Work Text:
It was still warm in the valley, too warm to be sharing body heat, but Daisy and Billy let themselves lay with sides pressed into each other anyway. Eleven months after reentering each other’s lives, they still couldn’t seem to satisfy their mutual desire to be as close as possible as often as possible. Tonight, her right leg laid over his left while his left arm wrapped around her, cradling her stomach. It was natural. Mindless really. He was trying to work out a melody in his head and she was trying to drift off to sleep and anything they were trying to do was made easier by a simple physical reminder of each other.
Billy’s thumb twitched every few moments, gently dancing over her stomach, as he mentally toyed with his song. Half asleep, the sensation reminded Daisy of how Tommy used to caress her stomach while she was pregnant with Stella. Those early years of their little family had been some of the happiest of Daisy’s life.
Caught up in her subconscious reminiscing, she surprised herself when she spoke, both by what she said and by how serene she sounded saying it: “I used to dream about having babies with you.”
Billy’s head immediately snapped to her. She was still close to sleep. When she felt his gaze and opened her eyes to meet his, she didn’t look sad or forlorn or disappointed. Daisy was content. What she had just admitted was one of a thousand truths that she had made peace with, so much so that she could whisper it to Billy in their bed without thinking, without expecting a response.
But he did respond, a soft smile on his face as he whispered after a moment, “It’s not too late.”
Instinctively, eyes still closed, Daisy chuckled, “What?”
“It’s not too late,” he said again.
She looked at him. “I was serious,” she admitted softly, almost pitifully.
His face turned stoic, “So was I.”
“Billy.”
He smiled back at her, a spark in his eyes.
“Billy.”
“Daisy,” he whispered.
“I’m tired,” she hummed, “Are you tired?”
He sighed softly and inched forward to press a kiss into her forehead, “You can sleep.”
She let her head turn to rest on his shoulder and closed her eyes again. Warm quiet fell over the room as she cuddled closer into him, that hand still resting on her stomach. Billy, breathing in the scent of her and soaking in her warmth, felt himself drift closer to sleep.
“I’m 44,” she declared minutes later, evidently more awake than before and heavily processing his words.
“Mm,” he answered sleepily.
Quiet.
“The girls are 10 and 23.”
“That’s true,” he mused, unconcerned.
“We’re making another record.”
“I know.”
Quiet.
“It would be completely crazy, Billy,” she whispered.
Billy sighed as he shifted himself to better face Daisy, realizing he had planted a seed she couldn’t help but water.
“I know, Daisy, it would be crazy. I know that,” he told her earnestly.
Her eyes were wide, eager to hear his genuine thoughts on the deep-rooted desire she had accidentally admitted to.
“Listen, you don’t have to want this anymore, or now, I mean. It can just be a thing we wish was different. Or, no, just a path we didn’t take. I get it,” Billy sighed softly, “I really do.”
Daisy’s gentle smile looked almost sad now.
“I’m so happy, baby. I have everything I need,” he assured her.
She peered at him, watching the creases in his forehead and the way his mouth hung slightly open, sensing he had more to say.
“But?” She guessed softly, hopefully.
“But,” he sighed as he reached his right hand over to cup her cheek, “But this – our life, together – all of this, it’s a second chance. Most people don’t get this,” his eyes bore into hers as he spoke, “We don’t have to let go of the dreams we have with each other.”
Her gaze was locked into his.
“Our life together is real,” he went on, “It’s here. We can have the things we really want.”
Daisy nodded just slightly, starting to feel the weight of what he was saying.
“I’ll give you what you really want, baby,” Billy told her.
Then her whole body felt like pure honey, warm and sweet and melting into Billy as she kissed him. She didn’t know for sure what she wanted. Her life – their life – was finally easy, it felt right, it looked good. Making such a major change at this point in their lives was certain to explode the contented little routine they had developed. But Daisy remembered how life felt just before her daughter, like a charming old black and white film. And then Stella put the world in technicolor.
“Can you imagine starting over with a newborn again now?” she wondered aloud.
“Daisy,” he breathed.
“Hm?”
“I never got to do the newborn stage,” he said quietly.
Daisy felt her heart sink as the words left his mouth. But immediately she understood what Billy had been trying to say to her moments ago. This was their second chance, they could have the things they really wanted. She got it now. She wanted to give him this too.
“Billy,” she whispered, resting her hand over his on her stomach, “It’s not too late.”
When sleep finally found them, Daisy’s dreams brought her a little girl with Julia’s dimples and Stella’s bright eyes and curly hair all down her back. In Billy’s, he heard the melody he had been searching for.