Mouse went to bed that night knowing that Henry would come to find her, and she was right. He had been gone the entire day, having to spend the entire Saturday at the agency, straightening out the spring and summer schedules, getting the models' shoots and contracts set up. He'd called around dinner time to talk to Leo and apologize about not seeing him all day, and Leo had been almost nonchalant, replying, "That's okay, daddy, I had fun with Mouse, I almost didn't notice you were gone."

Mouse took special care when preparing for bed, shaving her legs and picking underwear that didn't have popped elastic. She thought it ironic that she was getting more action as a live-in nanny than she ever did as a co-ed at a university in one of the most diverse cities in the world.

Henry crawled into bed with her around midnight, laughing softly as he reached for her in the dark, saying, "I've been looking forward to this all day, all day--"

Mouse shivered with anticipation as she leaned to kiss him, her body already tensing with eagerness at the scent of him, at the feel of his firm body within her arms. After a little while she said, "Henry, you're shaking, are you okay?"

She felt him nod in the darkness, his hair brushing against her chest as he moved his hands on her body. His breath made his torso rise and fall, and she felt the warm exhalation on her flesh. "I'm just very happy," he explained, his voice quiet.

"Does this really mean that much to you, then?" she asked, stroking his hair, her fingers making a raspy sound as they scratched against his scalp. She let out a shuddery breath of her own, nodding. "It means a lot to me, too," she whispered against his forehead. She pressed her body into his, as hard as she could, so there was no space between them. Her thighs squeezed his hips, their bellies slid together smoothly, his cheek rested on the curve of a velvety breast, and his hands spread lovingly to touch as much of her skin as possible as they moved together.

He laid her down against his legs so he could see her in the faint light coming through her window, then leaned forward to place a row of kisses along the soft flesh of her stomach, right up to where her breasts were slowly moving in rhythm to their coupling. He touched her beautiful, glistening sex, causing her to tense up and arch away from his legs immediately, twisting the sheets in her fists.

"Ahh, Henry, I'm coming," she moaned, tipping her head, twisting it from side to side. She raised her legs and put her feet on his shoulders, looking so incredible Henry had to close his eyes.

She could feel him at the apex of each thrust, pressing on her insides, making her feel like she was losing her mind from the sensation. When he put his fingers on her, it felt so intensely good it was almost akin to pain. She curled her toes around his shoulders in a kind of grip. "Come with me," she gasped, tightening on him, pulling herself down on him as tightly as she could.

"Okay," he responded, pushing on her harder, faster. He opened his eyes and looked at her, slowly rocking on her back in front of him. "Jesus, you're beautiful," he muttered, reaching out and grasping one of her breasts.

Mouse wrapped her legs around Henry's waist and sat up, digging her fingers into his shoulders as she felt him pulsing deep inside her, his heat and wetness.

They toppled over, still joined, breathing hard, laughing, because they were too happy not to.

"I'm so glad I finally understand why sex is so popular," Mouse said.

"I'm so glad I was able to show you that," Henry replied. "I always wanted to be an educator. Maybe I missed my calling."

"Yes, this would be very popular, you should offer it as a class," Mouse answered.

They took a quick shower in Mouse's bathroom, and got back into bed, still laughing, unable to contain their joy.

"So, Ms. Cameron, what are your plans for after graduation?" Henry asked, stroking her hair.

Mouse looked over at him, trying to see his face and failing.

"Um, I've never actually thought about it," she answered. "Isn't that terrible? I actually considered going to grad school just to avoid that very question."

"You're not that unusual," Henry chuckled. "Lots of kids have no idea what to do after graduation."

"I was thinking about helping my brother at his diner," Mouse contributed. "Or seeing if the animal shelter in my hometown needed help? Or maybe a women's crisis center?" She shrugged. "Not much out there for a liberal arts degree, you know?"

"So, waitress or volunteer," Henry translated. "Both noble pursuits, but not really using your full potential, if I may be so bold, Ms. Cameron."

"You may, but all three require lots of potential," Mouse retorted, not unkindly. "They're just not particularly profitable, that's all."

Henry turned to face her. "Well, would you consider just staying on here, as Leo's nanny, while you do whatever it is you do? At least for the next year?" He tucked some of her hair behind her ear. "Call it a transition year, if you like."

"You mean next year? After I graduate?" Mouse asked. "When Leo starts Kindergarten."

"Yes." Henry scooted even closer as he spoke, and Mouse could tell he'd been thinking about this topic. "It would give you some breathing room, you know? To figure out what you want to do? You could even do the volunteer thing, because you could afford it, you know? While you live here?"

"But would Leo even need me?" Mouse asked doubtfully. "He'll be five, and in real school. Isn't that too old for a nanny?"

"Leo will always need you," Henry responded firmly. "He loves you, as much as he loves me. More, maybe, because you're a woman, and I really believe he's at a point in his life where, at the risk of sounding sexist, he needs a woman's love more."

"Oh, Henry, don't say that," Mouse said. Her voice held gentle reproach. "You're his father, his daddy, the most important person in his life."

"Anyway," Henry continued, unwilling to be distracted. "Think about it, okay?"

"But won't that make our situation weird?" Mouse's voice sounded uncertain.

"How could it be any weirder than it is now?" Henry asked. "It will just be a continuation of the current, weird situation, right?" He chuckled, giving her bottom a squeeze. "Believe me, this isn't the most sordid arrangement I've heard of. There are many unsavory domestic arrangements in this city, for sure."

Mouse wrinkled her nose. "Eww, I don't want to be part of anything unsavory or sordid, Henry Gardener."

"You want me to fire you?" Henry asked. "Because I will. Anything to make you happy, I swear it. Just say the word." He leaned in and kissed her, and she could feel that he was grinning hugely.

"Look, look," he finally said, getting serious. "I don't care what we call it, or how we describe it. I just want things to stay the way they are, with all of us happy, like we are now, that's all, okay? Tell me you'll think about it?"

Mouse nodded. "Okay," she agreed.

They fell asleep shortly after, and Mouse was once again awakened by Leo standing at her bedside. Henry had left in the night, thankfully. Leo hopped in with her, and they watched cartoons for a while, until Henry heard them laughing and knocked on her door.

"Is this a private party, or can anyone join?" he asked, pushing Mouse's door open.

Mouse looked at Leo, who nodded and patted the bed, so Henry came and got in on his son's other side, and the three of them watched SpongeBob. It was one of Mouse's favorite episodes, called Rock-a-bye Bivalve, where SpongeBob and Patrick find a baby scallop and try to be its parents.

After laughing uproariously through most of the episode, Leo looked back and forth. "This is so fun," he declared. "Like a pajama party." He patted Mouse and Henry's legs with his hands. "Sometimes Regina Fishburn at school talks about watching TV in bed with her parents, and I always wanted to." He smiled as he made this confession. "Is that okay? I know Mouse isn't my mommy, but this feels like the same thing."

Henry looked at Mouse over his son's head. "Yeah, son, it's perfectly fine." He patted Leo's head.

"It's fun for me, too, big guy," Mouse assured him, nodding. "Me too, okay?"

"Okay!" Leo agreed, laughing as he fell back into the blankets. "This feels so fun! I wish we could live here!"

"What are you talking about?" Henry asked. "We do live here."

"No, daddy, I mean here, in Mouse's bed," Leo explained, thumping the mattress with his hands. "It's so perfect. It's soft and squishy, like she is, and it smells nice, like her--" he leaned forward to plant his face in her pillow, taking a deep, appreciative sniff. "You know?"

"I agree," Henry said, picking Leo up and rubbing his head against his son's tummy, making him shriek with laughter. "I agree completely."

"Daddy, stop!" Leo begged. I'm gonna wet my pants, and I'm a big boy now, I don't want to!"

Henry finally lowered Leo back to the bed where he lay gasping, trying to catch his breath. "You know what would make it perfect?"

Henry gave Leo a look. "I thought you said it already was perfect!" he said in confusion.

"Except for this one thing," Leo declared, sitting up and looking back and forth between Mouse and Henry.

"And what's that?" Henry asked, lips pursed.

"A doggy." Leo's eyes got huge, eyebrows up, and he covered his mouth after, like he couldn't believe those words had just come out of it.

"A doggy?" Henry repeated. "I don't know, son." He flicked a knowing, amused glance at Mouse over Leo's head. "We'll have to talk about that. You're still awfully little." He raised an eyebrow. "I mean, look, you're the littlest one here."

Leo sighed. "I'll always be the littlest one, though. That's not fair," he muttered.

Henry and Mouse heard his words and laughed.

"Come one, guys, let's go get some breakfast, okay?" Mouse suggested. "I'll even break out the waffle maker, what do you say?"

"Ooh, waffles," Leo echoed, climbing out of bed, the previous topic forgotten, for the moment at least.