Archive of Our Own ^beta

The air was cool, crisp in even, as the clouds covered the sky in soft fluffy hues. Vanilla Rabbit having made a pot of Earl Grey Lavender, she held up her cup of painted green flowers and brewed the top. She was about to take a sip when her ears picked up knocking at her front door. She set the up down on the counter and walked over. She smiles when she packed into the top window and opened the door. 

“Happy Mother’s Day.” 

“Shadow, what a wonderful surprise!” She opened the door to allow her second to eldest son into her cottage. She blinked with delight to see that he wasn’t alone. “Oh, sweetheart, you brought the children with you?”  

Indeed, the three little bundles of joy were nestled into the baby carrier her son held. She watched him set the carrier on the coffee table before sitting beside his children on the loveseat. “Sonic had to take care of another robot fight in Emerald City.”  

“Will he be alright?” Vanilla poured Shadow a cup using his personal mug and gave it to him. He thanked her as she sat down next to him.  

“He’s working alongside the Restoration.” Shadow explained, taking in a sip. “He’s mostly there to cover the things with the head of that operation. They mostly got ahold of the robotic deployment themselves at this point since the second movement began. He’ll be joining us later today.”  

She stirs her tea as she looks down at the infants, each only about almost a year now. And with only one of them awake. “Oh dear, looks like this one wants attention.”  

“I got him.” Shadow picked up his son as he held him close. He grabs one of the prepared baby bottles from a baby bag he was also carrying and goes to feed his son. Vanilla watches as the middle child of triplets blinks his soft brown, red eyes up at her. She pets the top of his quills, dark blue with crimson strips. He wiggles in his green onesie as he tries to grab onto the bottle.  

She pets the top of his head. “Has this little man been giving you trouble?” 

“He’s a fussy eater and tends to teleport into our bedroom when Sonic and I are asleep.” He shifts the child once the little one is done and wipes his face. He sighs. “His sisters used to do that as well, but they’ve long since sleep most of the night nowadays. I wonder if there’s a reason for it?” 

She nods her head, finishing her tea. “I won’t know. Most of you came along when you were long out of that phase.”  

Her eyes are drawn to the pictures hanging on her walls. Some are from her own wedding with Vector. Cream and Charmy were still young enough to need a step stool to stand up to meet the picture with the rest of them. 

Another takes place a few years later with her family sitting around her in a hospital bed holding her then newborn as Cream became the eldest of two daughters. She remembered how tired she was but also how happy everyone from family to friends wanted to meet the baby.  

Another shows Shadow in a simple white and blue wedding dress beside Sonic in a vest and a white bowtie. There were a few other single pictures of the different wedding party members depicting her family and others much older. 

She then landed her eyes on the most recent photograph of the triplets in question, young and bright eyed. The oldest has purple, almost midnight turned up quills with shades of green in her eyes. The only boy in the group was yawning, showing his gums. The youngest was reaching for the camera, her bright lime eyes against her black quills and tiny blue curls on top of her head.  

“Do you know if Cream will make an appearance today?” Her head turned back to Shadow as he set his now sleepy son back into the carrier besides his sisters.  

Vanilla set the now empty cup on the side table. “She might be. She phoned me the other night about her schoolwork in the nursing program being a little more...” 

“Overwhelming?” 

“She’s a grown girl now, but I still worry for her.” She leaves it to that. She eyes flicker towards the clock. Vector will be returning home soon as he picks up Nessie from her troop meeting. Shadow knows this as well and instead tells her about Tail’s latest breakthrough in his research. The dear’s doctorate is paying off in ten folds. Her eyes shift towards some letters on the side table beside her cup. Espio has been sending them from the other side of the world, giving her reports on his newest team that he’s been training to work for the agency, the recruits are coming along just find according to him, they’ll do well when they’re fulling on board.  

As for Charmy, well, he’s handling the office in the meanwhile. His own work isn’t keeping him from seeing her today, but he still will be a while before he can stop by. Perhaps he’ll join her for dinner along with Vector, Nessie and maybe Shadow. Then again, Aleena will be expecting Sonic and Shadow as well today, she has to share them with the children after all.  

She hears the soft winces inside the carrier. She and Shadow look to see the littlest one looks upset. Shadow looks tired and she offers to hold her.  

“I don’t mind,” He looks thankful as she picks up her youngest granddaughter.  

Granddaughter.  

She hums to herself as she gently rocks the dear. 

She misses this.  

This feeling of holding someone so young.  

Nessie is seven now, going on eight.  

Shadow holds something to her. She blinks, looking up at him as he softly smiles. He opens the small black box, and she sees a bracelet inside. Vanilla tears up a tad upon seeing the inscription, taking her back to that first Mother’s Day with her son before her.  

Thank You for Being my mom