Cari waddled into the bedroom and flopped onto the bed, her baby belly protruding slightly over the side of the mattress. With a grunt, she winced and held her breath as she rolled over, sighing in what little relief she could find as the weight was finally taken off her hips and back. The light jostling had woken the triplets, leaving Cari helpless to do anything but endure the three of them fighting for space in her overcrowded womb.

"Uuuuuuuuuggggghhhhhhh." Cari let out a long groan, then paused and lifted her head to glance at the bedroom door. She then took a deeper breath and raised her voice. "UUUUUUUGGGHHHHHH."

"You in there, babe?" Will's voice echoed down the hall. "You doin' alright?"
"How do you think I'm doing?" she called back. "I've got more people inside my uterus than can fit in my car!"
"Nah, you could probably open up the trunk and fit a couple people back there!"
"That's not- It-" Cari sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'm really, really pregnant and it sucks. That's the problem."
"Ohhhh, okay. I getcha." Will shuffled into view and leaned against the doorway, wearing nothing but his underwear. Her bear husband seemed allergic to clothes and always stripped down the minute he set foot inside the house. Cari hadn't gotten used to it and hoped she never would.

"Please tell your children to stop trying to kick their way outta me. I'm sore enough without their help."
Will scratched his stomach, a little unsure. "I mean...I'll try, but I don't think they can even understand words yet, babe."
"Oh my God, just- Just-" Cari slapped the bare side of the bed. "Just get over here, you idiot."
"Okie dokie." Will smiled big and wide as he crawled to his side of the bed, flopping down to face his wife. With a wiggle, he slid closer and pressed his chubby belly against her pregnant one. "Here, now they can kick me too."

Cari sighed again and rolled her eyes, but couldn't help but smile a little at the gesture. "Not fair. It's different when they're inside you."
"Yeah, I guess so." Will jumped as one of the triplets lashed out a foot from inside Cari's womb hard enough for him to feel against his own stomach. "WHOA! I guess that one's gonna be our soccer player."
"Please. That was nothing. I get thirty kicks like that an hour. Try getting elbow-dropped in the bladder at three in the morning."
"At least the bathroom's real close, huh?"

"Yeah. If I can even make it that far." Cari let out a sigh and looked at her swollen, distended body, completely unrecognizable as her own. The triplets had calmed down a bit and were now gently stirring inside her. Resting a hand on her belly, Will placed his atop hers and stroked the back of her fingers. When they met eyes, his sparkled in the half-dark, wrinkling under the weight of his smile. Cari's breath caught in her throat and she felt herself blush like a little girl. In most things, Will was as dense as a cinderblock, but he had a talent for being effortlessly romantic.

Romance. Cari closed her eyes and let out another groan.
"Will."
"Yeah, babe?"
"It's Valentine's Day."
Will paused to think for a moment.
"...Oh yeah! It is!"
"Will...we have to do something."
"Okay. What do you wanna do?"
Cari threw her head back and groaned.
"Nothing."

Will pursed his lips and frowned, feeling something like stage fright. Cari's pregnancy had been full of these moments of paradoxical wants and needs.
"Uh...we could do that, too."
"Look, I am exhausted. Just getting out of bed feels like it burns calories. I hardly even want to be on my feet." Cari pulled at her barely-fitting tank top. "This is basically the last thing I own that fits. I don't even want to move from this spot."
"That sounds good by me."
"But Will, this is our last Valentine's Day together. Just us. Before we're parents. We can't just do nothing, can we? We need to...go out, go do something, go to a show, get dinner. I don't know, we have to make it special." Cari looked at Will with something like desperation. "...Don't we?"

Will scratched his chin, the gears turning in his head. After a moment of thought, he shrugged and answered a question with a question. "Well...do we?"

"I think we should."
"Not if you don't wanna."
"Noooo..." Cari pouted. "I don't wanna just sit here fat and bloated and pregnant for Valentine's Day doing nothing. That sucks."

"Well, what if we just...did nothing together." Will shrugged. "That's what Valentine's Day is all about, isn't it? Hanging out with your person?"
"But it's- We-" Cari spluttered, trying to put her vague feelings into words. "I think we'd regret it if we didn't make today special."
"I dunno why you keep trying to talk yourself into something you don't wanna do. Besides..." Will smoothed his hands across Cari's belly, feeling his children stirring. "...This already feels like a pretty special Valentine's Day to me."
Cari scowled, her stubborn nature holding on, but it was gradually worn away by the soft touch of her husband's hand against her bump. She laid her head on the pillow, breathing a deep sigh and looking up at Will.

"...I want to order delivery," she said, under her breath."
"Sure thing."
"And I want to watch stupid Hallmark romance movies and make fun of them."
"Can do."
"And I want you to fuck me after."
"Okie-dokie."
Cari snorted, laughing as she pulled Will in for a kiss. "You're a doofus."
"Yeah, I know."
"Happy Valentine's Day, you big dummy."
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Art by, of course,  Ritts
Happy V-Day everybody!