Group Effort

Fitz stepped out of the shower and reached for the mint green towel he had left on the nearby counter. Holding the towel against his wet skin, his large hands began drying off his body. He started with his face, shoulders and arms before making his way down on autopilot like he had done a million times before. Once he was finished, he wrapped the damp towel snugly around his hips and pulled a corner tight against his skin, tucking it against his left hip.

He swiped a hand across the fogged up glass of the mirror over the sink at his eye level and looked at his reflection. The mirror was still foggy and now his face was slightly distorted from his attempt to wipe it clear, so he opened the bathroom door to help get rid of the moisture in the air. He raked his hands through his wet hair and leaned closer towards his clearing image. There were a lot more grays in his hair these days. A few more lines at the edges of his eyes too.

He mentally shrugged, not caring about either one. He was happy and living his best life with his wife of thirty six, no! Thirty seven years. They had three amazing grown up kids, and seven grandkids – with one more on the way. The fact that his well lived life showed on his face and hair was just proof for other people to see.

"Alexa, play Bad To The Bone" he commanded with a grin.

She rattled off the information about the song and then the familiar music began to play throughout the house.

Grabbing his toothbrush and the toothpaste, Fitz started bobbing his head side to side, keeping time with the old beat as he brushed his teeth. Once he was finished, his hips swiveled and he started dancing like no one was watching. It wasn't hard to do because no one was, in fact, watching. He was home alone just like he had planned. A proud grin covered his face in the now completely clear mirror as he reveled in his own cleverness.

It had been a hot minute since he had been on a dance floor, but the bathroom was proving to be just as effective. He glanced up at the ceiling and wondered how hard it would be to install a mirror ball up there? After deciding Liv would most likely kill him, the idea quickly evaporated. Besides, he had more important things on his mind today.

It was the Friday before Mother's Day and he had the perfect idea for a gift for his wife.

Olivia had lots of photos hung up or displayed all throughout the house. Pictures of the two of them, of their three kids, of the grandkids, of their old neighbors Charles and Angie, of Abby and Stephen, and of Yvonne and Jayson. Hell, there were pictures everywhere!

But her favorite picture of all was hanging up in the living room. It was a photo Olivia had taken with a real camera of all three kids soon after the twins had been born. It had been the beginning of her photography phase. Link was sitting on the floor in the living room wearing blue shorts and a gray t shirt smiling while Carter and Kate slept side by side, wearing nothing, in a box with their heads together as their folded arms leaned on the edge of it. It was one of the cutest things Fitz had ever seen and he was proud of her for capturing such a wholesome moment of the three of them.

Fitz wanted to put his own spin on the photo by getting his kids to recreate it as adults.

He had called Lincoln with the idea two weeks ago. "Hello?"

"Hey, dad! How are you doin'?"

"Doing fine." A loud sound could be heard through the phone line. "What the hell was that?!"

"The girls are fighting about clothes. Why didn't anyone tell me that girls are so mean to each other?"

"Don't be talking about my perfect girls like that or I'll have to come over there and kick your ass, sonny." Fitz pulled the phone away from his ear and scowled at it. Did he just call his kid sonny? Like his own father called him and Thad? What the hell was that all about? He put the phone back to his ear.

"Perfect girls? Okay, dad! If Carter and I got into it, we beat the shit out of each other and moved on. These two never let anything go. Jesus. I don't know how Anna stays in this house all day every day."

"Knock it off. NOW!" Lincoln demanded loudly.

"It's much quieter over here. Your mother went to the grocery store. You should come over and hide out." Fitz joked.

"You're home alone?"

"Yup."

"You're gonna be okay, dad."

"What?" Fitz asked on a chuckle.

"Just breathe."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Fitz scoffed.

"She'll be back soon." The younger Grant male said in a soothing tone.

"Link?"

"I promise." he encouraged. "It won't be long. Just breathe."

"Lincoln!"

Link chuckled at his own humor. "You two are practically joined at the hip. Aren't you feeling some kind of...I dunno, separation anxiety or something? I'm sure there's a hotline for that."

"You jealous?"

"Not even a little bit, old man."

"When you're done being mean, like you claim your daughters are, I'll tell you why I'm calling."

"What's going on?"

"I have an idea for a Mother's Day gift for your mom."

"Oh shit." he muttered. "And you called me first huh?"

"What does that mean exactly?"

"Just answer the question!"

"I did call you first. Why is that such a big deal?"

"Because you think if you get me on your side, and then Carter..."

Damn, this kid was good, Fitz thought!

"...Kate won't be able to shoot it down. Am I right?" He already knew from his father's silence and previous experience that he was.

"No, smartass. I called you first because you are the oldest and I..."

"Bullshit!"

"I wanted to know your thoughts first."

"You crack my ass up, dad. You don't give a flying fart in space about my thoughts on your Mother's Day gift." Link said, laughing. The laughter stopped abruptly. "It involves me, doesn't it? I'll bet it involves all three of us."

"You know what? Never mind."

"Okay." Lincoln knew his father was dying to tell him what his plan was. He also knew the more uninterested he acted, the more the old man would die to spill it.

"I'll just come up with something else."

"Alright."

Fitz went quiet on the line. Why was his kid making this so hard? After briefly wondering if he had been swapped with another baby at the hospital, Fitz decided to come clean. "Fine. It involves you and your brother and sister. It's a picture."

"A picture? It's a no for me, dad."

"Listen to me very carefully, Link. You might act like your mother most of the time, but you have enough of me in you that you will like this idea. Carter and Kate are gonna hate it."

That last part was enough to pique his interest. Still, he acted like it was a stupid idea. "Oh yea? What is it?"

Fitz mouthed the words 'got him' to himself with a superior smirk. "Never mind. I should have remembered how much you hate having your picture taken. I'll come up with a plan B."

"Dad, you're not fooling anyone. We both know that you want to tell me whatever batshit crazy idea you have come up with for mom. So, let's skip the dumbassery."

"Dumbassery?" Fitz asked on a laugh. "Are writers allowed to make up words whenever the hell they feel like it now?"

"Shut up and tell me your idea that the twins will hate." Lincoln shot back defensively.

"You know that picture your mother has hanging up in the living room of the three of you?"

"You'll have to be more specific, dad. There are literally dozens of pictures of the three of us in there."

"The one she took when Cart and Kate were born."

"Where she shoved them in a box and I asked her if we could mail them to Alaska?"

Fitz laughed loudly, recalling his wife telling him what their oldest son had asked her. "That's the one."

The line went silent for a moment, and then Lincoln practically whispered, "please tell me you want to recreate it."

"You've got more of me in you than I thought."

"Hell yes! This is the best idea you've had in a while! I love it!"

"I'm sending you a copy of the picture. You're gonna have to try to find the same outfit you wore in the photo."

"I'm not wearing some shirt with a friggin giraffe or zebra or something on it." Lincoln protested. "I'm pretty sure they don't make those in adult sizes anyways."

Fitz laughed. "You'd be surprised what you can find on the internet."

"If your next words have anything to do with my mother, please don't say them."

Fitz laughed harder. "Shut up. I don't kiss and tell."

"Yes, you do! It's why my first book was a top ten best seller." Lincoln chuckled. "Oh! This should be easy. Blue shorts, gray shirt. Easy peasy. What about the twins?"

"What about them? They were wearing diapers."

"Kate isn't going to agree to going topless for a Mother's Day gift. Especially now that she's pregnant."

"See, just when I think you're more like me than your mother, you say something stupid like that and I am forced to rethink the idea that you were swapped with another baby at birth. Kate isn't going topless, you idiot. She can wear a shirt that has straps and then she can slide them down over her shoulders so that she looks like she did when she was a newborn in the photo."

"Wouldn't it just be easier to ship them off to Alaska?" Lincoln asked on a chuckle.

"We'd need a huge box."

"We still need a huge box if you plan to cozy them up to each other topless in diapers for mom's gift."

The word sonny was on the tip of his tongue, but Fitz suppressed it. "You're an idiot. Get online and buy your shorts and shirt. And while you're at it, buy your daughters something pretty. I'm gonna call Carteroni and get him on board with this plan before calling your sister. Do not ever say the word topless to her when referencing this idea or I will smack you."

"Fine. Call me back when they say they aren't doing it."

On a sigh, Fitz ended the call and then contacted his other son. He answered on the third ring. "Carteroni! How ya doin' bud?"

"Mom's not home, is she?"

"What makes you say that?" Fitz asked.

"Because you never call me all hyper like that unless you're bored.

"I'm fine." Fitz chuckled. "I have an idea for mom's Mother's Day gift and I wanted to run it by you."

"Why? I don't care what you get her."

"You might this year."

"Whatever it is, I'm not doing it." Carter threatened.

"Carter. Buddy. Come on." Fitz coaxed.

"It's not because I don't want to, but I'm sure once you tell me whatever it is, I won't want to do it on principle, but I don't have time. Between work and family, I don't have the energy for anything else. Just sign my name to the card and I'll give you some money for my part of the gift."

"That's not how Mother's Day works, Cart. You buy your mother your own Mother's Day gift. And I don't care if you're exhausted or busy or whatever else you tell yourself. You will buy your wife and your mother each a gift!"

"You're right." Carter sighed. "I'm sorry. I just want to sleep when it's bedtime, but it's like these kids are allergic to sleep."

"This phase will pass. You were the same way, just so you know. Biggest pain in my ass. But you turned out pretty good. Link said you wouldn't want to do this, by the way."

That fired him up. Carter never backed down from a challenge from his brother. "Oh, did he? Well, whatever it is, I'm in. As long as I'm not doing anything ridiculous."

"I'm sending you a picture. We're gonna recreate it." Once the photo was received, Fitz felt some satisfaction when he heard Carter groan.

"Why did I agree to this dumb idea. Kate and I are going to look like a couple of naked idiots in a box. You can't just buy her flowers?" Carter tried.

"I'm getting flowers too, but I gotta be me, Cart."

"Right. And being you involves making your adult offspring look like dumbasses for your own entertainment?"

"Exactly! See, you get it now because you're a dad."

"Have you run this by Kate yet? She's gonna hate it. Especially since she's pregnant. She's self conscious about her belly."

"No one is gonna see her belly. It's covered by the box." Fitz explained. Why were his kids making this so damned hard after agreeing to it?

"If I were you, I wouldn't say that to her when you pitch her the idea. Mom will get a kick out of it though. I'll do it. Just let me know when you want to do this." Carter yawned.

"Bring the kids over around five and we'll keep them for the night so the two of you can get some sleep tonight."

"Pop Pop is my hero." Carter yawned.

"See you in a few hours. Don't tell any of this to your mother!"

"Got it. Later."

Kate was much trickier than her brothers.

"How's my best girl?" Fitz asked. "And how's my grand baby doing in there?"

"Drop the act, dad. Link already called me. I'm not getting topless for a picture for mom while I'm seven months pregnant. No."

"I'm gonna kick his ass all the way to the hospital and demand a refund." Fitz muttered.

"Yea, that's really gonna make me reconsider."

"Look, you can wear one of those strappy shirt deals. Capris? Cambis?"

"Cami?" She offered.

"Whatever the hell they're called. I literally need twenty minutes of your time." Hell with it. "Your entire body, with the exception of your head and arms will be covered by a box. What exactly is the problem?"

"Why did you call me last?"

"Ohmygod. Are you kidding?"

"Not in the least."

Fitz sighed. "Because the boys like to one up each other. I tell Carter that Link said he'd be too chicken to do something completely safe, and he does it to spite him. You are a rational thinker like your mother. Therefore, you are much harder to convince."

"So, you wanted the boys on board before you asked me."

"Honestly, yes. I would never ask you to do anything that would make you feel uncomfortable. If you don't want to do it, I'll think of something else. I just thought it would be fun and different. That's the honest truth."

Kate couldn't keep up the act any longer. "I'm just giving you a hard time, dad. I think it'll be fun to recreate that photo for mom."

Wait? Did she just agree to it? "Really? You'll do it?"

"Of course. I can't say no to my dad. Especially when you're asking for something for mom. She's gonna think it's funny, not sweet, by the way, but I'll do it. It'll be fun to get together with the boys for an hour or so too. Now that we're all grown up with our own families, we only see each other on holidays. Besides, Link said he'd buy me a massage if I did it. He wants Carter to look like a naked asshole in a box, I think were his exact words."

"Thanks, Kate. I'll babysit whenever you and Richard need a night to yourselves."

"You were going to do that anyways." She joked. "Buying the three of us lunch is a good added incentive."

"Done. Since you're pregnant, you get to choose the place." Fitz promised. "We'll all pick a day that's good for all of us later this week. And we've got to come up with a way to get mom out of the house for a few hours when we take the pictures."

"Easy. Send her out shopping for herself."

"Great idea. That woman can spend days just in the shoe department of a store. I'll tell her it's her gift. It's genius."

"Sounds good, dad. I'll talk to you then. I love you."

"Love you too, Kate. Bye."

As Bad To The Bone died down, Fitz got dressed and glanced at his watch. The kids would be here any minute. The second Liv got in her car and left the driveway, he pulled the box into the living room from behind the house. He set everything up in the living room and then jumped in the shower.

A few minutes later, he heard the voices of his sons.

"It is really weird to walk into this house and not see mom and dad groping each other."

Fitz grinned upstairs as he tied his shoes. He'd done a whole hell of a lot more than grope his wife before he sent her on her way with the credit card that morning.

"At least we never have to wonder if they love each other."

"Hey guys!" Kate said, giving hugs to both brothers. "What are we talking about?"

"Mom and dad's sex life."

"Ohhhh. You know, it's not a trip to mom and dad's house unless we discuss that at least once."

"True, but then you gotta shame them for it too."

"Yea, but mom's not here so..."

"I can't be shamed for loving my wife and thinking she's the hottest woman alive." Fitz said, walking down the stairs.

"But you can be shamed for grabbing our mother's ass in our presence." Lincoln pointed out.

"Yea, that's not cool, dad." Carter said, joining his brother.

"If I didn't grab her ass..." Fitz began.

"Then we wouldn't be here to bitch about it." The three offspring said in unison with eyerolls.

"Exactly!" Fitz slapped his hands together and rubbed them excitedly. "Let's get this done so you won't be home when my gorgeous wife comes home from shopping all excited about what she bought and wants to give me a fashion show."

"TMI dude."

"I do not want to witness that!"

"Eww. Neither do I." Kate agreed. "Let's do this crazy thing."

"I think you would look much cuter in a giraffe shirt, Link."

Lincoln shot his father a dirty look. "You told him about that?"

"You're the big mouth of the family. I was just following your lead."

"I'm assuming Kate said no to going topless?" Carter asked with a chuckle.

"How are we twins when I'm nice and you're an asshole?" Kate asked.

"You two!" Lincoln said, pointing at his siblings. "Get in the box."

"Who died and made you boss?" Kate demanded with a scowl.

"Kiss my ass, Link." Carter replied. "Dad, when you get to the editing part of the picture, you're gonna have to draw on the white strings to Link's shorts. His ginormous gut isn't going to leave any spare string."

Lincoln took three steps towards his brother. "I will kick your ass if you keep talking shit."

Keeping eye contact with his brother and sporting a huge grin, Carter said, "hold me, Kate. I'm scared."

"All of you, shut up. Carter and Kate, get in the box please. I cut out the bottom so you can pull it over your heads. You only need to show your head and arms, so figure out a way to get comfortable but keep the rest of your body hidden. It doesn't matter if you lay down on your belly or..."

"Really dad?" Kate asked with an eyeroll.

"Right. Sorry, Kate. However you can comfortably lay – maybe on your side – I don't know. Whatever works. You won't have to hold the pose for very long. We'll stop so you can break as much as you need."

"Link, sit down beside the box and put your arm on the edge of it." Fitz instructed.

All four of them continued to glance up at the original photo to make sure they were in the right places with the right expressions.

"Try to not look like a dumbass, Link." Carter warned.

"I swear to God, Cart..."

"What the hell is this, dad?" Kate asked touching something on the edge of the box.

Fitz knew what she was talking about before he even looked, but he glanced over anyways. "Oh. Uhhh, it's just...ummm braided hair."

"I'm sorry. Did you say braided hair?"

Lincoln grinned like an idiot. "He did say that. Where does one get something like that, father?"

"All of you, shut the hell up. In the original picture, your mother bought something similar and glued it along the edge of the box so that it wouldn't cut the twin's skin."

"Ohmygod! Mom thought a box would cut our skin." Kate exclaimed.

"You were newborns and it could have, so shut up and cut her some slack!" Lincoln shot back.

"Anyways, I bought this braided hair on the internet from a reputable source. You'll be leaning against it for ten seconds, so drop it please." Fitz instructed Carter and Kate to sit down in the box and lean on their folded arms just like the original picture. "I also bought Kate a headband to wear from there too."

Kate put the headband on while her brothers held still.

Carter leaned his head towards his sister.

"Try to keep your head straight, Kate. And grip the braid with your right hand. Perfect!"

"Carter, why is your head sweaty?" Kate complained.

"Why must that beaded head piece jab into my skull?" Carter shot back.

"Why must the two of you constantly bitch like old ladies?" Lincoln asked. "Life was much quieter before mom and dad had the two of you."

"How would you know, Link? You're not even two years older than us. It's more likely that mom and dad planned to have more kids so you'd have someone to play with while they played grab ass with each other."

"We have already done the grossed out by mom and dad's sex life thing. Shut up so we can get this done."

Lincoln gave a cute boyish smile and tried to ignore the idiots in the box.

"This is so cute you guys!" Fitz told them.

"Ooooh, hang on. This baby does not like the way I'm sitting." Kate moved until she was comfortable and got back into her pose.

"It looks pretty close to an exact replica." Fitz informed them with a grin. He continued snapping pictures with his phone, giving out direction when it was needed.

Ten minutes later, he set his phone down and said, "I think we're done."

"I wanna see what you got." Kate exclaimed.

The four of them crowded around his screen as Fitz scrolled through the photos. There was some good natured teasing and even a few compliments. They all agreed on the best picture, with some back and forth between two possibilities, and the excitement level grew at the thought of their mom seeing the picture.

"I'm going to get it blown up into an eight by ten and I've already found a similar frame as the original too. Your mom is gonna freak out."

"This was one of your better ideas, dad. I have to admit." Carter told him.

"I was skeptical at first, but you made it fun and the picture is great." Kate added.

"Mom is absolutely gonna cry when she sees it." Lincoln said with a chuckle.

"She cries at everything and it's the cutest thing in the world."

"Let's get rid of all the evidence and then I'm taking you all out to lunch."

"I call Outback!" Lincoln shouted excitedly.

"Santa Fe!" Carter said, dismissing his brother's idea.

"Sorry guys. It's lady's choice today." Kate informed them.

"There's a shocker." Carter mumbled.

"Because it's almost Mother's Day, and Kate is going to be a first time mother soon. So, shut the hell up, smartass." Fitz told his son.

"I'm sorry Link, but I really am in the mood for some Mexican food now that I'm thinking about it." Kate looped her arm through her twin brother's and let him lead her to the door.

Two days later, the entire family was gathered at Fitz and Olivia's house to celebrate Mother's Day. Fitz had the photo in the frame all wrapped up in pretty floral paper waiting to be opened by Liv. Him, Link, Carter, and Kate were all supremely excited to watch her face when she finally saw it.

All of the grandkids had each made her something and she was sitting in the middle of the living room floor with them. She took her time opening each small homemade gift and gushed praise on each child for being so thoughtful and creative. After each gift had been opened and hugs had been distributed, Olivia was given gifts by her own children.

She got a coffee mug, a book of poetry, an invitation to write the foreword for Lincoln's next book, a new dress, and flowers from all three of them. Once again, praise and hugs were lavishly given out.

"Liv? I've got a present for you too."

"I'm not your mother." Olivia reminded him with a smile.

"You're the mother of our good looking brats. Besides, I like doing things for you. Here." He handed her a bouquet of red roses in a beautiful vase.

"They are gorgeous. Thank you, babe."

"There's one more thing too." He handed her the wrapped gift and watched as she sat on the sofa and began to open it.

"What is it?" She asked with a grin. When she had all the wrapping paper off, she was looking at the back of a picture frame. She turned it around and gasped when she saw the photo sitting neatly inside. Her head snapped up to the photo on the wall that had been used for inspiration for the gift in her hands. Then it dropped to the one she was holding. She continued to look up and down again and again, noticing the things that were similar and the ones that were different.

"This is amazing! Look at the little headband! And the white strings on Lincoln's shorts. You thought of everything. You guys are still so cute too! I love it. Thank you so much!"

"It was a group effort." Fitz admitted.

"Then we need a group hug." Olivia determined.

The five oldest Grants gathered in a circle and hugged each other in one huge hug. "We love you, mom so we'll pretty much do anything dad's crazy brain comes up with as long as it's for you."

"I love the three of you so so much! Thank you for being amazing kids."

"Hey, why aren't you crying?" Link asked.

"Yea, we all just knew you'd pour on the water works the second you saw the picture."

"Oh, well...you know how it..." Olivia began.

"Something is up." Fitz declared, eyeing his wife suspiciously.

"What do you mean?" Kate asked.

Fitz kept his eyes on his wife. He knew her better than any other person on Earth, and something was going on. He just couldn't put his finger on it. "Spill it, woman."

"I don't know what you..."

"Liv!" Fitz warned.

"Dad! Nothing is up." Carter claimed boldly.

"Stay out of it, Carteroni. Raise your hand if you thought your mother would be crying by now."

Four hands went up in the air. "Like I said, something is up." Fitz crossed his arms in front of his chest and shot his wife a look. "Just tell us whatever it is."

"I don't have any tears today."

"Why is that?"

"Jesus. They can be a bit intense."

"It's just a picture, dad."

Fitz flicked his eyes from child to child as he spoke each word. "Something...is...up!" He locked eyes with his wife and gave her his best smile. "Just tell me. Whatever it is, it's fine."

Olivia warred with herself about coming clean. Ultimately, she gave in. "Fine. I'm not crying because I did it on Friday."

"Friday? What happened on Friday?" Fitz asked.

"Friday is when you all came over here and took the pictures."

"But...how do you know that?" Lincoln asked.

"Because I watched your father take the pictures."

Fitz grinned at his wife, and took her hand.

"But how? You were gone shopping, mom."

"I came back, feeling guilty for going shopping two days before Mother's Day, knowing I'd get gifts from all of you today. I could hear your dad telling about where he found the hair online."

"That was so weird! Even for dad."

Fitz chuckled and kissed his wife's knuckles. "You are my favorite person."

"I thought you all heard me laughing outside like a lunatic. I waited for you to come bust me for spying on you."

"We didn't hear you."

"You just stood out there and watched our private photo shoot like a pervert?"

Fitz cuffed Carter on the back of the head. "I'm the only one who can call your mother a pervert."

Lincoln pointed at their dad. "Nope! Don't start that right now."

"You were watching us make you a gift and you were crying while you watched? Awww, mom." Kate put her arm around her mother's shoulder. "There's nothing to cry about. It's just a picture!"

"It's not just a picture. It's a memory. A memory of when you all were so little, and under one roof together, and needed me for everything. And now you all are parents, or about to become parents. And you were recreating this sweet moment that I love to think about. I wasn't crying. I was bawling."

"We might not be little, or live under the same roof anymore – thank you Jesus! - but we'll always need you, mom." Lincoln started.

"Yea! You are amazing in every way. You're the best advice giver and listener whenever I call whining about this baby being parked on my bladder, or how I feel like I'm going to screw up this motherhood thing." Kate added.

"And never once have any of us ever felt like you didn't love us. We couldn't imagine anyone else being our mother. You're the best mom."

"And the best jamma!"

The group hug had grown when the grandkids joined their parents.

She gave a watery chuckle and wiped her cheek as one lone tear escaped from her eye. "You guys are the best kids and grandkids anyone could ever hope to have. I love you all very much. Thank you for my gifts. I am thankful for each and every one of you."

"Can we have cake now, Jamma?" One of the boys asked. "It's a duck cake, just like you like."

Olivia grinned down and him, crinkled up her nose, and nodded. "Duck cake is my favorite!"

Everyone made their way into the kitchen to cut the cake.

Fitz once again took his wife's hand and gently pulled her against his chest, holding her in a tight hug. A smile crept across his face as her arms came around his body and held him just as tightly. "Happy Mother's Day, Liv."

She pulled back from him and gave him a smile. "Thank you for my picture. For everything really, but mostly for making me a mom to our amazing kids, and making me happy every single day."

"You know, I still have one more gift for you." He said with a certain look in his eye.

"I thought you gave me that gift this morning?" She asked with fake confusion. Her smirk broke through, causing Fitz to chuckle.

His hands slid down and he gave her ass a little squeeze. "Oh, that was just the warm up. The main event is after all these damn brats go home. I found this thing on the internet that I want to try out on you."

"That sounds promising." She teased before leaning closer until their hungry lips connected.

"What the..." Carter said, stopping in his tracks with two slices of cake on a plate for his parents.

"Please no!" Kate said in a disgusted tone.

"Don't you two ever get sick of each other? I mean, damn!" Lincoln demanded.

"Let's go you two. We'll give them five minutes and then we'll send the kids in here to bust this shit up."

Fitz and Olivia's kiss broke with their joint laughter. With a glimmer in his sparkling blue eyes, Fitz said, "I love you, babe."

"I love you more." She said, hugging him close as her fingers played in his curls.

He inhaled the perfume on her skin. The stuff she wore for him. God, he loved her more than anything. "You should know by now that that's not possible. Now let's go get some duck cake."