"Woo-wee! Woo-wee!"

I woke up to the sound of Izzy's shrill voice outside our door. I started laughing and shook Louis. "You're being paged," I said.

He woke up smiling. "Come here, big guy," he said loudly just as Izzy threw the door open and bounded into the room. Louis leaned over the side of the bed and hoisted the toddler up to sit on his belly.

Izzy started slapping Louis' belly joyfully. Louis grabbed his wrists and pulled him down so he could whisper something into his ear. Then Izzy flopped over on me, grabbing my arms and squeezing them. "Ashen!" He squealed.

"What did you tell him?" I laughed, feeling his chubby little fingers kneading at my skin.

"I told him to tickle you."

I looked at the tiny child with a crazy grin on his face, trying his hardest to tickle me, and I was swept into a bit of a mess of emotions. It was like I could totally picture our my life with Louis, looking just like this. I was still nervous about my ability to mother any child, but it was clear that Louis was a natural with children. However, I felt some sadness and I couldn't decide if it was resentment or regret. I had no memory of this kind of interaction with my parents in their bed. I wasn't allowed in their bedroom and if I woke up in the night with nightmares, my nanny would comfort me. It was Miss June when I was really little. She was Italian and I remember she had a very thick accent, but she was very loving and affectionate with me. She left when I was seven. Then my parents hired Ms. Claire. She was a gray-haired old French woman who was much less friendly than Miss June. She wasn't mean, necessarily, but she was kind of aloof. She didn't engage unless I asked her for something. If I was upset, she would give me the customary "there, there" hug, but not much more than that. She was with us until I was a teenager. So, the women who raised me were no longer in my life.

Izzy was still trying to tickle my arms, giggling as Louis poked at him. Without even thinking, I wrapped my arms around Izzy and squeezed him tightly. I closed my eyes and smiled at the feel of his warm little body enclosed in my arms.

"Having a moment?" Louis asked.

"Yeah," I said, smiling, without opening my eyes.

Carly came to the doorway a moment later and said, "There you are!" And then to us, "I'm so sorry."

"No problem," Louis said. He got up and carried Izzy to his mom. "I suppose you're always up this early," he said to Carly.

"You know it," she laughed. "I hope you don't mind, but I started a pot of coffee. Harry and I have been talking." Her face took on a pink hue as she said that.

"He seems pretty enamored," I commented, swinging my legs out of bed. Louis and I were still quite well covered by our flannels, so neither of us was feeling shy about being in our pajamas.

"He's certainly not what I expected," she said quietly. I waved her over to the sitting room off of my bedroom, and Louis took Izzy out to find out what Mimi was up to.

"Do you think he's a good guy?" She asked.

"Well, from my first impression to now, he certainly seems like a changed man," I said. "I mean, he drove four hours yesterday just to apologize. Now that's a guy who's had a change of heart. And when he first laid eyes on you, it was a classic moment."

"Really?" She asked.

"Like an old Hollywood love story," I said.

She laid back against the couch and said, "It's hard not to get excited about this, but I want to be careful." She sat thinking for a few moments. Finally she said, "But oh my god, he's hot, isn't he?"

"Oddly, yes, I see how attractive he is now that he isn't being a jerk!" I laughed.

"Do you think I can trust him?" Carly asked.

"Yes," I said with conviction in my voice. "I think you can."

Mimi came running in and practically shouted, "Louis wants you!"

I stood up and tickled her tummy just enough to make her giggle. Then I went to find Louis, who was planted on the living room floor with Izzy on his lap and the TV remote in his hand. They were intently watching Spongebob.

"Mimi said you needed me."

He looked up and smiled, saying, "Part of being a kid is watching cartoons in your pajamas. So, this will be another childhood lesson: Saturday morning cartoons."

"Childhood lessons?" Harry asked.

Feeling a little embarrassed, I said, "It's a long story."

However, Louis said, "It's not that long. Your mother was a self-involved bitchy ice queen and never let you have any fun as a child, so we're re-living your childhood now."

Carly look slightly shocked and said, "That's not very nice, Louis."

Harry just looked surprised.

I responded with a laugh and said, "No, he's telling the truth. My childhood sucked." I just shrugged my shoulders. So we all sat and watched cartoons in our pajamas, except Carly and Harry, who had slept in their clothes. Niall was still sound asleep, as far as I could tell.

After about an hour, I got up to get some coffee. I noticed that the snow hadn't let up; if anything, it was coming down even harder.

"Guys!" I called to anyone who was listening. "I hope none of you were planning on getting out today!"

Carly came in, followed by Harry and Louis. The kids were still glued to the TV.

"Whoa," Carly said in a low voice.

"Guess I'm calling in to work. I was supposed to be in at 3:00. I was just thinking about heading home," Harry said.

Louis laughed. "You got that right."

"I think it would be a blast to stay and be snowed in," Carly grinned. Obviously, having Harry here made it all the more enticing. "But I don't have any clothes for my kids, and Izzy doesn't have enough pullups. I might have to walk home if I can't get the car unstuck."

We all made a collective "hmmm" sound and then Harry offered, "I can walk home with you to get what you need. Then you won't have to drag the kids out in this weather."

I flashed Louis a smile, which he returned.

Carly held back a bit, clearly trying not to show how much she liked the idea. "That sounds perfect."

They bundled up quickly, with Louis lending Harry some outdoor clothing since he'd only arrived in a jacket and hat. We walked to the door with them and Louis made a cheeky comment. "Take your time."

Carly turned a bit pink while Harry just shook his head with a small smile.

We checked on the kids who were still happily watching cartoons, and Niall had joined them. So I followed Louis into the kitchen.

"What am I learning to make today?" I asked, grabbing Louis' hand and pulling him towards me.

"What do you want to make?"

"Waffles!" I said.

He thought for a moment and then asked, "I don't think we have a waffle iron."

"Shoot," I said, frowning. "Seems like the perfect breakfast for a snowy morning."

"Pancakes?" He asked.

I agreed that pancakes were a close second. Louis got out a recipe book and I started getting out the ingredients. Soon I was mixing everything in a bowl; that is, until Louis stopped me and pulled me close.

He slipped his hands under my chin and tilted my face towards him. He leaned in and kissed me very gently, but it was strong enough to make my knees feel wobbly.

"What was that for?" I asked.

"Just 'cause I love you," he said simply. "And I'm proud of you."

"For what?" I asked with a small laugh.

"For how much you've grown," he said. "You've come a long way since I first met you. I would expect someone who's gone through some of the things that you've gone through to be bitter and resentful. But you just keep moving forward."

"Thanks," I said shyly. "But let's just say that I'm not completely past it. I mean, this morning when Izzy climbed up in bed with us, I thought it was so cute. But then I realized that I never had that with my parents. I wasn't even allowed to go to them in the night if I was scared. I had to call my nanny. We didn't have Saturday morning cartoons snuggles and we didn't watch Christmas movies together. I feel like everything you and I do together is a reminder of everything I didn't do with my parents. I guess it might stir up a lot of emotion for me."

He slid his arms around my waist and hugged me close. "I know I can't replace what you lost while growing up. I just want you to know what it's supposed to be like. But we can stop with the childhood lessons, if you'd like."

"No," I said, smiling against his chest. "I like it. I just think it might trigger some stuff for me, that's all."

"Okay," he said. Then he stepped back and cradled my face in his hands again. "But just so you know, that won't change the fact that I love you."

We finished the pancakes and served them up to two hungry little children. They made a pretty sticky mess with the syrup, so we stuck them in the bath tub in my bathroom. They acted like it was the most fun they'd ever had in their lives, splashing around and getting us all wet.

I guess the early morning awakening was getting to everyone because after the bath, Izzy started to get cranky and whined for his mommy. I didn't really want to call her just yet, so Louis offered to read a story to him. I did the same with Mimi, laying her down in Louis' bed where Carly had slept the night before. I was barely finished with The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog and she was out like a light.

I pulled the blankets up around her and went to find Louis dozing with Izzy sound asleep on his lap. I grabbed another blanket and tossed it over them. Then I went and filled the tub again for my own bath.

I was gradually accepting that baths were my escape, my guilty pleasure. I foamed up the bubble bath, smiling as I remembered Izzy and Mimi splashing around only an hour earlier.

As I relaxed against the back of the tub, I heard the door creak open. I sat up, startled since I had locked the bedroom door. There stood Louis with a mischievous grin on his face.

"How did you get in?" I asked.

He showed me a bobby pin and stripped off his flannel top.

I laughed. "Add that to your list of talents. You'll come in handy if we ever get locked out of the house."

He pulled down his pajama bottoms and smirked. "Indoor locks are easy to pick. Deadbolts are quite difficult, not that I know from experience." He swiftly pulled down his boxers and slipped into the tub behind me.

"You seem to think that my bath time is your bath time now," I teased.

"I can't resist," he said quietly into my ear. "Being close to you, skin on skin, is all I get for now, so I'm going to take advantage of it when I can."

"Okay," I said, smiling and rubbing my hands lightly along his thighs. Then I realized that we'd left the children sleeping. "Do you think Mimi and Izzy will be all right?"

"I asked Niall to listen for them," he said.

We laid there in the hot water, enjoying the comfort of the water. As much as I was eager for us to move to the next level, being with him like this was enough for the moment. But that contentment quickly changed as I felt his lips ghosting along my shoulder. His hands had been around my waist, but now they drifted upwards, skimming along my wet skin until reached my breasts. He slowly curled his fingers around the, cupping them, kneading them, causing my breathing to become heavy and erratic.

"Louis," I whispered.

His lips tickled my neck as he moved up along my jaw bone, then to my cheek. He removed one hand from my breast and turned my face to his, where he caught my lips in a delicious kiss. I whimpered loudly, so incredibly turned on by his actions.

His other hand migrated slowly downward until it was resting between my legs. My body was twitching and writhing with the sensation of his hands all over me. He began to rub slowly and my heart just about exploded, racing faster than it ever had before. My back arched as he held my lips captive.

His fingers worked small circles into my sensitive skin, making me involuntarily curve my hips so I could meet his actions. "Uhhh, Louis," I whined, almost blinded by the pleasure he was causing. My mind was racing frantically, thinking that this was further than we'd ever gone before. Was he changing his mind about waiting?

My mind was soon scrambled by the intensity of what he was doing. It was all I could focus on in the moment. My whimpers were coming regularly now, and it only vaguely occurred to me to feel embarrassed about them. I moved my hips, wanting to increase the contact as much as possible. His lips left mine as he whispered in my ear, "Let go." He didn't even need to tell me because I was so close. I was going to orgasm in front of him; it was so surreal, yet all too real.

I let out a long, quiet moan as I climaxed against his hand. My breathing was labored for several minutes afterwards. He kissed my cheek tenderly and whispered, "That's my girl."

I kept panting, willing my breathing to return to normal. Finally, I let out a relaxed sigh. Then I giggled a little nervously. "Well, that was new," I said.

"Have you never done that yourself before?" He asked.

"Only a few times," I admitted. "But that was...wow. I can't do that by myself," I said, laughing again, still not quite believing what had just happened.

It was only then that I realized that he had clearly become excited by the activity and he himself hadn't calmed down yet.

"Are you okay?" I asked awkwardly. "I mean, do you want me to do something for you?"

"No, this was about you. I'll be all right."

We finished our bath and got dressed. Strangely, I started feeling more and more confused about Louis' actions. It was so exciting, so erotic, but in an odd way, it only made me want more. Maybe he wanted to take things to a more physical level, but I started thinking that it would be challenging for me to not push it to "all the way".

Mimi was awake, hanging out with Niall in the kitchen as he was preparing a late lunch. He was just listening for the most part, laughing often at her precocious mannerisms. Occasionally, he would try to join the "conversation", but Mimi would tell him that she couldn't understand him and then continue chatting his ear off. Niall was being a good sport about it.

"What are you making?" I asked Niall, trying to give him a chance to speak.

"Homemade macaroni and cheese. Sound all right?"

"Perfect," I said. "Although I'm still full from breakfast, but I'm sure the kids could eat something."

Mimi confirmed my suspicion. "I could eat a horse, saddle and all!" She exclaimed.

Niall and I burst out laughing. Louis came into the kitchen carrying a sleepy-eyed Izzy.

"I didn't want him to sleep too long," he explained. I nodded in agreement. "Can you call Carly and ask how soon they'll be back? I don't want him to get upset again."

"Sure," I said, and I went to my room to grab my phone. I noticed that I had three missed calls, all from Carly, all to inform us that she and Harry had gotten her things from the house, and then they had walked to a nearby coffee shop. She insisted that we call her if the kids needed anything. But for the time being, I was excited to allow her the time to get to know Harry. Plus, it was always good for her to get a break.

I brought Louis up to speed, and then we had lunch. He suggested that we actually decorate the tree after lunch, since we hadn't gotten to it the night before.

The kids came into the living room while Louis got out all of the packages or ornaments and lights. He gave Mimi and Izzy very clear instructions on how to handle the ornaments. I was skeptical, thinking there's no way they would do what he said. But he showed Izzy first how to carefully bring an ornament to the tree and hang it onto a branch. Then he gave one to Izzy to do by himself, and the tiny boy complied, obviously feeling very proud of himself for doing it because he broke into a huge, cheesy grin. Louis gave him a high five, and then Izzy clenched his hands into little fists with excitement. I let him take the reins while I sat there and observed.

I thought back to the awful things I had thought about Louis when I first met him. And now, I couldn't help but be madly in love with him. He was beyond perfect, and I honestly didn't feel like I deserved him. He had fought for this kind of love, and I was happy that he had chosen me. But I still couldn't quite understand why. When he met me, I was a selfish, snobby, entitled brat. He had brought out the best in me, but why did he even bother? I was such a pain in the ass.

Then my mind drifted back to our bath earlier. We hadn't done something so intimate before. I found myself remembering the sensation of his hand bringing me to ecstasy, the feel of his powerful lips on my skin.

And then, for some odd reason, I started to feel a bit angry. I couldn't figure out why. I mulled over my strange reaction for almost all of the tree decorating. Louis eventually noticed my pensiveness and asked, "Aren't you going to help?"

I nodded blankly and stood up, taking an ornament from his hand. This was supposed to be fun, but I was quite confused by my emotions at the moment. Louis loved me. We had done something sexual, with my consent, but I still felt "off" about it and that bothered me. Clearly, I never wanted sex with Richard because I didn't love him. I knew I was in love with Louis and I knew I wanted him.

What the hell was wrong with me?

Louis asked the same question a few moments later, although much more kindly. He said it softly so no one else heard. "Are you okay? It seems like something's bothering you."

I shrugged. "I can't really figure it out. I'll be all right." I kissed his nose and put the final touches on the tree.

I was just wondering what we were going to do to entertain Mimi and Izzy when I heard Carly and Harry returning from their long expedition. I met them by the front door, taking bags from their hands. I couldn't believe that the snow was still piling up.

"I hope you brought clothes for a few days," I laughed. "It looks like it's never going to stop coming down!"

"I brought plenty," Carly smiled. Izzy raced in and squealed to see his mommy.

"He was missing you a little while ago," Louis told her.

"Oh, why didn't you call me?" She asked, looking concerned.

"I got him to fall asleep. And Ashten got Mimi to take a nap as well," Louis explained.

And Louis and I were getting hot and heavy in the bathtub, I added mentally. Damn, it was really hot, wasn't it? Why was I feeling so weird about it?

I blew off my conflicting thoughts for the time being. It was nice to see Carly and Harry so peaceful and relaxed with each other. It was way too early to see if they were really meant to be, but I hoped it would work out, for their sake.

I knew how wonderful it was to be in love and to be loved the way Louis loved me.