Andy and Rhysand's family.

*

Andy wakes up Rhysand with kisses on his back.

She's just getting to the top of his tattoo, the line, when he finally stirs with a groan. "Sunshine," he rasps, gripping his pillow.

Andy grins, fingers smoothing down his bare back. "Good morning, baby."

"Stop that," he grunts, head snuggling deeper into the covers.

She purses her lips and leans down again, leaving another kiss downward, fingers pressing on his skin.

"Fucking hell," Rhysand mutters, lifting his head and shifting on his back. His eyes are still half-closed and his hair is a mess. Andy feels her heart kick. "You start that shit you're going to have to finish it."

She laughs and crawls up on the bed, hovering above him, eyes shining with amusement. "We have time," she whispers, leaning down to kiss him on the lips.

Rhysand lazily kisses her back, cold hands going to her waist. "No we don't," he mutters, pulling back. "We have to get ready and cook and pick up our son. It's a big day."

"Just a quick one," Andy murmurs, putting her hands on his shoulders, moving her hips. "Please."

Rhysand's eyebrow raises, watching her. "You're not pregnant again, are you?"

It makes Andy sputter out a loud laugh. "No! I just woke up wanting you, is that so bad?"

"You woke me up horny enough days a week when you were pregnant," he reminds her, mouth curling up, running a hand through his hair. "From your several wet dreams..."

"Shut up," Andy breathes, shaking her head, cupping his cheek to kiss him again. "You loved it," she whispers.

"Mm." Rhysand grips her hipbones with one hand and sits up against the headboard, his other going under her shirt. "What do you say about one more?"

Andy falls onto his shoulder, giggling. "Rhysand!"

"What? I'm serious. It's fine if you wake me up again and ask me, hysterically, if I still love you because I accidentally pushed your leg away while I was asleep."

She grins, shaking her head, and hugs him tight, sighing in contentment. "It was a valid question."

"Mm, sure," he says, snorting. "So? Another one?"

Andy kisses him. "Let's talk about it after today."

"'Kay," he murmurs, burying his head on her shoulder, squeezing her. "Sunshine. D'you think he'll be happy?"

Andy nods without hesitation, running her fingers through his hair. "Yes," she whispers, kissing his head. "He'll be extremely happy."

Little footsteps come running down the hallway. With wide eyes, Rhysand raises his head, hands stilling on her hips. "Why is she awake? It's too early."

Andy chuckles, kisses him one last time, and moves off his lap. "I think she's excited."

The door flies open. "Mommy!" she yells, mouth open, little teeth with spaces showing, arms open, toy elephant hanging on one hand. "Morning!"

"Good morning, baby girl," Andy coos, crawling down the bed to pick her up on her lap. She grins, kissing her cheek. "You're up early."

"Morning!" Rory says again, giggling, fingers reaching out to play with Andy's hair.

Rhysand opens his arms. "You wanna give Daddy a hug, too, princess?"

Andy lets her go, and she jumps on the mattress to Rhysand. "Daddy!"

He captures her in his arms and nuzzles her neck, peppering her with kisses, and Rory giggles loudly.

Andy's heart melts. She watches them, smiling.

"You hungry?" Rhysand asks her with a gentle smile, hands brushing down her hair. "You wanna go get breakfast?"

Rory nods excitedly, grabbing the toy she dropped. "Pancakes, pwease!"

Rhysand laughs. "Okay, sweetheart. Daddy will make you pancakes."

He carries her in his arms down the hall to the kitchen. Rhysand sends Andy a wink, cradling the back of their daughter's head, and disappears down the stairs.

Andy grins. She takes out her phone and stands, pulling up her message window with Sadie. HI good morning!!! how's my little boy? :)

Her friend's chat bubbles appear. Hi, Andy :) He's still asleep with Ethan in his room, they stayed up pretty late playing games last night. Are you picking him up already?

Andy puts on her pants. Not yet! I'll pick him up around lunchtime if that's okay?

Yes, absolutely! is Sadie's reply. take all the time you need, I know it's a big day for him and you guys ;) See you later!

Andy's smile is glued to her face. Thank you so much, Sadie <3 See you!

To her son's phone, she sends: Hi, Jess :) I'll be picking you up around lunch, okay? See you later! <3

She puts a hand on her heart after she sends that. Then, taking a deep breath, she skips down the stairs and joins her husband and daughter for breakfast.

*

Once Rory's ready, with her hair braided (courtesy of Rhysand, who watched YouTube videos and practiced on Andy) and in her little blue dress with a bow, she skips to the couch to put on her favorite cartoon, sipping on her juice box, swinging her legs.

Rhysand's already frying the chicken when Andy's dressed and ready, putting on her shoes. "You sure that's going to be hot when we come home, babe?"

"I'll put it in the warmer if I finish early," he tells her, giving her a glance. "Dean's outside. You good?"

"Yes." She rises on her tiptoes to kiss him quickly, keys swinging in her hand. "I'll text you when I get to Sadie's place."

"Be safe and take care, sunshine."

"Will do!" Andy goes up to her daughter and hugs her quickly. "I'll come back with Jessy, okay, baby girl?"

"Jessy!" Rory cheers, smiling happily.

Andy rubs her nose with hers. "Yes, Jessy. Be a good girl." On her way out the door, she blows them kisses and yells, "Love you!"

She hears them respond back, and Andy gets in the car with a wide smile.

Dean looks at her in the mirror. "To Mrs. Hampton's place, Andy?"

Andy nods, taking a deep breath. "Yes, please. Let's go pick up my son."

*

Jess is eleven years old, but he acts, thinks, and speaks like he's older.

When Andy sees him, her heart grows three times bigger, and she kneels down. "Hi, baby."

"Hello," he says quietly, waving, bringing his little backpack along.

Andy runs her hands down his arms, and reaches out to brush his black hair away from his forehead. "You had fun with Ethan?" she asks gently with a smile.

Jess nods, staring at her.

Andy nods, too, and takes his hand. "Okay. That's good. Let's go home, alright?"

They say their goodbyes to Sadie and Ethan, and Andy takes his backpack and puts it in the trunk after securing his seatbelt. Then, seated next to him, she says, "Home, please, Dean," and messages her husband. on the way home with him!!! <3

Rhysand's reply comes quickly. Can't wait. Take care, love you both so bad.

Andy sends him a heart emoji, and puts down her phone to look at their son.

Jess is looking out the window, hands clasped together, blinking with his eyes wide.

Jess is eleven years old, and he's spent eleven years in an orphanage.

When Andy and Rhysand first met him, he didn't speak. Only politely nodded and waved, and when he was told he was being prospected for adoption, he only blinked, like he knew it wasn't going to last—like the previous ones. Andy's heart shattered at the look on his face, and she vowed to herself and to Rhysand that she would love this boy with all her heart.

When he was adoptively placed in their home after Andy and Rhysand's approved home study, he slept on the floor instead of on the bed because he wasn't used to having a mattress of his own. Rhysand wanted to check up on him, and found him curled up in a ball, not even a blanket thrown on his body. He cried, picked him up as carefully as he could, and tucked him in bed. Andy found her husband sleeping next to Jess's bed the morning after.

Sometimes, Rhysand would sneak out of their bed to talk to him. Read him books, listen to music together.

Jess's first words to her were, "Miss Andy." It's not Mom, or Mommy, but it was a good start.

He was good to Rory, and Rory adored him, and in the six months that Jess had to spend in their home, Andy already loved him like her own son, and Rhysand already loved him—had a special bond with him—like his own son.

He is their son. Starting today.

Andy swallows thickly and says, "You like buttermilk, right? Rhys made buttermilk fried chicken for lunch."

Jess turns his head to look at her, legs swinging. He nods mutely, eyes blinking innocently.

She gives him her best smile. "And we have cake. You like my cakes, right?"

Jess nods slowly again. Then he opens his mouth. "Did I mess up?" he asks in his quiet voice, looking up at her.

Andy's breath catches at his question. "What?"

"There's good food and cake," Jess says, face blank. "And then the next step is to pack my things."

Andy is confused. Furrowing her eyebrows, she tells him, "I don't understand why you'd be packing, Jess."

"Well," he starts, blinking, "when there's good food and cake they send me back."

Oh. Oh no. Oh, no.

Andy catches Dean's worried glance in the rearview mirror, like he knows Andy's about to cry.

But she doesn't, even though she feels her face crumpling, because today is a happy day, damn it, and even though her heart is breaking over his statement, such a normally-said statement, like it's the day he's been expecting and waiting for—Andy just shakes her head and offers out her hand for him to take. "You're not packing, sweetie," she whispers, and her other hand reaches out to stroke his cheek. "There's just good food and cake."

Jess only nods again, fitting his small hand in hers, looking out the window.

God. Andy breathes out quietly, shutting her eyes.

*

"Jessy!" Rory shouts, little legs running up to the front door.

Jess lets go of Andy's hand and puts his bag down before his sister can reach him and accepts her bone-crushing hug, putting his arms around her.

Rhysand looks at Andy, drawing his eyebrows together at the look on her face, like he already knows something happened in the car.

Andy shakes her head silently and gives him a small smile.

Rhysand steps closer to Jess and kneels, smiling at him. "Can I have a hug, too?"

Jess nods once and steps forward to hug him.

Rhysand closes his eyes, rubbing his hand on his back, and exhales heavily.

She'll start crying if she looks longer at Rhysand's face. Andy picks up a giggling Rory and heads to the kitchen. "Okay, boys, let's eat lunch!"

It's a small, happy affair. Rory does all the talking to her brother, telling him about her cartoons and new toys, like she didn't just see him two days ago. Rhysand asks about the games Jess played with his friend, and their boy answers him quietly with a small smile, like he really had fun.

They're glad. It's hard enough for Jess to make friends at school, so when he came knocking on their door a few nights ago, hugging himself and looking down on his feet to ask if he could sleep over at Ethan's, Andy and Rhysand said yes.

Of course, with a couple conditions: he brings a phone with him to text them every once in a while, he calls them if he wants to be picked up even if it's two in the morning, and he has fun.

When Andy brings out the cake, she sees Jess's smile waver.

Rhysand puts away the buttermilk chicken and hands over dessert plates. There's even a small one for Rory—she only gets three spoonfuls, though, because it's too sweet.

Jess eats it silently, and Rory whines for more, but she keeps her mouth shut when Andy gives her a stern look and says, "You won't have any for dinner if you have your three other bites now."

Rhysand grins and ruffles her hair. "Save them for later, princess."

"Fwine," Rory huffs. "May I pwease watch cartoons?"

Andy kisses the top of her head. "Yes, go ahead."

Rory skips back to the living room. Jess puts down his fork and looks at Rhysand and Andy. "I like the school here," he whispers.

"That's good," Andy says with a grin, putting a hand on Rhysand's shoulder. "That's really good, baby. We're glad."

"And I like this place," Jess says. "And Rory. And you, Miss Andy and Mister Rhys," he mutters, looking down. "Can I...can I  please stay? I won't mess up again, I promise."

Fuck. Andy turns her head away.

Rhysand looks at her. "What's he talking about?"

"He thinks we're sending him back," she whispers, bottom lip wobbling.

Her husband blinks. "But we're not. Ever."

"I know, that's what I said!"

Rhysand turns back to Jess and takes his hands, swallowing thickly. "Hey. Hey, Jess, kiddo. Look at me."

The little boy raises his head, eyes wide.

Rhysand inhales shakily and swallows hard. "You're not going back to the orphanage. Okay? You understand?"

He blinks again and nods once.

Rhysand squeezes his fingers. "You're staying here. With us." He lets go of Jess's hand to pull out the envelope under the counter, and slides it over to him. "The Adoption Order was granted to us. See this?" He points to Jess's name in print on the certificate. "You're a Harton now. You're our son."

Andy grips Rhysand's shoulder and watches Jess's face.

The little boy takes an unusual amount of time staring at it. The longer the silence is, the more anxious Andy gets, and her hand slides down to find Rhysand's, and he interlaces their fingers together, thumb rubbing soothingly on her ring.

When Jess finally looks up, he's crying.

It's enough to make Andy cry, too. "Oh, God," she whispers.

Rhysand rounds the counter to pick him up, and their son buries his head on Rhysand's shoulder, whole body shaking. "We love you," Rhysand whispers, hugging him. "We love you so much. You're our kid, okay? You're our son, you're not going anywhere."

Jess nods, sobbing. It's the first time he agrees to being called their son.

*

When they put both Rory and Jess to bed, Rhysand wraps his arms around Andy while she's in a towel, drying her hair, head on her shoulder. "He said he's going to try and call us Mom and Dad," he whispers, lips brushing her skin.

Andy puts down the hairdryer and bows her head. "I'll cry when he does," she whispers.

"You're crying again now. Hey, sunshine." Rhysand turns her around her by the shoulders and tips her chin up with a frown, worried. His thumbs stroke her collarbones, and he asks quietly, "You okay?"

Andy nods, sniffling, and she leans forward to wrap her arms around her husband. "I'm just happy," she murmurs, swallowing thickly. "I'm just...he's my boy, you know? He's our boy, and we have a beautiful little girl, and they're both so lucky to have you as their father."

Rhysand hugs her to him, lips on forehead. He takes a deep breath and murmurs, "I'm going to teach Rory to know when she's on her first date. And then I'm going to kill that first date."

It makes Andy laugh despite her tears, clutching his shirt. Hearing his fast and strong heartbeat. "You're ridiculous."

"I'm scared to death, actually," he whispers admittedly. "I want to be a good father. I want to be the best father Jess could ever ask for," he finally says, squeezing her. "I'm terrified, but having you with me...having you raise our children with me..." Rhysand steps back and takes her hand, turns it over, brings her wrist to his lips, and looks at her. "Thank you for marrying me, sunshine. Thank you for coming back to me, for loving me. Thank you for giving me this family—our family."

Andy's shaking fingers go to his face, and she wants to say there's nothing to thank her for, that she's the one who's grateful, but the look on Rhysand's face tells her that he already knows, so what she whispers is, "You're welcome, my love."

*

rory and jess own my heart i cant