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“Mama,” Ainsley is breathless as she runs directly into Rowena’s knees, clinging to her as Rowena signed her daughter out of nursery school. Rowena dropped a hand to Ainsley’s head, stroking over her red curls before smiling at Ainsley’s teacher.
“Hello, my darling. Did you have a good day?” she asks as she brings the three year old up onto her hip to carry her out of the preschool and towards where Sam waited in the car. Ainsley nodded fervently.
“Mama. Leo has a baby brother!” she tells her excitedly, and Rowena hummed as she spotted where Sam had parked.
“Does he now?” she asked as she opened the backseat and maneuvered Ainsley into her car seat.
“His name is Archie,” Ainsley adds, and Rowena’s nose crinkled in amusement as she buckled Ainsley in. “Hi Daddy!”
“Hey, munchkin,” Sam said, turning to face her and grinning.
“Daddy, my friend Leo is a big brother now,” Ainsley tells him with excitement. “Can I be a big sister?”
Rowena’s eyes slid to Sam’s, both of them freezing for a moment at their daughter’s question.
“Well, that’s kind of up to Mommy and Daddy,” Sam told her hesitantly as Ainsley drummed her feet against the car seat. Rowena slid into the passenger seat, buckling her seat belt.
“Well, I would like a little sister,” she tells them primly, and Rowena smothered her laughter in her fist.
“We’ll get right on that,” Sam says, pulling out of the parking spot and heading towards home, Ainsley humming in the backseat and staring contentedly out the window.
_
“Where is my sister?”
Rowena looks up from the book she’s reading and blinks. Ainsley had been down for a nap last she knew about, curled up under the covers and snoring away- she hadn’t even heard her come down the stairs.
“My love, it’s still naptime,” she tells the toddler, and Ainsley cocked her head sleepily, still clutching her stuffed dog from Dean. Rowena beckoned her over, and her daughter snuggled into her side on the couch, head nestled under Rowena’s chin. She rubbed circles into Ainsley’s back until she fell back to sleep, the toddler sprawled across her body and breathing deeply.
Sam finds her in the same position an hour later- he takes the opportunity to snap a picture while she’s stuck- and gently lifts Ainsley off of her, the toddler murmuring sleepily as she snuggled into her father’s chest. Rowena stretched, yawning herself, and watched with fond eyes as Sam carried Ainsley back upstairs to her room.
When Sam returned, she was in the kitchen, beginning to prepare a salad to go with dinner. Sam’s arms slid around her waist, his face burying itself in her neck, and she hummed softly as she arched it to give him enough room to kiss the junction of her neck and shoulder.
“Ainsley is quite adamant about getting a little sister,” she tells him, and feels his huff of laughter against her skin. “She woke up from her nap to ask me where she was.”
“Hm, she’s persistent,” Sam replied, and kissed the nape of her neck. “Rather like her mother.”
Rowena elbowed him lightly, feeling him grunt in amusement.
_
“Leo’s mommy brought his brother in today!” Ainsley tells her excitedly as they walk to the car after school, her little fingers clasped in Rowena’s. “He is so cute, Mommy!”
“I’m sure he is, my dove,” she says, helping Ainsley into the car and into her car seat. “You were quite cute when you were small.”
She poked Ainsley’s belly, the little girl giggling and squirming away from her.
They stop by Dean and Castiel’s on the way home- it had been a few weeks since they’d seen them, and Ainsley was antsy to see her uncles. She sings under her breath the entire drive, staring happily out the window as Rowena’s fingers curled around Sam’s over the center console.
“Unc’a Dean!!” Ainsley is chanting as Rowena unstrapped her, heaving the little girl out of the car and then setting her free to toddle towards where Dean was walking down the front steps of the cabin, grinning.
“Short stuff!” he calls, swinging the little girl up onto his hip and letting her wrap her arms around his neck. “God you’re growin’ like a weed!”
“I am sooooo big Unc’a Dean,” Ainsley says, and spreads her arm wide to show him. “And I’m gonna be a big sister!”
Dean’s eyebrows shoot to his hairline, and Sam shakes his head behind Ainsley.
“Darling, you want to be a big sister. That’s a very big difference,” Rowena corrects her as they follow Dean inside.
Ainsley pouts, and gives a dramatic sigh.
“Unc’a Dean,” she starts, and Rowena arches an eyebrow as she waited for her daughter to speak. “Wasn’t I cute? When I was little?”
“You’re still cute, kiddo,” Dean tells her, and deposits her directly in Castiel’s lap as they reach the living room. “Here, kid’s causin’ trouble.”
Cas lifted an eyebrow as Ainsley settled in his lap.
“Oh?” he asks, and Ainsley crosses her arms.
“I asked Mommy and Daddy for a baby sister,” she tells her uncle, and the angel fought to keep a straight face.
“And how did that go?” Cas asks, and Ainsley sighs.
“It is taking forever, Unc’a Cas,” she tells him, and Rowena rolled her eyes, settling against Sam on the couch as Dean sank down on the arm of the chair Castiel sat in.
“Patience, babe,” Dean tells her, and ruffles her red curls. “Wanna go play with Miracle outside?”
Ainsley perked up, nodding, and Cas stands, swinging Ainsley up onto his hip and bringing her outside where Miracle was napping in the sun, the dog’s tail wagging happily at Ainsley’s petting.
_
“Samuel,” Rowena turns to him after they’ve settled down to sleep, settling against his chest as his arms wrapped around her in the dark. He hummed, clearly half asleep, and she poked at him until he caught her fingers in his own and squeezed.
“I’m up,” he says, yawning. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong,” she assures him, spreading her fingers out over his chest. “I just…”
She trails off, biting at her lip, and Sam cradles her closer, kissing her head. She takes a breath, and the words explode out of her.
“Ithinkweshouldhaveanotherbaby.”
She takes another breath, heart racing, and feels Sam squeeze her.
“Wanna try that again? But maybe slower?” he asks, and she swallows, propping herself up on his chest to look at his face- cups his cheek in her palm.
“I…think we should have another baby,” she repeats, and watches Sam’s face soften in real time.
“Are you sure?” he asks, and she nods.
They hadn’t even remotely been trying when they’d gotten pregnant with Ainsley, and it had been difficult on Rowena when she’d realized she was pregnant. The idea of choosing to have another baby- walking into the experience together, intentionally, this time- sent a thrill through Rowena she hadn’t expected.
“I love Ainsley,” she whispers, voice thick. Sam’s hand cupped her cheek, thumb stroking over her skin. “And I like having babies with you. I want Ainsley to be a big sister. I want our family to grow.”
Sam smiled at her, small but bright, and she leaned in to seal their lips together, kissing him softly. Sam’s hand wound up in her hair, holding her close as his tongue licked into her mouth, and Rowena moaned softly, thigh hitching up higher on his hip.
“Let’s make a baby, then,” Sam murmurs when they part, and Rowena chuckles as he pressed her down into the mattress.
_
“It’s bedtime, Ainsley,” Rowena called from the top of the stairs- she really didn’t want to climb the stairs to find her daughter, given how long it would take her to get back up them. “Come get in your pajamas, my love.”
Thankfully she hears the pitter patter of tiny feet on hardwood, and then Ainsley’s head appears, beaming up at her.
“Hi Mommy,” she says, and Rowena smiled as Ainsley reached for her hand. “Daddy is asleep on the couch.”
Rowena chuckled and guided Ainsley towards her bedroom, sitting on the edge of her bed and helping her into her pjs before getting her snuggled under the covers.
“Goodnight, sweet girl,” she whispered, and kissed her forehead.
“Goodnight, Mommy,” she said, yawning. “Goodnight baby sister.”
Rowena helped Ainsley’s hand find the spot on her belly where the baby was nudging back, Ainsley grinning sleepily as she snuggled into her pillow. Rowena stroked her hair until the little girl drifted off, breathing evening out, before she heaved herself up around her rounded belly and left her daughter’s door open a crack.
She groans as she descended the stairs, and then smiles to herself when she finds Sam snoring on the couch, an abandoned basketball game playing on the television.
“Samuel,” she murmured, stroking his hair out of his face and running her fingers down his cheek. “My love, I don’t think you want to sleep on the couch.”
Sam groaned, rising to consciousness slowly- he blinked up at her, reflexively smiling at the sight of her.
“Okay?” he asks, and she softens, nodding.
“Ainsley went down easily,” she tells him, and he chuckles, sitting up and stretching his back out as he yawned. Sam stood, hands cupping her belly as he bent to kiss her, and Rowena smiled against his mouth. “I texted Dean and Castiel that they’re on duty this evening.”
Sam frowned, then his eyes widened.
“It’s time?” he asks, and she nodded, laughing against his mouth when he kissed her again. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine, Sam,” she reassures him, touching his face. “They’re about nine minutes apart at the moment. We have time.”
By the time Dean and Castiel arrive a short while later, Rowena’s pacing the living room, panting slightly as she breathed through a contraction. Sam had already grabbed their hospital bag and had the car warming, given it was mid-January and freezing.
“Thanks for coming so quickly,” Sam said, hugging Dean as Castiel set their bag down by the couch before going to check on Rowena. “Ainsley’s sound asleep, and there’s beer in the fridge.”
“You just focus on havin’ that kid,” Dean said, clapping Sam’s shoulder. “We’ll be fine.”
“Well, Ro’s the one doing all the work,” Sam said as Rowena walked over to his side, gripping Castiel’s arm as she took deep breaths. “Ready?”
She nodded and offered Dean a breathless smile. “Ainsley can stay home from school tomorrow, if you’d like. She’ll be too excited.”
Dean chuckled, and kissed Rowena’s cheek.
“We’ll keep her occupied,” he promises, and Sam hefts their bag over his shoulder and gives Rowena his arm to grip as Castiel opened the front door. The walkway is icy, so Rowena grips Sam tightly as they walk to the car- once she was inside, she took another deep breath, head resting back against the seat.
“Ready to have this baby?” Sam asked as he pulled out of the driveway, and Rowena nodded, offering him a smile.
“Let’s go make Ainsley a big sister.”
_
“Mommy!” Ainsley’s voice is a stage whisper, and Rowena grinned from her hospital bed as her daughter was led in by Dean, clutching both his and Castiel’s hands.
“Hello my darling,” she said quietly, and patted the spot beside her on her bed- Castiel lifted Ainsley up, and the little girl happily snugged into her mother’s side as Rowena wrapped her daughter in her arms.
“Is my sister here?” Ainsley asked, nearly trembling in excitement, and Rowena hid her smile in the kiss she pressed to her daughter’s forehead.
“She is,” Rowena told her, and Sam moved from where he’d been by the window to show Ainsley the little, pink-wrapped bundle in his arms. He carefully set the infant in Rowena’s arms and Ainsley crowded closer. “This, my love, is your little sister, Blair.”
Ainsley gasped excitedly and peered at her brand-new little sister’s face.
“She is even cuter than Archie, Mama,” she informs Rowena, who chuckled as she squeezed Ainsley.
“I’m glad you think so,” she says. “I put quite a lot of work into her.”
Ainsley just stares happily at Blair, content in her mother’s arms, while the adults talk quietly above her head. Eventually Blair ends up in Dean’s arms, the older man cradling her carefully to his chest.
“Dean, meet your second niece- Blair Eloise Winchester,” Rowena said as she placed the baby in his arms, smiling softly at how Blair instantly squirmed closer to Dean, making a soft noise. “Enjoy the new baby scent this time around- she’s it.”
Dean chuckled as Castiel adjusted the cap on Blair’s head.
“No more sisters for Ainsley?” he teased, and Ainsley perked up.
“I can have more than one?” she asks, and Rowena snorted.
“Only if your father is the one who carries them,” she tells her, and Ainsley frowned, confused, until Rowena kissed her head. “You just enjoy Blair, dove. You’re going to be a wonderful big sister.”
Ainsley settled back against her, sighing in contentment, and Rowena wrapped her arms around her eldest, snuggling her close.
“I am happy, Mommy,” Ainsley tells her, and Rowena softened.
“So am I,” she whispered, and kissed Ainsley’s cheek. “I’m so lucky to be your mum, sweetheart.”
She barely noticed Sam pulling his phone out until she heard the click of a photo being taken, and she rolled her eyes as she looked at him, nose crinkling.
“This is not a flattering hospital gown, Samuel,” she told him, but there was no bite to her words as he came to cup her jaw and bend down to kiss her tenderly.
“Still unbearably beautiful,” he murmured, and kissed her again. “Love you.”
She squeezed his wrist softly, smiling into his kiss. “And I love you, dearest.”
“Me too,” Ainsley insisted, and Sam laughed, bending to smother her face in kisses, pulling giggles from her.
“Of course we love you,” Sam said, stroking back some of Ainsley’s unruly curls. She grinned, content, and then turned to look at Blair, now content in Castiel’s arms.
“Can Blair sleep with me?” she asks.
“She’ll sleep with us for a bit,” Rowena explains. “Then in the room across from yours, in the new nursery.”
Ainsley pouted, and she chuckled, kissing her head.
“Perhaps when she’s older you two can share a room,” she assured her. Blair began to fuss, and Rowena knew it was time for her eat. “Why don’t you go with your uncles and get something to eat in the cafeteria?”
Castiel eased Blair back into Rowena’s arms as Dean scooped Ainsley up, settling her on his hip.
“We’ll be back,” he says, and Rowena nods, thankful that Ainsley seemed content to be held by her uncle. Once the door had shut behind them, she shrugged the shoulder of her gown down, setting herself up to nurse Blair.
Sam just watched her, a little lovesick, and she looked up at him, face creasing softly in a smile.
“Get your fill in now, Winchester,” she said, voice soft and teasingly affectionate. “Shop’s closed.”
He laughed, and bent until he could find her mouth with his own.
“I think our family’s perfect,” he said, and Rowena nodded, looking down at Blair’s contented little face as she nursed. “You’re perfect, you know.”
Her gaze lifted back up to him, and she shook her head fondly. Love sat in her chest, hot and burning, and she knew that if the her of five years ago could see where she was now, she’d never understand how happy Rowena felt in this moment- how she ever could. But her life was her own, now, and so love-filled she could happily drown in it.
Sam’s arm slid around her shoulders and she settled against him, strong and solid and unwavering- and couldn’t wait to see what came next for their family.