Keeley beamed at her husband as he walked through the door with a bouquet of flowers. "What are those for?"

"Do I need a reason to spoil you?" he asked, placing them in a vase.

Obviously, he didn't; he did this often. Aaron had become surprisingly sweet.

He held her close for a moment before turning his attention to the babies. Lying side by side on a colorful mat, with soft, dangling toys hanging above, they stared at the toys, enraptured.

"They seem to like this thing."

"Oh yeah, they've been staring at it for forty minutes. It was a good purchase."

"Speaking of purchases, your package is here."

He handed her a package, which she eagerly ripped open. Inside were books and CDs she had bought online for the babies. The parenting books she'd read emphasized the importance of reading and listening to music to stimulate their brains. Talking to them, the books also suggested, aided language acquisition, so she spent a significant portion of the day talking to them as if they understood. Aaron had already teased her more than once about the baby voice she used.

She couldn't help it! Babies and animals brought it out naturally.

Dinah and Molly, the cats, had been wary of the new family members. Keeley suspected they disliked the crying, but when the babies were quiet, the cats were usually nearby, seeming curious about the tiny humans and their toys.

Violet began to cry, probably needing a diaper change. Keeley was about to attend to her when Aaron intervened.

"I've got it. I haven't seen them all day." He kissed his daughter's face before looking up. "Why don't you start dinner? I'll watch them for a while."

That was easy enough. She gave the flowers a quick sniff, unable to resist, and smiled as she headed to the kitchen to prepare a quick chicken casserole.

She could hear Aaron quietly talking to the babies. His baby voice wasn't as bad as hers, but he definitely had one. What a hypocrite.

Keeley shook her head indulgently. These days, she wasn't sure who was the favorite—her or the twins. Aaron had become a more doting father than she expected, considering his own father's treatment of him.

Perhaps that was why. He might be overcompensating, striving to be the father he wished he'd had. The thought saddened her.

Once the casserole was in the oven and the timer set, she saw him sitting on the floor with both babies, tickling them with a silly grin. Kaleb and Violet brought out the best in him.

No, that wasn't entirely true. So did she. Now that Aaron knew how to love, he loved deeply.

Keeley knelt and hugged him from behind, kissing his neck. "It's nice seeing you be such a good dad."

He stopped tickling Kaleb to smooth her hair. "I'm glad you think so. I have no idea what I'm doing."

The baby made an indignant noise, wanting more tickling. Keeley laughed. "Your son is summoning you."

"Our son," Aaron corrected, resuming his tickling.

She rolled her eyes. He enjoyed saying things like that. She was still amazed by how happy Aaron was simply by having her nearby. It was hard to believe she had that much of an effect on anyone, let alone someone known for being reserved.

Looking at him now, no one could call him emotionless. He was a typical family man, delighting in his wife and children. It was adorable.

Her arms tightened around him, and she hummed contentedly. In moments like this, it was easy to forget their troubles. Right now, they were just a happy, normal family.

Keeley's attraction to her husband intensified as she watched him play with the babies. She was tempted to pull him down and kiss him senseless.

And why not? They were married; no one would stop her. He'd probably be thrilled.

"Hey, Aaron," she whispered.

"Mm?"

She playfully knocked him to the ground, ensuring they wouldn't hit the babies, and pounced on him enthusiastically. He froze momentarily before responding even more passionately than she expected.

It had been a while since Keeley had kissed him like that—probably since the night the twins were conceived. His surprise was understandable.

Aaron tangled his hands in her hair as they kissed, his heartbeat loud enough to mingle with hers. She hadn't felt like this in a long time. She couldn't remember the last time she'd enjoyed kissing him so much.

The casserole timer went off, and she reluctantly pulled away, but he wasn't finished. Aaron continued kissing her neck as she protested. "Dinner is going to burn!"

"So?"

"Aaron," she whined. "I'm hungry."

"So am I, but not for food."

Keeley sighed heavily. He'd been experiencing a dry spell. She should have known this would happen eventually. They were husband and wife; Aaron would expect intimacy.

"Can we wait until the babies are asleep? Please?"

He stared at her, unblinking. "you'll allow it? For real?"

She nodded, avoiding his gaze as her face flushed crimson. She had brought this on herself. "Can you let me up now?"

Aaron immediately released her, and she hurried to the kitchen to retrieve the casserole. Luckily, it hadn't burned.

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