For Fiona

41. Lucky

It had happened a number of times, so Tim knew what was occurring even before he was fully awake or his eyes had opened. He felt a pair of warm thighs bracketing his, a familiar soft body pressed to his, and lips lightly traveling all over his face and neck. "Lucy," he rumbled with the beginning of a smile.

"Babe," she rasped roughly as his fingers found her spine and danced along it.

"Someone's in a good mood," he noted.

As she hummed in confirmation, her tongue darted out to lick at the spot behind his ear that always elicited a sound out of him.

"The door isn't locked," he reminded her.

"I'll go lock it."

"What if-" Before he could even finish his question, Lucy leapt off the bed, ran to the door, and twisted the lock.

"It's early. Fiona won't be awake for a while, and Fiona doesn't run in needing hugs from us that often anymore now that Fiona's more adjusted. Fiona. Our daughter." She climbed onto him with ease and grinned. "Officially. Because we got approved to adopt her." She had to say it aloud to really digest the news.

"Our girl really is ours officially." Tim could hardly believe that the stars were aligning for him; good things had rarely ever happened to him until he met Lucy, then she brought him unimaginable good luck. Only she could be the reason he survived countless close calls. Only she could be the one to brighten his otherwise gloomy days. Only she could provide the kind of support that truly propped him up when he was close to falling. And only she could give him the family he always wanted in an instant.

She knew she sounded like a love struck teenager giggling into his mouth as she tried to kiss him, but it was impossible to stop. "I love you so much," she mumbled happily against his bottom lip before sucking on it. It reminded her of when she walked into her apartment and spun and twirled in celebration when she realized Tim had feelings for her. She had unlocked what seemed to be the deepest, largest secret of the universe on their wedding day, and Lucy was certain she would never feel so giddy again. Little did she know back then that in a few months, she would be completely naked in bed with him sharing soft smiles between kisses as they celebrated the adoption of their daughter; that was a whole other level of utter glee.

"Love you, too," he tried to say as her lips kept sliding over his.

As she interlaced their fingers and her cheeks pinked up, she had to tell him, "I like hearing you say that."

"Say what?"

"That you love me."

"I've said it a million times by now."

"Doesn't matter. I never want you to stop saying it." She took in the expression on his face that was so fond. He had looked at her like that for years, and she never realized what it meant. "We weren't honest with each other for a while, were we?"

"What do you mean?"

"I liked you before the first time we kissed."

"Yeah, I saw the box." He was aware of the small tokens of their history she had been squirreling away for years that she only brought out and presented to Rachel to corroborate the authenticity of their relationship.

"But I never told you, and yeah, sometimes I think it's because I was dating Chris and you were dating Ashley, but sometimes I know I was just too scared to say it, and I think you were, too."

He swallowed. "It wasn't a good idea."

She watched his Adam's apple bob, clearly holding back from saying more, but she suspected what thoughts were racing around in his mind. "I loved you before Fiona came into the picture, and I think you could've fallen for me even if a kid didn't bring us together. And yeah, we work together and we're best friends, so there was always going to be a risk, but the higher the risk, the higher the reward, right?"