Work Text:
1.
Lucy is in the kitchen getting Ava and Daisy’s lunches ready for school when Levi runs into the kitchen and grabs onto her legs.
“Hi bubba.” She says to her four year old son. Levi looks up at her with big blue eyes that are so much like Tim’s. In fact, when she looks at Levi she sees a mini Tim. Genny had shown her pictures of Tim when he was Levi’s age and it was amazing how much he looked like his dad.
“Hi honey.” He says sweetly. Lucy furrows her brows at her son. But he just grins up at her, his smile big.
“What did you call me?” She asks bending down to pick him up. He rests his head on her shoulder and snuggles into her. He was always her most cuddly baby.
“Honey.” He answers. “Daddy calls you it all the time.” Lucy glances up the stairs to where she knows Tim is getting the girls ready for school.
“Yeah.” Agrees Lucy. “Daddy does call me honey. But Levi what’s wrong with mommy?” Levi shrugs his shoulders and kicks his legs so he can get down.
“It’s sweet and you always smile.” Levi says. “I like when you smile.” And then he’s running off to upstairs to probably find June.
Lucy sighs remembering when Ava wasn’t calling Tim dad. It was just a phase and Levi was four he was going to repeat whatever he heard. And it was probably a one time thing.
***
“Guess what Levi called me today.” Lucy says to Tim as she crawls into bed. Tim looks at her and then raises his eyebrows.
“What did he call you?” He asks curiously.
“Honey.” She says. “Because you call me it. And I always smile.” Tim scoots closer to her and gives her a small kiss.
“That’s kind of sweet.” He says. She doesn’t say anything, it’s not that she doesn’t think it’s sweet. She just likes when her babies call her mommy or mom or mama.
“I’m sure he will be back to calling you mommy in no time.” Tim mutters.
Lucy nods and Tim kisses her again. And she completely loses her train of thought as his hands travel lower on her body.
***
2.
The next time Levi calls Lucy something other than mom is when she is picking him up from pre-k. June is already next to her but Levi is taking his time so he can say bye to his friends, teachers and toys.
“Levi!” Lucy calls. “Come on bud. We gotta go!” Levi looks over at her and then goes to his cubby and grabs something out of it. He runs over with his dinosaur backpack and hands what he’s holding to Lucy.
It’s a picture and it’s two stick figures one shorter than the other. They are holding hands and there is a giant rainbow in the background.
“It’s for you Luce!” Levi says excitedly. Lucy blinks down at him. Luce. Luce?
When she doesn’t say anything for a few minutes, Levi’s blue eyes fill with tears. “D-do y-you not like it?” He whispers and Lucy’s heart sinks as his lip wobbles.
“No baby.” She says. “I love it.” A fat tear runs down his cheek and Lucy wipes it away.
“It’s just.. why did you call me Luce?” She asks him gently. Levi takes a deep breath and then let’s it out.
“Cause dad does. It’s cute.” Levi says confidently.
Lucy bends down and pulls her son towards her, kissing the top of his head. “But I like when you call me mommy.”
Levi doesn’t say anything he just grabs June’s hand and leads her towards the door. Lucy blows out a breath this was going to be harder than she thought.
***
“Levi called me Luce today.” Lucy tells Tim while he’s making dinner that night. “It was so weird.”
Tim turns to her with a small smile on his face. “Did you ask him why he called you Luce?” He asks her. Lucy blows out a breath and glances over to the living room where all four kids are. Ava is working on homework, Daisy is coloring and the twins are watching TV.
“Because you call me Luce. It’s cute apparently.” She says. Tim huffs out a breath and puts the knife down and comes over to her. He wraps his arms around her waist and pulls her close.
“You are cute.” He says. “And Levi loves you a lot to be calling you those names.”
Lucy smiles up at him and he kisses her. And even after all this time, it sends shivers down her spine.
“Mmm.” Lucy says. She pulls him down to kiss her again. There’s a loud cough behind them and they break apart to see Ava staring at them.
“I’m hungry. Is dinner ready?” She asks. Lucy laughs softly and they both go back to chopping the vegetables.
Levi just loves her that’s all.
***
3.
The next time Levi calls her something other than mom is a few days after he calls her Lucy. They are at the park and Tim is pushing Ava and Daisy on the swings while June slides down the slide.
Levi is running around kicking a soccer ball around. They had been trying a lot of sports for the twins and they had signed them up for soccer this season. She wasn’t sure if Levi was enjoying it or not, but her son was active so it definitely seemed like he was enjoying it.
Levi licks the ball and it goes towards her landing right in front of her. She smiles as Levi comes running up as fast as his little legs could go.
She kicks the ball back to him. And he grins at her. “Thank you sweetheart!” He calls before he’s dashing over down the hill.
Tim looks over at Levi and then at Lucy, he furrows his brows at her and then jogs towards her.
“What’s wrong baby?” He asks sitting down next to her. She leans against him and gives a big sigh.
“He’s not calling me mom.” She says sadly and she loves her son so much. She loves how kind he is and how he loves his sisters. She loves that he’s adventurous, and he’s such a boy and always wants to be moving but he also has a sensitive side to him. He’s his twin sister’s fierce protector.
But she loves when he calls her mama or mommy. His little sweet voice calling up to her, and knowing he trusts her more than anything.
She knows this is just a phase, like Ava’s was but it still hurts a little.
“Oh sweetie.” Tim says kissing the top of her head. “Levi knows you are his mama. He is a mama’s boy after all.”
She nods and Tim kisses her again. “Look I know it can be frustrating but Levi will start calling you mama again.”
She smiles at him and he kisses her gently. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” She says back. “Levi’s so much like you. Smart, brave and sweet.”
“And he loves you.” Says Tim. “Just like I do.”
Lucy nods. That is a good thought
***
Later at home, Lucy hears Tim talking to Levi softly at bedtime. He is in the twins room kneeling next to their son’s bed.
“You love your mama huh?” He asks the boy. Lucy stands in the doorway and watches as her two favorite boys talk.
“I love her so much. I love when she kisses me goodnight and reads me stories and holds my hand. And I know she loves you. I want to be just like you because of her.” Levi says. Tim smiles at their son.
“I know bud. Why aren’t you calling her mama though?” He asks. Levi shrugs his shoulders and plays with his blanket.
“Because when you call her other names. Her face lights up and she smiles. And she should always be happy right dad?” Levi says.
Tim kisses Levi on the forehead and Lucy tries to keep in the sob she’s holding in. God she loves her boys. There’s just something about a son’s love. She knows her daughters love her something fierce and they trust her. Levi’s love is just different. She can’t really explain it.
“Yes buddy. Mama should always be happy.” Tim agrees. He must sense her because he looks over his shoulder at her and smiles. “Always.”
***
4.
The next time Levi calls Lucy something other than mom or mommy is when she’s playing with him outside. He just got some racing cars from Genny and he’s pushing them on the concrete in the backyard.
“Vroom vroom.” He says happily. “Go fast car!” Lucy smiles as Levi pushes the car forward. He looks over at her and smiles big. He pulls the car back and then let’s it go forward it goes and then skids off to the side landing on its side by the grass.
“Can you get that baby?” Levi asks Lucy blinking up at her. She freezes and looks at her son.
“Levi, what did you just call me?” She asks him. Levi blows out a breath and comes closer to her.
“Baby.” He answers honestly. “Because daddy always calls you it. Always. Even when he’s upset and somehow you smile still.”
Lucy smiles at Levi and she loves that he’s noticing all these things that Tim does and says to her but she really wants him to call her mommy again or mama or mom.
“Sweetheart, why don’t you call me mom anymore?” She asks him getting to his eye level. Levi sighs again and comes to sit on her lap. He wraps his little arms around her neck, and then kisses her cheek.
“Because daddy loves you. And you smile whenever you are around him. So I want to make you smile.” Levi says sweetly.
“Oh bubba.” Lucy says hugging her son close to her. “You do make me smile. Every single day, you are the best son a mom could ask for and I’m so glad you are mine.”
Levi smiles and kisses her on the cheek again.
“I just want to see you smile babe.” He says and then he’s jumping off her lap and he goes back to playing with his cars.
She sighs and stands back up and watches her son. She would talk with Tim later.
***
Lucy is quiet as she’s getting ready for bed and Tim notices. She feels his eyes on her as she brushes her teeth and he stops just as she’s going into the bedroom.
“What’s wrong?” He asks. She takes a deep breath. She was ready to tell him but now it just seemed silly. Levi didn’t mean any harm when he called her those other names. In fact he was doing it to make her happy.
“Levi called me baby and babe today.” She says leaning against the door frame. She’s only in Tim’s t-shirt and she puts her foot on the doorframe. Tim blows out a breath and moves closer stepping between her legs.
“He says he calls me that because it makes me smile.” She says.
Tim smiles down at her, “I can say that’s true.” He says.
Lucy huffs out a breath. “I just like when he calls me mommy. It’s special.”
Tim hums sympathetically and kisses on her on the lips. “Baby, no matter what he calls you. You know your are his mama. And he loves you all the same no matter what.”
Lucy smiles a little bit. “What?” Tim asks curiously.
She shrugs. “I do like when you call me baby. Levi is right it makes me smile.” She says. Tim grins and lifts her up carrying her to their bed and laying her down.
“How about I make you smile even more?” He teases her and Lucy groans because even after all these years and four kids. He is still her hot, sexy husband who turns her on with just one touch. And god she loves him.
Thoughts about Levi and him not calling her mom fly out of her head after that.
***
+1
Lucy gets called to Levi and June’s school one Tuesday. Levi is sick and needs to be picked up. So Lucy rushes to the twins pre-k to get them both. (If Levi is sick it’s more than likely June will get sick). She rushes in and sees June comforting her brother who is laid out on a sofa with a cloth covering his forehead. Lucy’s heart breaks as makes her way over to him.
“Hi buddy.” She says quietly and Levi looks up, tears pooling in his blue eyes.
“Mommy.” He says sniffing and holding his arms out for her to pick him up. “Mommy.”
Lucy heart soars and breaks at the same time as she bends down to pick up her son. June attaches herself to her leg as Lucy rocks Levi.
“It’s okay baby.” She soothes. “Mommy is going to take you home and get you all better.” Levi just cries into her shoulder.
“Hey Junie.” She says to her daughter at her leg, “Go gather yours and bubba’s things okay?” June nods and scampers off while Lucy just holds her baby boy. June comes back with their backpacks and Lucy takes Levi’s putting it on one shoulder and then herding June out the door. Lucy puts Levi in his car seat and buckles him in. It’s rare that she does that because Levi usually does it on his own. He’s very independent when it comes to doing stuff like that.
“Mommy. I love you.” Levi whispers. Lucy smiles and kisses his forehead which is warm.
“I love you too baby.” She mutters. “Just rest bud.. we are going home.”
Levi is asleep before she even gets in the car herself. She sighs looking back at him and June is holding his hand next to him. She smiles as she backs out and heads home.
Once at home, Lucy puts Levi to bed and gives him so medicine. He cries when she starts to leave so she climbs into bed with him.
“Mommy you make me feel better.” He mumbles before his eyes flutter shut. Lucy makes a soft noise and kiss him softly on the forehead.
Levi’s love for her makes her feel better too. It’s strong, it’s real and fierce. And Tim is right Levi loves her no matter what he calls her.
But she really likes when he calls her mommy or mom or mama and she really hopes he never stops calling her that.
Because there’s something about a son’s love that is eternal.