keep him safe, and knew that if something went sideways you’d be a;erted by Rebecca, Keely, or any one of the numerous friends you’d made of Ted’s coworkers. Typically when you felt this way, you would open up to Ted about your feelings. Not only was he your partner, he was your best friend, and more often than not he was there when you felt like this. 

After crawling in bed and sending Ted a quick goodnight text, you turned on your favorite sitcom. Usually you’d be laughing yourself to tears over this show, but tonight you found yourself staring off into space, unable to concentrate. Your mind was running with unrealistic thoughts. 

Will Henry be happy with his Christmas with you and Ted?

If he isn’t, will he want to move home?

Would he wish Ted found someone else?

Is Ted happy with your Christmas as a new family?

Would he leave you if this Christmas wasn’t everything he was hoping for?

Your spiraling thoughts quickly brought tears to your eyes, and your heart clenched as a soft sob left your mouth. All you’d wanted was a family, and that was what you’d found with Ted and Henry. They were your boys, and the thought of a holiday season after this one without them broke your heart. No matter how fast you wiped your tears, they wouldn’t stop coming. A part of you felt silly, but you knew sometimes it was best to cry it out. 

Before you crying had ceased, the handle to you and Ted’s bedroom turned, and the door slowly crept open to reveal Henry in his pajamas, eyes wide, and brow furrowed. He looked exactly like his father, something you loved beyond words. 

“Mama Y/N? What’s wrong?”, the nickname made you smile softly. Embarrassed, you quickly wiped your tears away and willed them to finally stop. 

“I’m okay, Henry Bug.”

“But you’re crying”, He came to stand on the side of the bed beside where you were sitting, and immediately crawled up beside you without a second thought. 

Deciding the best route was honesty, you responded, “Yeah, I was, buddy.”

“Did something happen? Are you okay?”, again, Ted’s mini-me. Always worried about your safety and well-being.

“No no, Hen. Just a long day, that’s all. Feelin’ a little extra tired tonight.”, you did your best to muster up a smile, but you could tell the boy wasn’t completely sold. 

“Hmm”, he pondered your answer for a moment. “I feel like that too sometimes, especially if I don’t sleep good the night before”.

You knew the feelings he was talking about were different, but you knew it wasn’t the time, place, or situation to try and explain your adult feelings to him.

“Yeah, Hen. Maybe we can both get some good sleep tonight, yeah? I think your dad should be home in the morning.”, he nodded and smiled wide at the mention of the mustached-man you both loved.

“Maybe we can all make some waffles tomorrow for lunch? Have a lil’ brunch situation?”

Henry nodded even faster at this suggestion, and his cuteness made you smile. By now, you had stopped crying. Although you hadn’t truly explained your adult feelings to Henry, you felt comforted by his presence and were so happy to have him there. 

“Can I stay in here tonight, Y/N? Your bed is soooo comfy”, Henry let out the cutest giggle. 

You smiled widely at his question and let out a fake sigh, “Fine, I guess I can make room for my Henry Bug.”

Your sarcasm made him laugh and as you held up the duvet for him, he settled in on Ted’s side of the bed. As you lied down on your back, he snuggled into your side, and you wrapped a protective arm around him. You had begun to close your eyes and were on the verge of sleep when Henry whispered, “Can we watch Shrek please?”

His request made you laugh and he mirrored your laughter before questioning, “What?” through a fit of giggles. 

“Nothing, Hen. Just happy you’re here. I love you, buddy.”

“I love you too, Y/N. You’re basically like my mom now. Can I just call you mom?”, the recent disputes with Michelle made you wonder if this was coming. Although nothing could’ve prepared you for the love you’d feel in the moment. With tear-filled eyes you chuckled, “Absolutely, Henry. I’d love that.”. You squeezed him close in a warm hug while putting “Shrek” on the TV.

Henry settled back into your side and the two of you slowly drifted off. Before you completely fell asleep you pressed a soft kiss to the top of Henry’s head and whispered, “Sleep good, sweetheart. I love you.”

And tears pricked your eyes again when he whispered, “Love you too, mom. G’night.”

—---------------------

Ted’s heart constricted at the sight as he walked in the next morning. You were asleep on your side, hair a mess and lips slightly parted with your arm stretched out to his side. Henry had stayed by your side all night, and had tucked himself into the bend of your arm. 

His face mirrored yours as the two of you finally caught up on some sleep. There was enough room for him to crawl in beside Henry, so after slipping off his jacket and shoes, he did. The movement woke you up, “Ted?”

“Shhh, go back to sleep, darlin’. Didn’t mean to wake you.”

You closed your eyes again, fully intent on falling back asleep, “S’okay”

Henry stirred at the noise and snuggled closer to you. Unbeknownst to the two of you, Ted’s eyes were filled with all the love in the world as he watched his two favorite people sleep. He draped a strong arm over Henry, and rested his hand against you as he joined the two of you in sleep. With the two of you in bed, he felt the most in love as he’d ever had before.

And later, while you three made waffles, he couldn’t even find words as Henry asked, “Can you hand me a paper towel, Mom? I spilled some”. He couldn’t even join you two in laughter as Henry looked at you with a sheepish smile and sent you both in a fit of laughter. All he could manage was a warm, loving, teary smile while he watched his two favorite people make breakfast together.

Everything stopped.  “I-is she okay? What happened? Oh god, is she al-”

“Mr Lasso, your wife is currently in surgery, but we really aren’t supposed to give patient information out over the phone. We’d be happy to assist you further at the hospital. We’ll be able to give you more information at our admission desk.”

His hands began to tremble, and his voice was nowhere near steady. “O-okay. Thank you.”

Ted turned to look at his other coaches, unable to form words. Not like he needed to, they all heard his responses to the call. With a nod and a, “We got it, you go.” from Coach Beard, he grabbed his essentials from his desk and booked a cab to get him to the hospital.

In the backseat, it took everything in him to calm his breathing. He imagined your voice, how soothing it was, and how you always knew how to calm him down.

Oh god. What if this morning was the last time he’d get to hear your voice?

He quickly shook the thought from his head and jumped out of the cab as soon as he could do so somewhat safely. 

His feet took him quickly to the admitting desk, “HI, my uh, my name is Ted Lasso? My wife Y/N Lasso is here, y’all called me and said she was in an accident”. 

“Give me one second, let me take a look.”

Ted wrung his clammy hands together nervously as more horrible thoughts ran through his mind. He was spiraling, imagining every worst case scenario. 

“It looks like she’s still in surgery, sir. You’re more than welcome to have a seat in our surgical waiting room and one of the doctors will come for you when they have more information to give you”, she gestured to the bleak waiting room behind him. “Thank you”, he nodded.

The room was scattered with distraught people, and his anxiety didn’t decrease as he sat down.

Would you ever come home?

Would you remember him when you woke up?

What if you didn’t wake up?

Tears formed in his eyes as he remembered the way you snuggled closer to him after silencing your alarm this morning. If he knew this was how your day was going to go, he would’ve kept you in that bed for a week just to be safe.

By now, school was about to be let out, and he sent a quick text to Roy asking him to pick up Henry when he picked Phoebe up. 

Roy: “Want me to let him hang out at my place until you figure something out?”

Ted, still imagining the worst, was torn on what to do. He could send Henry home with Roy, but if things went south and Henry wasn’t here, Ted would forever feel guilty. He also knew you’d be wanting to see the blonde-haired boy if you woke up. On the other hand, he didn’t want to traumatize Henry by bringing him here. 

He decided to have Roy bring him, as he was old enough for Ted to explain what was happening and have an understanding of it. It was winter, and it got dark pretty early in the day. By the time Roy made it with Henry, it was practically dark, and the crease Henry’s brow matched Ted’s. 

"Dad what happened?"

The boy hugged his dad as soon as he was close enough. The hug was enough to make Ted’s calm-ish facade break, but he held it in, trying to stay strong in front of his son. “Well buddy, Y/N was in a wreck.”.

“Is she going to be okay?”

Ted looked up to meet Roy’s gaze before continuing, “I-I don’t know, Hen. All I know is she’s in surgery right now.” Tears filled Henry’s eyes and a few managed to escape. Before he could say anything else, Ted crouched down and pulled him into a strong hug. Ted let a few tears of his own shed as he buried his face into Henry’s hair. After a few minutes Roy cleared his throat, “I need to call Keeley”, and walked away with his phone to his ear.

Henry sat down next to Ted in one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs. The pair sat in a fearful silence, not knowing what to say, or ask, or do. Henry’s small voice broke the silence, “Dad?”

“Yeah, bud?”

“Do you think Y/N knows I love her?”

Ted let out a watery chuckle, “Oh, Henry. She knows, and she loves you so much more than you know.”.

Henry silently nodded. “Loves you more than anything else, little buddy. You’re her favorite kid.”

Roy walked back through the doors and took a seat on the other side of Henry, “Keels will be here within the hour.”, Ted nodded. 

Before their conversation could continue, a surgeon entered the waiting room, “Lasso family?”.

Henry stayed in the chair beside Roy while Ted shook the surgeons hand. “I’m Dr. Oren, I operated on your wife.” 

“How is she? W-what happened?”, Ted was a nervous wreck, preparing himself for the worst while trying to hope for the best. “Well, Mr Lasso, your wife was in a pretty severe motor vehicle accident. She was driving through an intersection and her car was hit by an oncoming driver who was texting, and didn’t notice the red light.”

Ted’s eyes filled with tears for what felt like the millionth time tonight. “The other vehicle was going about sixty miles per hour and hit the driver’s side door of Y/N’s vehicle. The airbags deployed, but the airbags in your vehicle were ones that had previously been recalled, so when they deployed, so did a few pieces of metal. She has mostly superficial injuries, but one lodged into her neck, and barely missed her carotid artery. We had to do an exploratory endoscopy to ensure there was no internal bleeding and that the carotid was truly intact.” 

“Is she okay? Was it intact?”

The surgeon nodded as she continued, “Yes, sir. We have had to place her into a medically induced coma to attempt to reduce the swelling of her brain, but we expect to wake her up from it within the few days. She is currently being moved to a stepdown unit to recover from surgery and her injuries, but after her wound heals and our physical therapist sees her, we expect her to go home to make a full recovery. She’ll be in room 4209 on the fourth floor,”

Ted let out a breath he didn’t even know he was holding. 

“Your wife was very lucky, Mr Lasso. Most neck wounds of that kind don’t have the same outcome. The hospitalist will be in to see her as soon as she is awake and re-oriented, he will be able to answer the rest of your questions.” she nodded as her pager beeped, and she walked out of the room.

Before he turned to Henry and Roy, Ted took a deep breath to steady himself. When he turned around, he was already there. “Is she okay?”

“She, uh- She has a room.” Henry walked up and wrapped his arms around his father. 

“Let’s go see her, guys”

The three boys made a beeline for room 4209. Roy stayed with Henry outside, wanting Ted to scope out the situation before exposing Henry to anything too traumatic.

The nurse in the room turned to Ted as he shut the door behind him, “Hi, are you her husband?”. Ted smiled weakly, “That’s me”.

“Hi, I’m Josh, I’ll be Y/N’s nurse for the rest of the evening. We just got her settled in from surgery, and all of her vitals are stable right now.”

Ted remained silent as he took in your appearance; you had a breathing tube down your throat, a feeding tube down your nose, and what seemed like a million wires surrounding you. 

The nurse could sense Ted’s worry, “The breathing tube is breathing for her, and the tube down her nose is providing her nutrition since she can’t eat right now. The hospitalist wants to extubate her and let up on her sedation in three days, so assuming that goes smoothly, that’s when you can expect her to begin waking up.”.

He let out a breath at the mention of you waking up. You were pale, but looked so peaceful with your eyes closed in the bed. Ted didn’t know whether or not to be relieved at the sight of your chest rising, considering it was the ventilator doing the work. Josh finished re-adjusting the wires of your heart monitor before grabbing some hand sanitizer off the wall, “If you need anything, don’t hesitate to come to the nurses station or use the call button. We’re monitoring her vitals at the desk, so don’t worry about those.”

Ted slowly nodded, “Thank you.”

As Josh walked out, tears filled Ted’s eyes once more. He timidly approached the side of your bed and extended a hand to rest on your cheek. “Honey-”, he choked out before the tears finally fell. He sat down in the chair at the bedside and allowed himself to cry. His other hand grabbed your cold one, and he laid his head down to rest softly against your shoulder as he cried. 

What would they do without you?

It was hard to stop himself from thinking of the worst case scenarios, but he knew he needed to be strong for you and Henry. You wouldn't want them worrying over you. He chuckled weakly as he imagined how dismissive of your injuries you’d be. 

Would she want Henry to see her like this?

He brushed a hand over the top of your head and decided your son would be better off not seeing you with tubes keeping you alive; not when you had such a high chance of waking up. As the door opened again, Ted quickly spun around to see Keeley walking in. She looked distraught, and brought your favorite flowers to sit on your windowsill. No words needed to be spoken as Ted brought her in for a comforting hug, both of them longing for their best friend. 

Ted sniffled as he pulled away, “I’m gonna go talk to Henry. S’it okay if he stays with y’all tonight? I just planned on staying here and I don’t want him seein’ Y/N like-”

“Of course, Ted”, she gently smiled. He returned it as best as he could before slipping out in the hallway to find Henry and Roy.

“How is she, dad? Is she okay? When can I see her?” His eagerness to see you made Ted smile. He crouched down to Henry’s level, “I think it would be best if you went home and spent the night with Uncle Roy and Aunt Keeley tonight, buddy”

“But I wanna stay with Y/N”, his pout was hard to resist. 

“Y/N has a lot of medical equipment helpin’ her out right now bud, she isn’t awake or talking yet. It all looks real scary, but the second it’s gone I promise that you can see her all you want”

Henry’s voice went up a few octaves as tears formed in his eyes, “But I need to see that she’s okay, Dad”

“C’mere Henry”, Ted pulled the boy into a tight hug as he began to cry softly. He missed the comfort of the woman who’d practically taken over as his mother. Ted was a wonderful dad, but right now he needed to be held by Y/N.

“I promise you that right now, she is okay buddy. Her body’s restin’ while all those machines do the work for her, and the doctors plan to start wakin’ her up in three days.”

Henry held on to him tightly and shook his head in the crook of Ted’s neck.

 “No”, he whined, “She needs to come home.”. Ted’s heart broke as he pulled back to look into Henry’s eyes, their tears mirroring each other’s, “She can’t right now, Hen.”, now his voice was breaking too.

Henry began to cry harder, so Ted pulled him in to hold him once more and softly rocked him. He was racking his brain trying to imagine what Y/N would do in this situation. 

“If she could, I promise you she would be curled up on the couch watching bake-off with you right now, and y’all would be actin’ like y’all are the judges or somethin’.” his weak attempt at a joke did nothing to soothe the boy’s cries. Ted decided to just hold him until his cries weakened, occasionally pressing a soft kiss to the top of his blonde hair. When he settled down, Ted pulled away a bit. “You’re gonna go have a sleepover with Uncle Roy and Aunt Keeley, and hang out with them since it’s the weekend and you don't have school.”, Henry nodded. Tomorrow, we’ll figure out the quickest way for you to see Y/N okay? I know she’s gonna be lookin’ for you the second she wakes up.”.

The mention of seeing you made Henry break into the lightest smile. Ted and Henry said their goodbyes before Roy took him home. Ted popped his head back in your room to tell Keeley he was going home to get a change of clothes and a few more things, and to text him if anything happened while he was gone.

His heart broke a bit more as he looked around your shared home, seeing all of your items and pictures together. By now, he’d finally been able to quiet his spiraling thoughts, and was now primarily focused on taking care of you until you woke up. He gathered clothes and toiletries for himself, before moving to pack some of yours. He packed your favorite warm socks, pajamas and toiletries for when you woke up. On his way out the door he also grabbed your favorite fuzzy blanket and a family photo with Henry before loading up your (now only) car. 

Keeley left when he returned, wanting to be home in case Henry needed to talk to someone better at dealing with emotions than Roy. After she left, Ted pressed a soft kiss to your forehead and got to work on setting up your room. He turned the TV on for some background noise, swapped the hospital socks for your favorite ones, and draped the blanket over you. This time of year, you were always complaining about being cold. On your bedside table, he put the family photo you had insisted on having taken.

Ted pulled out the pull-out sofa and made his own makeshift bed with some pillows and a blanket from home. When the nurse came in to swap out your tube feed, Ted made small talk with him, and thanked him for taking such good care of you. He sent Roy a quick text and pressed a kiss to your cheek before falling asleep on the uncomfy couch. 

—-------------

The next morning, Ted was woken up by a high pitched beeping. He immediately jumped up to see what was happening and make sure you were okay. Before he could get to the call button a new nurse came in and introduced herself.

“Hi, I’m Leah, and I’ll be taking over for Josh this morning. The fluids in her IV are just ready to be swapped over, that’s what the beeping’s for.”

“So she’s okay?”

“Yes, her vitals are actually looking much better this morning. The doctor may try to extubate tomorrow, because the ventilator is showing she’s attempting to breathe on her own. Don’t hold me to that, though. We’ll wait and see what he says when he makes his rounds.”

Ted spent the morning making small talk with you and eating crappy hospital cafeteria breakfast. Around lunchtime, he decided it was time to try and brush your hair. It was still matted from the aftermath of the accident. He was gentle as he slowly worked the knots out, and when he was finished he put it in his best attempt at a side braid to keep it from getting tangled any further. 

He showered quickly and brushed his teeth, then called Roy to update him.

“Hello?” 

“Hey Roy, how’s Henry?”

“Alright, a bit down but Keeley’s trying her best to cheer him up. How’s Y/N?”

“She’s doing better actually, they might try to take out her breathing tube tomorrow, just depending on how things go. Don’t- uh, don’t tell Henry though, I don’t want to fill him with any false hope.”

“I won’t. Beard’s updated the team about what happened, so don’t worry about that. Want to talk to Henry?”

“Please”

There was shuffling on the other end before Ted heard his son’s voice, “Dad? Is Y/N okay? Is she awake?”

“Not yet, buddy. She’s doin’ a little better though. How you holdin’ up?”

“I’m okay, just worried about Y/N”

“I know, buddy”, Ted looked at the door as it opened to reveal the doctor, “Hey, bud, the doctor’s here so I’m gonna go talk to him alright? I’ll call you a little later, I love you”

“Love you too dad”

Ted put his phone in his pocket before shaking the doctor’s hand. “I’m Dr. Holt, nice to meet you. You’re her husband?”

“Yes sir, that’s me.”

“Your wife was in a pretty serious car accident, I’ve heard the surgeon explained all of the details to you?” Ted nodded. “We’ve put her in a sort-of medically induced coma because her MRI showed trace swelling of the brain, and this is the best way for us to keep the swelling down. Her ventilator is signaling that she’s attempting to breathe on her own, and as long as her oxygen saturation stays where it’s at, I’m comfortable extubating her tomorrow afternoon.”

“What about the swelling?”

“Her repeat MRI showed it's gone down, we just don’t want to move too fast. After we extubate her, we will still keep her pretty heavily sedated, but we’ll slowly start to decrease it.”

“Why are we keeping her sedated?”

“Well Mr Lasso, she had quite the traumatic experience, and in cases such as these, being woken up with a breathing tube in place and not being able to do anything only stresses the patient out, but can also prolong healing time and sometimes causing further issues. Once she is breathing on her own and has woken up, then we’ll move to taking out her feeding tube and beginning physical therapy. She’ll likely be very weak because her body is not used to being in bed for such a long period of time. Do you have any other questions for me?”

“I can’t think of any.”

“Great, we'll see you tomorrow afternoon, Mr Lasso. Here’s my card, please reach out to me if you need anything.”, the man handed him a business card before leaving. 

After the doctor left, Ted pulled up a chair to sit as close as he could to Y/N. He grabbed one of her cold hands, “I don’t know if you can hear me but, we need you to get better, darlin’. Me, Henry, Keeley, everyone. We weren’t made to be without you. You’re my best friend, Y/N, I need you.”, his voice was thick at this point.

“Henry misses you like crazy. Thought he was gonna punch me in the face for not lettin’ him see you like this”, his chuckle was weak. “Need you to get better and come home, sweet girl. I’m so, so sorry this happened to you.”, he cried into his free hand and wished for some sort of sign that you’d be okay. He swore he felt your hand twitch, but he was afraid it was just his imagination. He spent the rest of the day making small talk with you, the nurses, and sending out texts to update his Richmond family. 

————

When he woke up and was readjusting your blankets the next morning, he almost fainted when he saw your eyes barely flutter open. 

“Y/N? O-oh my god-” he immediately hit the call button and the nurse was in there within seconds. “Sh-she opened her eyes, I was just fixin’ her blankets and then-”, the nurse cut him off. 

“Her heart rate shot up on the monitors, we think she may be trying to wake up.”, he stepped aside as the nurse began an assessment. As soon as the cold metal of her stethoscope pressed against your chest, your eyes shot open. They were wide and frantic as you looked around the room, and your heart rate only continued to rise as you felt all the equipment on, in, and around you. 

“Mrs Lasso, I’m Leah, your nurse.”, she put a comforting hand on your shoulder. Ted wanted to touch you, but it felt like he was frozen in place. “You were in a pretty bad car wreck, do you remember that?”

You nodded the best you could. “You’re in the hospital, we have a breathing tube inserted into your lungs right now, so try and relax the best you can so that it remains in place. I’m going to call the doctor now, and he’s going to be here to remove it, hopefully within the hour”, she glanced at her watch. Your eyes filled with tears as you took in your surroundings and registered the immense pain you were in.

Ted stepped into your view while you tried your best to stay still, scared of disrupting any of the invasive equipment. Tears rolled freely down your cheeks at the sight of him. He looked so distraught; cheeks scruffy from not shaving, bags forming under his eyes, messy hair from his hand constantly running through it. As you locked eyes, he stepped closer and took one of your hands to hold in his own. “Baby-”, his voice grew thick, “I’m so glad you’re okay. We were all so damn scared.”

You tried to speak but it was no use, your voice was shot from the combination of the tube and not speaking for a few days.

“Shh, it’s okay. Henry’s with Keeley and Roy, as soon as we get that tube out, he’ll be here.”, you weakly nodded as you winced in pain. Your heart rate wasn’t going down, between the pain and anxiety it wasn’t going down any time soon. Not being able to speak made you anxious, and your breathing quickened as you became dizzy. Before Ted could attempt to calm you down, the nurse came in with a syringe filled with medicine. 

“We’re gonna give her this, her heart rate doesn’t need to be this high, so this’ll calm her down.”

She pushed the medicine through your IV and stayed in the room until your heart rate decreased. As it decreased, your breathing evened out and you fell asleep again. Although it felt so nice to see you awake, Ted couldn’t stand the thought of you feeling so worried or in pain. 

The nurse informed Ted that Dr. Holt planned on extubating her at 3pm, so he called Roy to ask that he be prepared to bring Henry. 

When Dr. Holt arrived, he had a team of respiratory therapists with him, and a crash cart in case the event took a turn for the worst. The sight of the crash cart and the defibrillator pads being placed on your chest as a precautionary measure made Ted uneasy. His hands felt clammy and his own breathing quickened at the thoughts of the cart being used. Just as everyone had entered the room, you had begun to wake up again. This time, your heart rate stayed at baseline as Dr. Holt explained the situation to you, and told you that if you started to panic, he’d be unable to extubate you today.

It took everything in you not to panic, you had machines keeping you alive and you had so many questions, but the idea of holding Ted and Henry after this helped you to stay calm while the doctor prepared his supplies. The nurses had been slowly weaning you off the ventilator, so you felt little change as they powered it off. You had been breathing on your own for quite a while now.

When he pulled the tube from your lungs, it hurt more than you could’ve ever imagined, and as soon as it was out you began throwing up from the pain. Luckily a nurse had an emesis bag ready nearby, and it didn’t get all over the bed. Ted’s heart broke as he watched you, unable to reach you or comfort you as he stood behind the team of people there to make sure you could breathe. As your vomiting subsided, the doctor began asking questions and checking your vitals, ensuring you would be okay breathing on your own. When he was confident that you would be okay, he and his team left the room. 

Leah turned to you, “How are you feeling?”

“In pain”, you rasped, “Everything hurts”. 

“I’m sure, Mrs Lasso. I’ve brought you some medication that won’t sedate you, but should help with your pain. A speech pathologist will be in soon to do a swallow study with you, just to make sure you’re able to swallow efficiently before we let you have anything to eat or drink. Once she signs off, then we’ll be able to get that feeding tube out. Physical therapy wont see you until tomorrow, but if you’d like to try and take some small steps later that’s fine.”

“O-okay. Thank you”

She pushed more medication through your IV before leaving. 

As she left, Ted immediately took you into his arms. You held each other tight while you both cried. He pulled away and held your face delicately in his hands, “I’m so glad you’re okay Y/N, I was so worried.”

“I was so scared, Ted.”, you cried. “I remember lying there, but I couldn’t move, or breathe, and everything looked fuzzy-”, Ted sat on the edge of the bed and pulled you into him while you cried, grabbing handfuls of the sweater he was wearing. 

“I didn’t know if I’d see you or Henry again, Ted. It was fucking awful”, you sobbed into his neck. He was sitting so that you didn’t have to move much to lean into him, not wanting to put any strain on the wound on your neck. 

“You’re here, darlin’. It’s okay, you’re all okay.”, he whispered into your hair in an attempt to reassure you both. The two of you sat in silence while you held each other, just needing to feel one another there. Warm, breathing, and alive. 

After an hour or so of Ted answering your questions, the speech pathologist came in. She introduced herself and explained the process of the swallow evaluation to you before you got started. Ted stepped aside to call Roy and give him the okay to bring Henry.

When you had passed the evaluation, the nurse came in to remove your feeding tube. Ted watched, feeling guilty he couldn’t make you feel better.  It felt so nice to finally get to drink water, your throat had felt so dry. She brought you some applesauce to snack on before dinner, and Ted assumed his previous position on the side of your bed. You brushed out your hair, and brushed your teeth, wanting to look somewhat presentable. Ted helped you walk to the bathroom to wash your face and stretch your legs before you returned to bed.

As you got settled back against the pillows, there was a gentle knock on the door. Before you could respond, it opened to reveal your favorite blonde-haired boy and grumpy assistant coach. Your voice was weak as you exclaimed, “My Henry Bug!’, and opened your arms wide as he ran straight to your bed. He climbed up immediately and hugged you. You internally winced from the pain that came with moving, but didn’t want to do or say anything that would make him pull away. After he was satisfied with the hug, he didn’t pull away, he instead chose to stay in your lap and snuggle into you as you relaxed against the pillows. It was clear he hadn’t been sleeping well, just like his father.

His head laid on your shoulder, and he whispered a soft, “Missed you, mom. Glad you’re okay.”. Your eyes began to water, you had both of your boys here and you were awake. You held Henry tightly against you, and he relaxed in your hold as he let his eyes flutter closed. While you pressed a gentle kiss to his head, Ted pulled his phone out and snapped a quick picture. Once he returned it to your pocket, he sat on the other side of you and pulled you both in close for a big hug. You made small talk with Roy as Henry fell asleep against you, and he informed you that Keeley would be stopping by tomorrow. 

When visiting hours were over, it took everything in you to wake Henry up and send him home with Roy. As much as you wished he could stay with you, you knew the pull out couch was uncomfortable and he’d have a much better weekend with his favorite aunt and uncle. He stirred softly in your arms as you whispered his name, “It’s time to go home, lovebug. You’re gonna go back home with Uncle Roy”.

He nuzzled back into you, “Don’t wanna”

His stubbornness made you chuckle, “I know, Hen. But phoebe is so excited to see you, and your dad and I will pick you up the second we leave okay? It should only be another couple days.”

He sadly nodded against you before getting up and going to hug his dad. Ted held him tightly, and reluctantly sent him back home with Roy, but he didn’t leave without giving you another hug and warning you to “Not get hurt again”.

“Well I definitely don’t plan on it, Henry”, the two of you shared a laugh. That little boy had your whole heart. Once he left, Ted settled in next to you on the bed, and pulled you in for another hug. He took a deep breath and kissed your head. 

“We love you so much, sweetheart. Can’t imagine this life without you.”

You looked up at him with eyes full of tears, “I don’t want you to”.

Finally, he pulled you in for a kiss. Your lips were slightly chapped, but he didn’t care one bit. He wrapped two strong arms around you as you allowed yourself to melt into him. You felt safe in his arms, and wanted nothing more than to be at home with him and Henry. Quietly, you whispered, “Ted?”

He sleepily replied, “What’s up, buttercup?”

“I-”, you took a deep breath, “I want to try for a baby”.

Ted remained silent as he sat up straighter, pulling away to look you in the eyes. The two of you had agreed on trying for a baby at some point, he just wasn’t expecting right now. Not after the dramatic turn the past few days had taken. He would be lying though, if he said watching you hold Henry didn’t make him want an entire team’s worth of kids with you. His mind reeled with thoughts like these often; you pregnant, having another newborn around, Henry getting to be a big brother. There was no doubt in his mind that he didn’t want those things with you.

You weren’t exactly scared by his silence, you guys had this conversation many times before. Though, before it was just to make sure you were both on the same page. Now, it had direct intent behind it. 

“Y/N you are going to make me have a heart attack, and end up in one of these lousy beds.”, you both chuckled, “All I want is to expand our family. I’d love nothin’ more than to do just that.”, his eyes held nothing with love and desire for you as you nodded up at him. 

“Just, anything could’ve happened you know? Life is short, and I know for sure that I want more kids with you. I think Henry would be such an amazing big brother, and I am beyond happy with our marriage, I just don’t want to wait any longer.”

Tears had filled both of your eyes, and Ted cleared his throat. “But-”, you pouted, “After you get better. We need to let your body heal from all this, then we can have all the kids you want.”

There was no point in arguing with him, you knew he was right. “Even if I want 12 more?”

“Well then we’d be needing to talk mascots and team names”, you both laughed as you snuggled back against each other. 

As you fell asleep leaning against him, you knew you’d never take him or Henry for granted ever again. You were so thankful for your boys.

A pang hit your chest as soon as you saw the picture. They all looked so happy. Ted, with his arm around Michelle, who had a beaming Henry in her lap. The sounds of the world went quiet as your thoughts took over.

It’s not like this was a normal occurrence. Lately, the weather had just been so cold and gloomy. Getting out of bed the past few days just seemed harder. Deep down, you knew it would pass, just as it always did. That didn’t make it any easier right now, though.

“Y’ready, sweetheart?”, Ted’s soft voice broke you out of your trance.

The two of you flew to Kansas to bring Henry back to Richmond for the next two weeks. He had a break from school and always loved coming to visit when he could. Every single time, he pulled out all the stops to try and stay later than originally planned.

“Yeah I’m.. I’m good, Ted.”, you knew you didn’t sound convincing.

Ted’s mouth opened, and you knew he wasn’t sold on your response. Before he could speak Henry’s excited voice echoed through the hall.

“I’m ready! Can we go now, please?”, he bounced on the balls of his feet as you and Ted each grabbed one of his bags.

“Yeah, Henry Bug. Let’s go get you in the car. I’ll uh.. You can say your goodbyes and then come join us, Ted.”

You knew if you gave him time he’d tell you once more that he felt nothing for her anymore. Nothing that went past respecting her as a co-parent, and sometimes that took everything in him.

Henry talked your ear off as you helped him get settled in your rental car, but you wouldn’t trade it for the world. He had become like your own son, coming to you with his feelings and problems, calling when something new happened. The boy had stolen your heart just as quickly as his father did.

Ted took more time lingering in the house than you loved to think about. You didn’t say anything as he got in the drivers seat.

It wasn’t until you were in the airport until he mentioned it, which you were thankful for. You didn’t want him bringing it up in front of Henry, as Michelle was a topic you three generally avoided talking about.

“What’s goin’ on?”

Your words seemed stuck in your throat as you tried to speak. You knew there was no point in lying to him.

With a shaky voice you replied, “Do you ever want your old family dynamic back? O-or wish that we had something more similar?”.

“Sweetheart, where on earth is that com in’ from? Did I say somethin’?”, his eyebrows furrowed. His bags dropped to his sides as he stepped forward to bring you into his arms.

“No I just.. I was looking at the picture of you guys in the hallway..”, you noticed the way your hands began to shake and your throat grew tight. “And then when it took you a second to come to the car I just- I don’t know.”

Your eyes began to grow misty as he pulled your head to his chest. “I’ve just been feeling anxious lately. I know it’s stupid for me to even ask you that, I just-“

“It’s not stupid, not one bit. Look, hun. That picture was a very, very long time ago, you know that. So much has changed, and shoot, I’m glad it has. Things are completely different now and that’s somethin’ I wouldn’t trade for anything in the world.”

You nodded as you quickly dabbed at your eyes, hoping you could look somewhat decent before Henry came back.

“And I stayed in so long to ask Michelle about lettin’ Henry stay an extra weekend. I know y’all wanted to go to that Lego store you told him about.”, his eyes were full of love as he looked down at you. While you took a few deep breaths, he softly smoothed a hand over the back of your head. A breathy chuckle left your lips at the thought of taking Henry to the lego store.

“Y/n, M’all yours. Every bit of me, darlin’. There’s not one person or thing on this earth that’s gon’ change that, you hear me?”

Ted’s eyes were locked on yours the whole time. You nodded at him with rosy cheeks. After a second, you saw Henry make his way back to you, and pulled Ted in for a brief hug.

“I love you, Ted. Thank you.”, you whispered in his ear. Before he pulled away you pressed a quick kiss to his cheek.

The smile it brought to your face was enough to melt your heart.

“What about me?”, Henry’s voice came from behind you.

“What about you, hun?”, you turned to look at him.

“Well I want a hug too, please.”, this time you laughed louder as you crouched down to bring him in for a big hug. His small arms wrapped around your neck as you squeezed him tight.

Behind his back you locked eyes with Ted as he stared down at you two.

“Come on you two, let’s get on that plane and finally go home, how ‘bout that?”

Since then, you had taken over dropping off and picking up Henry from school, and the two of you would cook dinner together before watching your favorite movies on the couch. While Ted had set up your baby’s pack-and-play beside your bed, you slept in the guest bedroom to avoid the unnecessary spread of germs. Both Ted and Charlotte had developed fevers, so you’d both decided it would be best to keep your distance until their fevers broke and they were no longer contagious. They weren’t extremely sick, but just enough to feel pretty uncomfortable. It was Charlotte’s first time being sick, so she wasn’t handling it well, but Ted was enjoying the extra time he got to spend with you daughter. 

For most of the day, they had the house to themselves while you were at work and Henry was at school. You couldn’t deny loving all of the cute videos and pictures Ted was sending you, either. He was truly such a wonderful father, and you were both over the moon when Charlotte made her arrival almost a year ago. Ted made sure to follow a strict schedule for her medication to ensure she didn’t have to feel uncomfortable for too long. The pair would eat lunch together, Ted being sure to cook meals that could be easily mashed or pureed for baby girl to enjoy with him. He’d spend hours talking to her, and they’d alternate between watching one of his favorite movies and a couple episodes of her current favorite show. While Ted wasn’t napping with her, and the fatigue from his cold wasn’t too bad, he’d pick up around the house and help prep an easy dinner you and Henry could cook when you came home.  

Each night, he would facetime you and Henry from across the house because Henry refused to go to bed without telling his little sister goodnight. Their shared laughter and babbles made your heart soar. Sleeping in a Ted-less bed felt foreign, and you were glad that tonight you could finally sleep together again without having to worry about getting sick yourself. It had also been way too long since you’d held your baby girl, and it was beginning to make you both grow antsy. Throughout the day, Ted had slowly moved her things back into her room, and had picked up the clutter that had accumulated in your bedroom over the past few days. 

Henry only had a half-day at school today, so he had asked to spend the afternoon with Phoebe at Roy and Keeley’s. On the drive over, he insisted on calling Ted so he could tell you both about his day at school. 

“Dad, Mrs. Adams let us draw on her whiteboard in class today!”

“Wow, buddy! Did’ya draw somethin’ cool?”

“I drew a picture of a soccer field! It looked so cool dad, just like the one at your work!”

Before Ted could reply, Charlotte began loudly babbling over the phone.

“Is that Charlie? Mom, can I turn it to facetime? I want to say hi!”

You affectionately giggled at Henry before telling him how to swap the call over, “You’ve got about five minutes, Hen, we’re almost there.”

Charlotte grew fussy at the sound of your voice over the phone, clearly the time spent apart from you had begun to take its toll on her. She was a major daddy’s girl, and absolutely adored Ted, but it had been too long since she’d gotten to snuggle up to you. The sound of Henry’s voice quickly re-directed her attention, and within seconds she was laughing at her older brother. Her gummy smile had swept you all off your feet. 

The four of you exchanged a quick goodbye as you pulled up to Roy and Keeley’s. Henry gave you a quick hug before sprinting inside, likely looking to play on Roy’s new playstation. 

“Have any new pictures of little miss Charlotte?”, Keeley always went crazy for new pictures of her goddaughter. The two of you stood over your phone, cooing while you swiped through the pictures Ted had sent during their mini quarantine together. 

“Fuck’s sake, he really is such a good dad, isn’t he?”

A proud smile easily found its way to your lips, “The absolute best. We’re all lucky to have Ted. I love him so much.”

Roy let out a light grunt as you and Keeley got sappy, but you could see the ghost of a smile on his lips. 

“Okay, okay. It’s been almost a week since I’ve seen those two, so I’m going to head back home. Henry mentioned spending the night yesterday?”

Roy gave you a single nod, “Yeah, the two knuckleheads want to go see some movie in the morning, so we figured we’d take them.”

“Yeah, babes. We can drop Hen off after the movie, go home to your man!”, Keeley encouraged with a wink. Her wink made you blush as you laughed.

“All right guys, thanks again. Call if you need anything, love you both!”

—------

When you walked through the door, you heard the familiar sounds of Bluey on the TV. Ted must have not heard you, because he continued speaking in his very over-exaggerated australian voice to Charlotte.

To her, this was the funniest thing ever. She let out the cutest laughs and squeals at Ted’s antics. Where she sat on the floor, she had discovered smacking her hands on the carpet would encourage Ted to entertain her more, and the two had a very cute system going. 

“Hello, my loves!”, your voice echoed through the house as you sat your purse down. Charlotte had turned in your direction and was babbling baby nonsense as she began crawling towards you. She could stand when holding herself against a sturdy object but wasn’t quite taking steps yet. Nonetheless, she was a quick crawler, and continued her babbling until you crouched down to pick her up.

Ted watched in awe as you picked up your daughter and sat her on your hip. The vision of you both looking at each other, facial features mirroring each other’s, was enough to make him want to cry. You’d given him a lifetime of love, and the family you’d built together only heightened that feeling. As if the feeling of you loving him for all of his feats wasn’t enough, the way you mothered his children felt like it was the only thing he’d been searching for his entire life. 

Charlotte’s hands reached up to palm at your cheeks as you brought your nose down to brush against hers. Sure, you shared some facial features, but her button nose was a replica of Ted’s. 

“Hi baby girl,” you giggled at her eagerness to see you. 

“Mama, mamama”, she babbled. 

“Good job, baby!”, you bounced her against your hip as you walked over to join Ted on the couch. 

“Can you say dada? Dada?”, you spoke slowly and clearly, an approach that seemed to be working as she slowly built her vocabulary. 

She looked over at Ted with curious eyes, “Da?”

Ted’s eyes lit up at the recognition from his daughter and shuffled close to you both when you sat down on the couch.

“That’s me, sweet pea!”, he leaned forward to press a kiss against her chubby cheek, before pressing one to yours.

“Hi darlin’, we sure missed you an awful lot.”

Before he completely pulled away, you leaned in and planted a warm kiss on his lips. Even though it was only a few days, it felt like it had been years since you felt his lips against yours. As you shared a kiss, Charlotte bounced with her legs in your arms and squealed. You shared a laugh as you pulled away. 

“Da!”, she continued to bounce her legs. 

Ted smoothed a hand over her wispy curls. His hand looked like a giant’s against Charlotte’s small head. 

“Good job, honey!-”

“Da! Dadadada!” 

Ted leaned down to be eye level with her where she sat in your arms, “You gonna keep sayin’ it, huh? S’that your new word?” 

She babbled some more at him, and he pressed quick kisses against her cheeks in a way that made her laugh before pulling away and resting his head on your shoulder. Charlotte settled down in your lap and rested her head on your chest while her hands grabbed tiny fistfuls of your shirt. You held her to you as she nuzzled into your embrace, something you’d both missed during their time in quarantine.

Your head tilted sideways to rest against the top of Ted’s. “Missed you so much, honey. I’m so glad you’re both feeling better.”

Ted had let Charlotte grab onto one of his fingers, a soothing touch as her eyelids grew heavy. 

“Yeah, don’t think either of us could’ve gone much longer without seeing you and Hen. I needed my beautiful wife, baby girl here needed her mama. And we both just miss Henry’s energy and enthusiasm like crazy.”

Even after being married for a while, Ted still took every opportunity to compliment you and remind you of his love. It still made your cheeks blush and your belly do backflips. 

You turned your head to press a kiss to his thick hair, “We missed you guys too. You know, Henry Bug’s becoming so much like you.”

“How so?”

“He’s just such a bright light in every room he’s in. Always wants to help others, has a heart so full of love for everyone, and funny as hell, too.”

Although you couldn’t see it, Ted couldn't hide his proud smile at the mention of your son. 

“You think he’ll be okay? I mean, turnin’ out like me, n’all?”

You sat up a bit to meet Ted’s eyes, “Ted, I think him turning out like you is one of the most delightful things I’ve ever seen. Anyone would be lucky to even be the slightest bit like you, my love.”

Still not used to being doted on, your words turned Ted’s cheeks a dark, crimson red. “Well, he’s had a pretty amazing woman helpin’ raise him too.”. His soft smile made his eyes crinkle, and if it weren't for your now sleeping daughter in your arms, you would’ve leaned over to kiss one of his graying temples. 

“I mean, sure, but we’re talking about you right now, Teddy. You’re an amazing role-model and father to him. Makes me love you even more, seeing the way you’re teaching him to be such a lovely person.”

He brought a warm hand up to softly rub against Charlotte’s back, “We are doin’ a pretty good job, I reckon.”

Your eyes cast downward to admire the features of your daughter, “We’re doing a hell of a good job, Teddy.”

He flashed you a loving smile before leaning in, and planting a longer, softer kiss to your puckered lips. 

In his past marriage, Ted practically lived in fear of being “too much”. Qualities that made you fall in love with him were ones that he used to feel like he had to hide and growing used to letting go of his fears was a slow process. You’d doted on him as soon as you admitted your feelings for each other. He was such a wonderful human, that even a short time of hiding your affection felt like the most difficult task. Whenever you had a moment, you reminded him of your love for him, if not going even further by expressing your admiration towards him as a person, partner, and father. The progress he’d made was something you were both proud of. 

Even when you did try complimenting him, he would always be so quick to turn it on you. He loved you too, and wanted you to know that, but you were helping him learn that sometimes things could just be about him. Nights where you focused on him and his pleasure, compliments directed explicitly towards him, little gestures to brighten his day without expecting something back. You loved him without any conditions, or hesitations. You loved every part of him, too, and at first that was a tough act for him to swallow.

It was almost as if he’d become comfortable with the idea of being “too much”, because it was easier to predict how things would end, and at first, he thought it would help save him from some sort of heartbreak. You’d been very stern when explaining to him that he would never be “too much”, but your unwavering determination was comforting to him. He had learned that you loved his optimism and radiated similar energy when you two were together. Falling in love with you felt so easy, it felt like coming home. Ted never would've imagined that when he took a job offer across the world to try and save his failing marriage, that he would eventually feel as if he had come home. 

He’d come home to the woman who loved him for him and couldn’t wipe the smile from her face when she was around him. The woman who laughed at his jokes and fired back with some of her own. The woman who became a mother to Henry and gave him a daughter that fit perfectly into the family they’d built. 

His eyes got misty as he watched you rock your daughter into her afternoon nap. With the time you spent apart, you had no plans to put her in her room, you fully intended on her napping against your chest where you could press the occasional kiss to her soft hair. Ted turned to lean his side into the couch, where he could more comfortably rest his head closer to yours. 

“Thank you, Y/N.”

“For what, honey?”

“Just- for everything. For lovin’ me, for our family, for lovin’ Henry and Charlotte. You’re the love of my life, darlin’. You have every piece of me.”

“Ted. I just try to give you the love that you absolutely deserve. Have always deserved.”, he nodded along with you.

A comfortable silence fell across you both as you watched your daughter sleep. 

“Henry’s gonna be so excited to see her when he gets home tomorrow. Seriously, Ted, he has missed Charlie bug so damn much. I definitely didn’t think they’d like each other this much right now, but oh my god I love it.”

“He’s the best big brother. Never gonna have to worry about protectin’ this one when she gets older, huh?”, he smoothed a hand over her head again.

“Nope”, you chuckled softly, “Hen’s got that covered.”

Ted swapped Bluey out for a comedy while you relaxed together on the couch. He’d nodded off against your shoulder as well, and you felt at ease surrounded by your family. Minus Henry, but you knew he was having a blast at Roy and Keeley’s. As your husband and daughter slept, she kept one of his fingers in her hand, holding onto it tightly, even in her sleep.