May 9th, 1985.
Sundays in the Thicknesse household were practically sacred - and not necessarily for religious reasons. Brad was off from work, and Regan was off from work, and it meant that they got to spend some time together with Liam and just enjoy the lazy day. Their mornings often ran well into the afternoon, the crossword puzzle half-solved and a full pot of coffee consumed before either noticed it.
This Sunday, though, was also Brad's birthday, which meant an even lazier day than usual, for Brad's benefit - breakfast in bed (and Liam had made a mess but it was worth it) and an afternoon nap and generally a whole lot of lying around. But it was approaching dinner, and Regan had decided it was time for presents. "Don't you want to open them?" she enticed Brad, balancing Liam on her hip.
Presents by far were not the best part of the day and Brad hadn't even been thinking about it, but... "Sure," he said, and teased, "What'd you get me?"
"Well, Liam got you one thing and Regan got you one thing," she answered, depositing Liam on the bed and kneeling down, pulling three wrapped packages from underneath the bed. "I knew you'd never look here."
"... And you were correct," he answered, letting Liam climb over to him. "Did you help your mummy with those?" he asked.
"Yeah," Liam answered, trying to stand up on the bed and falling face-first down beside his father.
"This one is from Liam," Regan offered, holding out the soft package. "He liked it, so it's yours."
That could be any manner of things. "Yeah? Thanks, kid," Brad spoke to Liam's prone form as he struggled to roll back over in the mountain of blankets.
"Red!" Liam called from within the pile of blankets.
"Red?" he said and tore open the package, and sure enough, a red jumper fell into his lap. "All right! Good choice."
Liam finally fought his way out and made a grab for the jumper. "Dad's red," he confirmed.
"Yeah?" He held it up against him for Liam's appraisal. "What do you think? Is it my color?"
"Red!"
Regan was laughing. "Okay, okay, it's Dad's red jumper. Want to move on?"
Brad threw the jumper over Liam's head. "Yes," he said.
Liam giggled from underneath the fabric. "Night! Night!"
Regan handed Brad the second of the three packages - this one small, and flat - before reaching over to peek under the jumper. "Hey there, mister."
"Mama," he announced, reaching out and grabbing at her hair.
"Hey, careful, he thought it was night," Brad joked, more careful with this package -- really an envelope with a couple of tickets for Zahněte Doprava's show at the beginning of the next month. "Oh sweet!"
"Good seats," she added, nudging him as she picked Liam and kissed the toddler's cheek, dropping the jumper on the bed. "Thought you could take Caellan unless you want to get a sitter."
"No love for Eastern bloc punk rock?" he joked. "All right, all right."
"I'm trying to save money on sitters," she returned. "I went with you once before, they were fun!"
"Yeah, well, we'll see," he said, setting those aside. "Caellan doesn't like to make out during guitar solos, though."
"Mm, no, no he doesn't," she agreed. "I do, though. Quite a bit." She turned away from the bed and put Liam in his playpen that was in the room, leaving him occupied before she turned back to Brad and kissed him soundly. "Guess you'd better take me."
"I guess so," he agreed with a grin and every intention of making out with her during the guitar solos.
"Unless you change your mind," she allowed. "I mean, you haven't opened your last present yet." It was bigger than the envelope, and also appeared soft.
"Why is the last present going to change my mind?" he said, not really expecting an answer.
She dangled it in front of him. "Or you can open it later."
He snatched it away from her, and tore it open right there -- and out fell one of Liam's infant onesies, long outgrown. "I don't think it's going to fit me, love."
"I hope not." Yes, this had been a great plan. "Just think about it for a moment."
He did think about it. Arguably for longer than should have been necessary, but eventually the light bulb went on. "Oh!" he said. "And... now? You are?"
"Think you can handle being Dad to another one?" she asked in return.
"Definitely," he replied, grinning widely.
"Happy birthday," she then offered, leaning over again to give him a quick kiss. "I just found out Friday."
He leaned forward to hold on to the kiss a little longer, and then back. "Brill. That is... oh, that's a stunner."
She sat on the bed beside him. "Me too," she admitted. "I'm ... we're really doing it, having another baby." She reached for Brad's hand.
"Best gift by far," he assured her. "No contest."
She dropped his hand so that she could give him a proper hug, enjoying the feel for a moment. "Should I return those tickets, then?" she jokingly murmured into his shoulder.
"No way. Because now we definitely have to make out in public."
Regan laughed. "You're on," she replied. "Maybe Nana will watch Liam."
"Nana?" Liam echoed from his playpen.
"Not now. Soon." She finally pulled back to look at her husband. "Bad planning, I should've got someone to watch him. Sorry love."
"Children ruining my day. I should get used to that," he remarked dryly.
"He still naps," she reminded him. "And you aren't fooling anyone, Dad."
"No idea what you're on about," he said.
"You love that little guy more than anything," she told him quite plainly. "It's wonderful, and I don't care if you're embarrassed on your birthday."
He grinned and kissed her again. "I love you," he said. "And don't care who knows it."
Regan stayed close. "Better not," she teased gently. "Happy birthday."
"Dad!" Liam said from his playpen, insistent. "Dad! Dad!"
"What, kid?" Brad asked. "What is it?"
"Up," he then requested, looking intently at his parents.
Regan kissed Brad one more time before standing. "Go ahead and grab him," she suggested. "We'll get our time later."
"All right," he said, with a light sigh, but he was just as happy to go pick up his son. "Hey there, Liam," he told him, once he was up in his arms. "How're you, little boy?"
"Dad," he repeated, his arms going around his father's neck to hang on more tightly.
Regan paused near the doorway and watched them for a moment, smiling. "Just wait until you have two to hold at once," she reminded him.
"I have two arms," he said. "I can make it work."
"I know you will. Dad of the year," she added, idly rubbing her stomach. "I can't wait for the new year."
Liam laid his head against his father's chest, closing his eyes; he wanted to be held because it was nicer to sleep that way.
"Oh, I see how it is," he said, but he held on as Liam snuggled in, rubbing his back. "Let's find a place to settle, shall we?"
Liam nodded, already half asleep. "Love Dad," he said through a yawn.
Brad took Liam to sit with him, and kissed his slightly overgrown dark hair. "I love you too, little boy. Love you too."
Regan had plans to maybe start dinner, or do dishes, but instead she took a seat beside Brad and Liam, staying close. "I love you both," she added. "Soon all three of you." She leaned her head against Brad's shoulder.
"Stay right here," Brad said. "There's space."
"Nowhere else I want to be."
"Perfect," he said, his wife curled around him on one side and his son heavy on his chest, asleep.