Work Text:
McKinSerena woke up to the cries coming from across the bedroom, most likely from Catherine. She rose and picked up the little girl, cradling her to her chest as she moved back to the bed to wake Bernie. "Darling, it's 4.30. Catherine'a awake."
"Does she ever sleep?" Bernie said, sitting up and unbuttoning her top so she could feed the still wailing infant.
"Usually when you're awake, love." Serena told her, handing her the baby.
Catherine reached out to suckle her mother, her fingers wrapped around one of Bernie's.
"Little one you need to wake up later. Mummy and I need to get out sleep. We're going back to work next week." Bernie told the little girl.
"We don't have to. If we need to we still have another two months we can take of Maternity leave if we need it." Serena tried to remind her.
"I know, but I do miss work. Don't you miss figuring out a crazy surgical problem?"
"Of course I do. I just wish that we didn't have to leave them here." Serena told her, just as Cora started to cry. "I'm coming little one."
"You know we're lucky. We're going to to save a fortune on childcare costs." Bernie tells her, pulling down the other side of her shirt.
"I know, I'm glad that Charlie and Elinor are happy to stay here with them." Serena said, placing Cora on Bernie's lap.
"I just worry about when Charlie goes back to school this fall. We were luck that she had graduated early."
"She'll take a gap year if she wants. She can stay here, she can travel, do volunteer in the Amazon if she wants. Ellie never took a gap year. I was think that if they wanted they could go together."
"You think so?"
"Charlie has been helping Ellie get back to her adult self these last four months. If they keep going at this rate Elinor will be back to normal before autumn." Serena told her.
"You think that if it weren't for the accident they'd be this close?" Bernie asked, trying to get a comfortable with twin on each breast. "Four months and there still isn't a comfortable way to do this."
"That's because you're feed them both at once instead of one at a time, darling." Serena said, gently stroking Catherine's head.
"Can you get in my bed side table? I have something for you." Bernie asked.
Serena moved to the opposite side of the bed, pulling open the drawer and seeing a small felt box. "Bernie, what's this?"
"It's for you, if you want it. Or if you want to go get a different one you like more we can go find one." Bernie replies as Serena opens the box.
Inside is a golden ring with a large blue stone at the center surrounded by small diamonds.
"Bernie, it's beautiful. Yes, yes, a million times yes, my love." Serena tells her, sitting down in front of her.
"It was my grandmother's, she gave it to me when Charlotte was born and told me to give it to the woman I loved more than anyone else. For a long time I thought she was crazy, but . . ."
"Here we are seventeen years later, and you know women are so much better at everything compared to men." Serena finished, leaning forward to kiss her.
"Very much so. I love you, Serena McKinnie-Wolfe."
"And I love Berenice Griselda McKinnie-Wolfe."