Same script, different cast

The darkest nights produce the brightest stars.

I wake up alone in bed, feeling far too warm and comfortable to move,  glad that Marshall moved us to the bed earlier, romantic floor sex by the fire is great in the moment until you want to sleep and then your bones dig into the hard floor in all the wrong places. 
Marshall will have been have been up before the girls to wish them a merry Christmas when they got up went down for breakfast. I could smell eggs and bacon cooking and that was my cue to get my ass out of bed.
Pulling on some warm, cosy pyjamas I blink looking down at my hand I'm taken aback by the glittering diamond Marshall placed on my finger last night, I'd almost forgotten he asked me, I fiddle with it turning it round my delicate finger hoping I gave him the right answer. Fucking thing is huge!

Suddenly I'm filled with the feeling of missing him and head quickly down to the den,  finding the four of them also in pyjamas, laughing and sat around the Christmas tree. I love it, it's warm, homely, it smells like Christmas, there's Christmas music playing on the TV but I have an overwhelming need to be in his arms, I kiss the girls quickly and head over to Marshall, he's sat cross legged on the floor with his back resting against the couch and he catches me as I collapse across his lap my ass falling between his legs and snuggle into his warm chest

“Happy Christmas baby!” He whispers looking down at me buried against him, my fingers clutching his t shirt, he pulls back looking at me

“What's up Annie?” he kisses the top of my head and tightens his arms around my back and legs as I shake my head and lie that there's nothing wrong because the truth is, I don't know why I feel so clingy right now, I just know I need to be glued to him.

I turn my head and watch, smiling at the girls opening their gifts. This is the calm before the storm, later Nate and his family will arrive as will Kim and her son, I'm friendly with Kim there’s no point in us being enemies, Marshall values her as a friend, they aren't remotely interested in being together again and she's the girls mother so it's in everyone's best interests to get along and actually I do like her.

The girls talk quietly amongst themselves for a few seconds before it looks like Hailie has been made the spokesperson for them.

“Dad, Annie we didn't know what to get you guys this year, but we thought you guys might like this"

Hailie brings me back out of my thoughts as I smile and watch Whitney place a shoebox sized wrapped gift into Marshall's hand that was holding my leg, he's quiet and looking at me

“You wanna open it?” he shakes the box in my direction and I shake my head no, encouraging him to do the honours.
He relinquishes his hold on me and I sit up watching him unwrap our gift, the girls are good present wrappers because it takes Marshall forever to get into the box, when he opens it paperwork falls out and glancing at the girls they look really anxious for some reason, I pick up the paper in my lap and look at it closely, it's a star chart and there's a star circled in the center of it, holding it up to Marshall he nods at it, he looks upset and hides his face in my neck, his chest rises and falls in jerky movements against me and I feel my neck getting wet, he's crying!

Removing the piece of paper from his hands I can see why, I look at the girls who are watching us intently with watery eyes

“We didn't know if the baby was a boy or a girl but we wanted you both to have something you could look at to remember it by, I'm really sorry if we've upset you both"

Hailie sounds sad now and I hate that, glancing down at the piece of paper that holds the co ordinates for the star now named Baby Mathers-Taylor, I clutch it to my chest

“we’re not upset with you guys, it's just unexpected and really touching. Thank you so much this is the best gift, thank you"

I manage to control myself long enough to try and stop them from worrying that we don't like it but suddenly I'm unceremoniously dumped onto the floor from Marshall's lap as he gets up quickly, covering his face with his hand and walks out of the den whispering “Gimme five guys" he touches Whitney's head as he walks out past them.

We carry on the girls understand that Marshall although better these days at expressing his emotions sometimes still needs a moment to gather himself, we sit around talking waiting for him to return

“Is he alright Annie?”

Alaina asks with concern in her voice, I answer that as best I can, It would do them no good at all to learn about the Vicodin and his infidelity, nothing would be gained from them knowing about it

“He's getting there guys!” I smile at the three of them as Marshall comes back in the room, red eyed but clearly with his shit together now, he gathers them all up in a group hug and thanks them, kissing them individually

“That was an amazing idea and I'm lucky to have such thoughtful loving daughters, thank you"

Hailie shows us how to put an app on our phones so we can find our star at night, I clamber back in Marshalls lap as he sits beside me again, my phone ringing, it's Violet.

“Hey Vi, Merry Christmas" I answer the phone, she greets me cheerfully all the way from London she puts on a phoney British accent as she speaks to me reducing me to giggles

“Annie I'm arriving the day before you in Egypt, I'm probably going to crash that day and be bright and bubbly for your arrival, only a week to go Annie. I'm so excited!”

I'm not feeling excited about it right now and I'm not really sure I want to leave his side, I need to be with him and with a heavy heart I tell her

“I'm not coming now Vi, I don't want to" she's silent on the other end of the phone, I know she's going to be angry with me.
Marshall looks at me and then snatches my phone from my hand

“Don't listen to her Violet, she'll see you in a week even if I have to put her on the plane myself" he sounds concerned yet firm and he's talking to me as much as he is her. They chat for a minute or so and he hangs up passing me my phone.

“we’ll talk about that later" he whispers into my ear and then he sets about making us all laugh with stupid accents.
Christmas day passes relatively quickly in a blur of cooking,  eating,  afternoon naps,  cooking again, then games.

Making sure our guests were comfortable in their rooms and finally going to bed,  Marshall locks up the house while I take a quick shower and then climb into bed,  he appears leaning against the door

“I really enjoyed today baby,  thanks for looking after all of us!” he closes the door and takes his clothes off heading naked into our bathroom he leaves the door open and I enjoy my show of Marshall showering,  watching enviously as he washes his dick,  I could join him but I'm absolutely fucked and can't move so I just enjoy the view until he turns off the shower and wraps himself in a fluffy towel

“See something you like Annie?” he asks laughing as he dries off in front of me, I pull the covers up over my head ignoring him but willing him to get I  bed quickly so I can get close to his body again.

He gets in and I move across him burying my face in his neck and smelling him, his arms wrap around me

“Not that I'm complaining Annie, but why the sudden clinging to me today?” my hand snakes up and around the other side of his head turning his face to mine

“Honestly, I don't know" I smile, scratching his beard lightly, he hums into my hand and kisses my palm

“All I know Marshall is that I can't get close enough to you!”

My ring shimmers amongst his cheek “No one noticed my ring baby!” I whisper and he laughs

“Maybe I didn't get you one big enough Annie" He kisses the ring and then my lips, we make out for a little while until we both lie back relaxed and happy “You’re going travelling Annie, I don't want to hear another word about it!” He states firmly and I nod happily nestling into him to go to sleep, it's a perfect ending to a great day.