From Apple's journal #62

*Apple climbs into bed after putting Chance and Roderick in their cribs. She doesn't bother taking off her clothes, collapsing in the oversize bed with a sigh of relief.
With her head buried in the pillow she can still hear Andrew finishing up the story he was reading the rest of the kids.
He always deviated from the books. The story could start off by being the little red ridding hood but by the second page he read ridding hood was in fact a ninja and the wolf kept the forest safe for the little animals and chase off any hunters that might come along with the help of a butterfly fairy and a retired pirate.
The funniest part is that he still would turn the pages of the book like he was actually reading.
She smiled as she heard him finish Beauty and the Beast with a "and then Belle and the prince that has no name so it must be Voldemort in disguise went to a furry convention on a cruise to the Bahamas all the rats in their castle lived happily ever after because they left Cinderella taking care of the place".
Those kids would be disappointed when they actually read the real stories by themselves and would beg him to tell his version of it again and again.
Then she heard him putting them to bed. One by one.
Each had his own ritual.
He would tuck Owen and ask if that night he wanted the light on or off. Off, please. Goodnight buddy. Good night dad.
He would twirl Ruby around to her bed, turn on her ballerina music box and tell her to be careful with the pirouettes in her dreams as he kissed her nose.
He would arrange the 12 stuffed animals around Scarlet in her bed and make sure there was some crumbles in a plate by the window for the cookie fairy. Then he would kiss her cheeks and her forehead and whisper "sweet dreams, cookie monster".
Finally he would put down Wolf in his bed, ruffle his hair and pull gently at his ears as the child pulled at his. He would turn on the night light and the mobile on top on the bed and tell him to have fun being naughty in his dreams so that he could be a good boy in the morning.
Apple listened carefully, already knowing the words he was saying by heart and turned around in the big bed, waiting for him to come through the door.*

Come here. With all that's been going on I miss you.
I want you to put me to bed as well.
I don't need a story. I just need your lips on mine and your arms around me.