Frank parked right in front of the door, "I love parking up close," he joked as Denise carried Molly inside. The baby looked at everything, she was so alert.

Denise smiled at her. "She is so cute."

He smiled, "Look at her, she hears something."

Denise looked at Molly "What is it, Princess?"

Molly was listening to some noise or another, Frank got it, "She hears the silverware on the plates." Her head was turned toward the dishpan where the bus boy was gathering dirty plates.

Molly saw what it was and squealed.

Frank laughed, "My life is complete, my daughter aspires to be a table busser." He sat down and took the baby on his lap, "You going to eat pancakes with Daddy?"

Again she squealed and babbled.

The waitress came to get their orders, "You're granddaughter is lovely."

"Thank you, but this is my daughter," he replied with a good natured smile.

"Oh..." she nodded."What can I get you?"

"Apple pancakes for me and..."He looked at Denise. "Just coffee for me."

"Dee you have to eat something," Frank told her. "Belgian waffle for my wife."

The waitress nodded and left the table.

"I'm not hungry Frank!" Denise snapped.

He was surprised; Denise rarely ever raised her voice.

"I know it," he replied. "But she needs your milk, so you're eating. Tell Mommy, "Eat please." He kissed Molly just as his cell phone rang.

"Hello," he answered.

"Hello big brother!" his younger sister Sally greeted. "Guess where I am?"

"Where?" he asked, with Sally, one never knew.

"Charleston airport," she giggled. "You coming to get me or you off at war in someplace?"

"I'm at the IHOP," he chuckled. "I'll be there in 15 minutes"

Denise face fell, "Frank, no, you're still recovering, no work!"

"No, I'm going to get Sally, she's at the airport," he replied putting Molly in her baby seat.

"Frank," Denise sighed. "Let's just go home!"

"Denise I have to go get her, she's at the airport! What is your problem?" She was acting strange.

"Nothing, nothing, just go and hurry back, I'll have them keep it warm." She got up and kissed him. "Be careful on the steps."

He nodded, "I love you," he said and left to get his sister.

Frank left and went to get his sister.

She nearly knocked him over when she saw him. "Oh big brother! I missed you! How are you?"

"I'm good," he said smiling and giving her a huge hug. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, between jobs again," she said. "You seen Dad recently?"

"Nope," Frank replied. "Been hiding out from Mom."

"He's in a mood," she said. "Disowned me again."

"What for this time?" he asked, Sally spend the better part of her life disowned for something.

"Got pregnant," she replied. "Fixed it."

"You...you did what?"

"I got pregnant, and I fixed it," Sally replied sadly. She'd do anything to win her father's approval.

"You had an abortion!" he snapped, Frank was set against it but this was his Sally.

She nodded her head, "You said no matter what you'd be here for me Frank."

"And I will be, I just don't have to agree it was right," he sighed and hugged her tight.

"I didn't want to, I did it for Dad, so he'd take me back home..." she snuggled to him. "Where's Denise?"

"She's back at the restaurant with the baby. Let's go eat." He hoped seeing Molly wouldn't be too hard on Sally.

Sally smiled, "Let's go see her."

He nodded and they went back to the IHOP, they saw Denise standing outside bouncing a screaming Molly on her hip.

"What happened?" Frank asked hurrying up the steps. It was only then Sally noticed his injured leg. "What happened to her, Dee?"

"I don't know, she just started screaming," she replied a little frazzled at her baby's sudden fit of upset.

Frank took her, "What is it, Molly? What is it my love?"

As soon as he had her she stopped and smiled.

Denise tossed her head back and laughed, "Daddy? All that fuss over missing Daddy."

Molly looked at her and babbled, "She's saying shut up you old bat I love my daddy!" Denise laughed.

"You're getting younger instead of older Dee," Sally said giving her a hug. "This can't be Molly already, so big!"

"Yep, this is Molly," Denise said smiling and hugged her, she liked her sister-in-law.

"My brother said he'd feed us," Sally said babbling away with Denise. Frank looked at Molly, "I'm out numbered aren't I?"

Molly giggled as if she understood.

He brought her in and listened as the ladies talked. He ate his pancakes; Denise ate all of her food. He gave Molly a bit of pancake to gum.

She ate that and then tried to steal the whole plate.

Frank laughed, "No, you don't have enough teeth for that, you don't have any teeth. Dee, look at her."

Denise laughed and grabbed her phone and took pictures.

Sally was a little teary eyed as she watched this.

"Sally, sweetie, you okay?" Denise asked, it was unlike Sally to get emotional over anything.

She nodded, "Oh yeah, I'm just fine."

Denise nodded, she knew something was wrong but didn't know what.

They left, Frank gave Sally the keys and a pass for the Post then drove the long way home.

"Why are we going this way?" Denise asked.

"So I can talk to you before we get home," frank replied. "Carlene and her family sent me a text, they are coming too. Sally and Dad are at odds."

Denise sighed "Damn it!"she swore loudly.

"I know," he said. "I can cancel; I'll call and say I'm sick."

"No that'll just give your mother another reason to tell everyone I'm a terrible wife," she said, she was starting not to feel well.

He nodded, "She had an abortion."

"What?" she asked, that was not like Sally.

He nodded, "She got pregnant, Dad found out, acted like Dad so she "fixed it" and he disowned her anyway."

Denise sighed, "This is going to be a fun thanksgiving."

"Yep," he replied. "But we're together and if not for a bad leg we wouldn't be here. It's good luck, and it'll be just fine."

She only nodded, she was in tears again, she was so emotional today and had no idea why. He pulled over and held her tight, "We'll be okay, you and I together."

"I can't handle them all at once Frank," she said against his chest.

"Yes, you can, you can," he encouraged. "It's our house, it's our holiday, and we make the rules."

She nodded. "Can we go home? I don't feel well."

"We're close anyway, you lie down, you look pale." He kissed her then drove home.

He got her home quickly. "Need me to do anything before I lay down?" she asked.

He shook her head, "Nope, I'll visit with Sally and watch Molly, rest. I love you."

"I love you more," she whispered. "Don't let me sleep too late."

He nodded again and let her go to lie down. He put Molly in her swing and sat down with a slight groan. Sally jumped into his lap.

"Easy!" Frank said wincing but laughed.

"You getting old?" she asked.

"No," he said sticking his tongue out at her.

"You winced," she replied.

"My leg got messed up in country, still aches," he replied. "Stupid bombs"

She held him tight, "Were you hurt very bad?"

"Not too bad," he replied, she didn't need to know the details.

She smiled, "Good, I love my big brother." Sally was the baby, just 22.

"I love you too kid," he replied and geld her and like he did with Molly started to rock gently.

"When's the baby coming?" she asked.

"Baby?" he asked.

She nodded, "Denise's baby."

"She's not pregnant," Frank replied thinking if Denise heard that she'd be they'd be on diet.

"I think she is," Sally said. "She's flushing and getting upset and such. She was dizzy at the restaurant."

"When?" he asked, he hadn't noticed.

"When we got up to leave, she put her hand down on the table," Sally told him. "She's pregnant or it's the change and I don't' think it's the change with Molly so tiny."

He beamed; he wanted another baby so badly.

"I don't think she knows it just yet," Sally said. "Frank, I'll leave, I don't' want to upset Denise or Dad."

"No, you're going to stay right here, Denise just doesn't feel well and as far as dad goes if he says anything he will be the one to leave!"

"I love you Frank," she whispered. "You're the only one that knows what that means."

He smiled and hugged her tight.

"Where's my room?" she asked after a few minutes of her big brother's famous hugs.

"We'll have to get you setup on an air mattress, Molly's nursery is the only other bedroom, is that okay?"

She nodded, "Yeah. In fact, why don't' you and Denise leave Molly with me for an overnight and get some alone time."

"Really?" he asked surprised she'd want to after what she'd been through.

She nodded, "Yeah."

He smiled "Thanks Sally," he said and went to tell Denise, she was already in bed, fast asleep.

He made reservations and packed then held her close until she woke up. After a few moments she stirred then whimpered and opened her eyes but didn't talk. "Did you sleep well my love?"

She nodded and snuggled closer to him, she was not ready to be up just yet.

"I have a surprise for you," he said smiling.

"What?" she asked. She loved surprises.

"Sally is going to mind the baby and we are going to stay in the penthouse of the Charleston Inn, room service...hot tub..." he kissed her."Silk sheets on a king size bed."

She smiled brightly "Yay!" she said, they hadn't had alone time since before Molly was born.

He smiled, "And it's close by...I already packed and made the reservation."

She smiled. "I love you."

"As soon as you feel strong enough we'll go."

"Let's go!" she said, getting up trying to push off the fatigue as simply the need for a break.

He laughed, "Let me say goodbye to Molly."

She nodded and went to the nursery and picked her baby girl up.

Molly cooed and went back sleep.

Denise smiled and put her back in her bed.

"Let's go," he whispered.

She smiled and nodded and they left to go to the hotel.