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Bruce had insisted you spend Mother's Day at the manor. It had taken several hours of pleading after his persuasive tactics had completely failed with you. You'd only been married for a year, and although his boys had known you for a while, it didn't feel right to be around them that day. It wasn't that you didn't love them—you adored them completely and cared for them as best you could—but you were just like a stepmother, and you never really wanted to pressure them into seeing you that way. You assumed that to them, you were just Bruce's wife and nothing more.
You considered them lights that brightened your days with their antics and pointless arguments. Many times they'd find Alfred and you making them hot tea when they returned from patrols. Other times you were the one helping repair their suits when one tore after a battle, or the one constantly tending to their wounds. You loved taking care of them like your own children, but you could never ask them to see you as a mother. Each of them had their own story, their own parents; they had been through too much, and you felt that taking that place would be disrespectful to their mothers' memory. With Damian, you didn't even dare talk to him when he made a mistake; you were only there for him when he needed you. At least his mother was still here, and—although you got along incredibly well with her—you didn't want to create any misunderstandings.
That's why you didn't want to spend the day at home. You wanted to pretend it was just an ordinary day and go for a drive outside the city, taking a day just for yourself. You didn't want your presence to be seen as indirect pressure for congratulations or anything like that. You knew social media would be flooded with messages about you being the new mom of Brucie Wayne's boys, and since there was nothing you could do about it, you preferred to disappear for a while.
The only problem was Bruce's persistence—and some comments from Alfred—because in the end they managed to convince you to spend the day there. They insisted you'd only have one day as husband and wife when you rejected the idea of any kind of celebration—there was nothing to celebrate, you weren't a mother yet, and you doubted you'd ever have a baby with him.
They had breakfast together in a silence that, for the first time, made you uncomfortable, only commenting on a few things when necessary, waiting patiently before everyone left the table to glance at your husband.
“Do I really need to spend the day here? You saw their faces, Bruce. I don't think it's good that I'm here.” You whispered, your face full of worry. You weren't expecting any congratulations, but you couldn't stand seeing their faces so... neutral when they were usually quite expressive around you.
Your husband whispered your name before placing his hand on yours, gently caressing it before intertwining his fingers with yours. "You may not be their mother, but you are my wife. You have every right to be here, no matter the day. I don't think they're uncomfortable with your presence; it's just... the occasion."
You didn't seem entirely sure of his words, but in the end, you nodded, letting out a low sigh. You wanted the day to pass as quickly as possible. Bruce gave your hand a gentle squeeze before a tiny smile appeared on his lips. "How about you wear that red dress I picked out for you? When you get back, we'll spend the day in the garden. I want you to see the pond I had installed near the weeping willow you love so much."
Heeding his words, you stood up after giving him a quick kiss on the lips, and he soon lost sight of you as soon as you left the dining room. He immediately took out his cell phone to send a message to the family group chat, which you were not included in, warning that you would soon be going out to the garden and that they would have to hurry if they didn't want you to discover them ahead of time.
It was truly amusing to watch your boys darting across the garden. The hallway windows offered you a lovely view of the back garden. Jason and Dick were grown men, but they still seemed to be racing each other to see who would get there first. Meanwhile, you also saw Damian signaling to Tim; they were both in a great hurry.
With a small smile on your lips, you continued on your way to the bedroom. Once there, you quickly dressed in the dress your husband had chosen; you assumed he wanted to take advantage of the unusually sunny day. You accessorized with a pair of long earrings and applied lipstick in a shade similar to the dress, slipping on red flats and leaving your hair down.
Although Bruce was truly attentive to you, you didn't expect him to greet you on the stairs with a beautiful bouquet where lilies and pink roses stood out.
“You know you shouldn't have, Bruce” you whispered with an almost imperceptible smile, leaning in to kiss his lips before taking the bouquet. Your husband's hands soon found their place on your waist, tracing small circles with his thumbs.
“Why shouldn't I? You're my wife, and even if you weren't, I wouldn't hesitate to shower you with every flower in Gotham." His deep voice, now a whisper, sent shivers down your spine. He kissed your lips again, this time more slowly. a small sound of disgust causing you to separate immediately
“"I'd appreciate it if there weren't so many displays of affection in public. Seeing the old man kiss you at the wedding was enough... I still think you could have done better." Jason's words made you chuckle, noticing the corners of his lips twitching slightly before he disappeared back down the hallway. If you had married someone else, you wouldn't have them in your life, and that was something you couldn't allow.
The day passed much faster than you had initially imagined. Bruce led you through much of the garden, stopping for a snack when you felt a little hungry. At times, you caught glimpses of some of the boys running around; sometimes they seemed to be carrying things, but you couldn't quite make out what they were. It seemed a little strange, but you didn't think much of it; they were probably working on something for a mission.
As night began to fall, you noticed Bruce constantly checking his phone, and while that was pretty normal, on these occasions he seemed nervous, causing you to tilt your head. "Is everything alright, honey?"
He immediately nodded before taking your hand more firmly, clearing his throat before glancing across the garden. "I want to show you something else. I'm going to cover your eyes when we're close." Still a little confused, you agreed. You couldn't understand what he could possibly show you that would make him so nervous; he hadn't even acted like this when he proposed.
The two of you started walking in the opposite direction from where you had been earlier that afternoon. As you drew closer to the flower garden, you began to hear soft music. Bruce soon covered your eyes with one hand while keeping the other on your waist to guide you. The music continued, becoming clearer as you walked.
At one point, he stopped, placing a soft kiss on your shoulder before speaking. "I know how much you care about the boys, and they know it too, and they really appreciate it. They notice every little thing you do for them, from making them a drink while they study to staying with them when nightmares wake them up in the middle of the night..."
Many times you would wake up to a scream or by some loud noise coming from one of their rooms. You already had a little routine for it. If it was Jason—which was quite often when he stayed at the manor—you would bring him a hot chocolate and stay with him for a while, talking to him about a book you had recently read. Before you knew it, he had fallen asleep again.
If it was Dick, things changed a little; they would both meet in the hallway, end up walking a bit through the manor until his body seemed to relax, his shoulders would fall and he would stop constantly looking behind him.
With Tim, it took a bit longer. Whenever you went to check on him, you'd always find him sitting at his desk with hundreds of pages open on his computer. The only way to get him back to sleep was to listen to him talk about the cases he was working on and how he might solve them. A couple of times, you'd offer some suggestions or little ideas that you thought might help. After he was a bit calmer and more distracted, he'd finally manage to go to bed and sleep for a while.
And then there was Damian. With him, there was never a noise or anything to wake you up; you only woke up because of a strange feeling in your chest. It wasn't unusual to go out and find him sitting in front of the fireplace. You never said a word; you just stayed by his side, watching the fire together, until you noticed him nodding off slightly. Only then would you both say goodnight and return to your respective rooms.
Those were just a couple of the little things that were special to them. They didn't need to call you to come; you knew when they needed you. You knew how to be there for them without making them feel pressured. You knew how to make them feel seen without scrutinizing them. They might be grown up now, but inside, there was always a child who was infinitely grateful to have you by their side.
Once Bruce withdrew his hand, the view that greeted you was beautiful. A path lined with rose bushes—Double Delight roses—with a pair of headlights illuminating the way. At the end of it stood your four boys, Damian holding a small cake. Behind them was a small greenhouse that had belonged to Martha Wayne. It looked restored and very well lit inside.
"Happy Mother's Day." The sound of their four voices together and the smiles on their faces were more than enough to bring tears to your eyes. A brief sob escaped your lips as you moved closer to them.
Only then could you see how dirty they were; their faces were covered in paint and some dirt, as were their clothes. However, their hands were perfectly clean; they didn't want to get the cake dirty—it had a cute note written on it for their mother.—
We know you love these types of roses, and we try our best to plant them in the best way possible. We've included a couple of products that will benefit their growth. We're committed to keeping them well cared for you." Damian was the first to speak, placing the cake on a small table by the entrance to the greenhouse.
“Is that why you'd been running around? I didn't... I didn't think it was for me." Bruce gently wiped your cheeks before being pulled away by Jason. That boy had never been very affectionate, but at that moment he wrapped his arms tightly around you. There were tiny tears threatening to fall down his cheeks.
"How could you expect us to do nothing for you today when you've been taking care of us all this time?" His whisper was weak, his hands trembling slightly. "You don't know how much I wish you had been here when I first arrived. I couldn't be more grateful to have you now, Mom." You could feel your heart breaking into pieces, hugging your little one—who was anything but little—with all the strength you possessed. You wanted to give him all the love and affection you hadn't been able to give him when he needed it most.
“It took us a while to decide what color to paint the headlights. We installed them a couple of days ago, but we didn't like the black color they were; it was too sad for someone who's brought us so much joy." This time it was Dick who approached, gently patting his younger brother on the back when he finally let go of you. Now it was Grayson who hugged you as if he hadn't seen you in years. "That's why we chose white. A bright color for someone who brightens our bad days."
“You didn't have to do all this, kids. Just a simple congratulation would have made me cry," you chuckled softly as you hugged him tightly, planting a loud kiss on his cheek, which made him laugh too.
“You always help us with whatever you can, and even when it's not within your reach, you're still there to listen and support us. I really think we should do this... Even something better. I suggested building you a natural pool, but they insisted it would be too obvious that we were doing something." Tim shrugged before going to hug you. He seemed the calmest, but his eyes were glassy. "Thank you so much for always being there." He whispered, gently squeezing you in his arms before letting the youngest one pass.
Damian watched you for a couple of seconds before gently wrapping his arms around you, resting his head on your chest as you mirrored his gesture. It was the first hug he'd given you since you met him, and you could have sworn your heart was going to burst from all the affection you were receiving. "Happy Mother's Day," that greeting dispelled any insecurities you might have felt that day.
Seeing your children put so much effort into giving you such a beautiful gift was something you never would have imagined. You were completely sure that something like that would never happen; it seems you still hadn't learned something very important of them: they would always surprise you, no matter the circumstances. They would always have some new idea, something new to fill your heart with.
That day was truly a happy one for you. For the mother of those bats and little birds.