Everything I Need

Adrienne looked down at the baby in her arms and smiled. She was her third child and as she looked up at Matt she narrowed her eyes.

“I'm not having anymore children.” She said.

“You're the boss.” Matt said. Adrienne grinned at him.

“You're right baby. I am the boss. Now go tell your mom to bring Dani and Mason back here so they can see their sister.”

“I'll be right back. I love you Adri.” he said and placed a kiss to her forehead and then one to Natalie's. He walked from the room to get their children. Adrienne smiled down at Natalie Rose Sanders and smiled.

“I can marry your daddy now.” she murmured as she cuddled her newborn close. When Matt walked back into the room he looked at her and noticed that there was a tear falling down her face. He wiped it away, saying nothing as he sat Mason on the bed and lifted Dani so she could see her baby sister.

“Mommy, she's pretty.” Dani said seeing her little sister.

“Yep!” Mason said and Matt laughed at his son, making him grin. A moment later their friends started pouring in. Val could only shake her head as she looked at her friends.

----

“Are you excited?” Val asked glancing at Adrienne.

“What do you think?” Adrienne said grinning at her friend. Val just shook her head as Jessica, Chelsea, and Faith walked into the room.

“So, Zack told us to tell you that Matt's pacing like a caged tiger. And it has your son on the verge of tears.” Jessica said looking at Adrienne. She stood, three month old Natalie in her arms. Looking up she sighed.

“Sorry, that's our fault. Natalie got fussy and I needed to feed her. She's almost done with her bottle. Val's gonna take her out to Kim once she's done.”

“Okay. I'll go pass on the message.” and Jessica and Chelsea left the room. Faith grabbed the flowers and passed them out five minutes later while Val was taking the baby to her grandmother. Jessica slipped back into the room and took hers as Val handed the lillies that Adrienne would be carrying down the aisle to her.

“Ready?”

“Uh yeah, this time, I'm not messing up.”

----

“C'mon you two probably want time to yourselves. Leave the kids with us.” Kim Sanders told her son and daughter in law, once the reception was over and they stood, changed and ready to head up to Lake Tahoe for a month.

“Mom, we want to take the kids. Consider it a family vacation. You see them all the time. They're going with us.”

“Matthew, but the two of you just got married...”

“And we had a honeymoon the last time. We were alone then. Mom, we want to take all three of our kids with us. Can't you just respect that?”

“Kim, leave them alone, let them go.” Gary said as Mason reached up to him wanting held. Gary lifted him into his arms. He looked at Mason. “You excited to go with Mommy and Daddy?”

“Yeah!” He said excitedly and glanced at his parents. Matt onlyshook his head.

“Daddy promised we could go swimming in the lake!” Dani exclaimed. Adrienne smiled at her oldest daughter. Matt took her hand and she leaned against her fathers leg.

“You'll...”

“Mom”

“Kim.” Gary and Matt spoke at the same time. She sighed and tossed her hands in the air.

“I was just trying to help.” She muttered and walked away.

“Mommy.” Adrienne looked at Mason.

“Yes sweetie?”

“Is Grandma mad at me?”

“No, she's not. She'll be fine. Are you ready to go? And you Dani?”

“Yes!” The kids exclaimed and Gary helped them get all three kids in the car.

----

Adrienne glanced into the back seat as Matt pulled up to the Cabin that they had rented for the month and shook her head. All three Sanders children were asleep. She sat there watching them and sighed. Matt had gotten out to unlock the cabin and open some windows before they went in. She sighed and got out, gently closing her door. She walked around to the back and lifted it just as Matt rejoined her.

“They still asleep?”

“All three of them.”

“Stay out here with them Adri, I'll go set up Natalie's play pen and put the kids' pillows on the couch. Then we'll take them inside.”

“Alright.”

“I love you Adrienne Sanders.”

“I love you too.” She replied smiling watching him walk away from her. She smiled and glanced at Dani, who was asleep, leaning against the window beside her. “I'm so glad you were Matt's.” Adrienne whispered softly, a tear slipping down her face. She just stood there completely unaware of how much time had passed.

“Adrienne, why are you crying.”

“I'm fine Matt. Just thinking about the kids.”

“You mean Dani?”

“Yeah, what if she...”

“Adri, don't go there again.” and he pulled her into his arms and stood there holding her for a few minutes. He felt her relax in his embrace and looked down at her.

“Let's get our kids inside.” Matt lifted the carrier out of the car and carried Natalie inside, and as Adrienne lay Mason on the couch and went back out to wake Dani, he put Natalie in the play pen, and stood there, watching her sleep in the bassinet. She was so beautiful.

“C'mon Dani, up on the couch, that's it.” He turned when he heard his wife and watched as she covered Dani and Mason with their blankets. She kissed them both on the forehead and he smiled.

“Stay in here with them, I'll get everything.”

“Then I'll unpack.” She said and he nodded. They worked silently, while the kids slept and when they were done, they moved out back, leaving the screen door unlocked and sat on the porch, that over looked the lake. They were secluded here and it was nice. Just the five of them for the month. Sure they'd head into town for a bit to get food or eat out a few times, but this was their time. Matt sat an arm around Adri as they looked out over the water.

“It's so peaceful here.” She murmured.

“It is. I'm glad we brought the kids.”

“I am too. I think we need this. I know your Mom doesn't understand why we wanted to bring them, but I don't think I could leave any of them behind. I'd spend the month worrying about them. Besides, to be honest, coming here woudln't be fun with out them.”

“No, it wouldn't. Dani has talked about nothing but coming up here since we told her and Mason about it.”

“I know. It was too cute. And she had fun shopping for not only her flower girl dress, but the clothes she brought with her. And Mason, the prospect of going on a trip with you had him so excited he's been having trouble going to bed.”

“Well the guys and I were talking about that. Because we know it's hard on the kids when we leave. Most of the kids are old enough to be out there with us for a few days, as long as you ladies are with them. We thought about doing a second bus, so there would be room for everyone and taking you all with us for a week. Obvisously while Dani isn't in school.”

“Mommy? Daddy?” They both turned when they heard Dani speak. Matt stood and walked to the door and opened it for her and she walked out and straight to Adrienne. She plopped down beside her mother and Matt glanced in to see that Natalie and Mason were still very much asleep, before walking over and sitting with two of his girls. Dani moved so she was leaning against him and it made Adri smile.

A few hours later Matt had older two kids sitting at the table with him playing go fish, which while made his wife smile everytime she glanced over while making dinner for them. She couldn't help but love the fact that he loved their children. She finsihed making the homemade pizza she had promised her son and daughter and slipped it in the oven. She washed her hands and moved to get the baby from where she was laying on the blanket playing with some toys. Natalie cooed at her and made her smile. She carried her over to the table and sat, where they watched the other three play cards. Matt looked up when Mason cheered when he won and caught his wife's eyes. The baby was clapping her hands like her older brother and Matt just grinned. The timer went off and Matt stood since she had the baby and got the pizza out of the oven.

“Who wants pizza?” He asked. The other kids looked at one another.

“Me!” they cried together.

“Then clean up the table, and go wash your hands.” And immediately the kids took off after picking up the cards.

----

When Matt woke up the next morning he was alone in bed. He looked around the room and noticed that Adrienne wasn't in the room either. He moved from the bed and pulled on a pair of jeans before wondering from the room. He also noticed that the bassient on the play pen was empty. He found Adrienne sitting at on the window seat staring out the window, Natalie in her arms. She looked so peaceful, and happy, and it made him smile. She turned her head when she realized that he was standing there.

“Morning love.” He said.

“Morning.” She replied and started to move. He took Natalie from her and she stood. “It's beautiful here. Even when it's raining like it is now.”

“Yeah.” He looked down at the child he held and smiled before looking back at his wife. “I don't think we could have picked a better place to be right now.” He shifted so that he held Natalie in one arm and she leaned against him, and he didn't miss the smile that formed on Adrienne's face. They stood there like that for a bit before heading to the kitchen. Adrienne glanced towards the bedroom that the kids were in and smiled, before opening the fridge and pulling out the bottle of juice that was there and grabbing two cups for the kids. A moment later they came running out of the bedroom and into the kitchen.

“How do you do that?”

“Do what?” Adri asked her husband as she walked to the table where the kids had climbed up and sat, and put their juice in front of them before grabbing a box of poptarts.

“Know when they're coming!”

“Because, I'm their mother?” Adri said grinning, Matt just shook his head. Dani looked out the window and sighed.

“Mom, what are we going to do today? It's raining!”

“It's not supposed to rain all day Dani.” Adri said soothing the child before her brother got worked up or her sister started crying.

“It probably will.” She whined as she ate breakfast.

Around noon that day, the sky had cleared up and it was nice enough outside that Dani was standing arms crossed waiting on her brother and father so she could go swimming. Matt walked out and laughed when the child spoke.

“Finally! You took forever Dad!” And she darted out the door, her brother on her heels.

“Don't you dare go anywhere near that water until I get out there!” Matt called after his oldest two and they stopped short and waited for him to kiss their mother and place a kiss to Natalie's forehead.

Adrienne slipped her swimsuit on and changed Natalie before dressing her in a pale purple onsie. Adrienne pulled shorts on over the bottoms of her swimsuit and then a pale blue see through cover up over the top of her body. She was going to sit in the shade with the baby on a blanket while her husband and children played. Matt had taken the stroller down with him, so that if she fell asleep they could put the baby in it.

The blanket was already laid out for her when she got down the spot shaded by a tree. She grinned and sat down, sitting Natalie in front of her, the child immediately reaching for the bag that she sat down, wanting her toys. When she had her hands on them she was content to lean against her mother and play, while Adrienne layon her stomach and read, while she watched the kids and Matt. She ended up setting her book down and laying there watching as he let Dani and Mason tackle him in the water and as their laughter carried up to them, Adrienne knew she was finally, happy.

----

They went boating the second day, Adrienne insisting that she and Natalie were staying behind because she was too little. When in reality she had, had a feeling they'd end up toppling the boat. Which they had. Occasionally they'd both play with the kids out in the water, one of them, usually Adrienne holding Natalie so Matt could play with the other two. Some days Matt would sit up on the blanket watching her play with the kids. They'd have nights where they made blanket and pillow forts in the middle of the living room because Dani and Mason had wanted to. Even spending the night in them with the kids. The fact that Natalie had cried the first time they'd done it, until they managed to find a way to hang a blanket over something so it was a good foot above her playpen, and she was “in the fort” with them.

They had game nights, where they played one of the three board games they'd brought for the kids and they'd had movie nights. And she and Matt once all the kids had fallen asleep, had time to themselves. Nights where they'd take the baby moniter outside and lay on the porch and look at the sky as they cuddled together and talked. Some of their nights, were spent enjoying one another, and some nights, they were too exhausted to do much more than sleep. The one night that there had been a bad thunderstorm, they'd woken up to Dani and Mason crawling into bed with them and Natalie screaming. Matt had gone and gotten her and somehow they'd all managed, even with Natalie being so little sleeping together. Matt had fallen asleep, leaning against the headboard of the bed, Natalie in his arms that night.

The night before they left, they'd cooked out one last time, the kids playing in the yard, and on the tire swing. Adrienne and Matt had told them that they'd bought the house, which had been the plan if the kids had liked it up there, so that they could come back whenever they wanted. Dani had immediately asked if Natalie would be big enough to be in the water with them the next time they came back. And Matt had told her not with out being held, but she'd be able to do more with them. When morning had come the kids didn't complain, and they didn't whine when Matt and Adrienne told them to help carry their things to the SUV.

On the long trip home once the kids had passed out and they'd stopped for the last time Adrienne glanced at the children sleeping and then to Matt and only one thought crossed her mind.

I've got everything I need to be happy.