"So I have an announcement " Brandon said that Sunday as they sat down to dinner.

"What is it B?" Lena asked.

"I was thinking about asking Megan to marry me" Brandon said. Everyone smiled congratulating

"Oh baby that's wonderful!" Lena cried as Stef pulled him into a wordless hug.

"It's about time" Jesus said making them laugh.

"How are you going to do it?" Jude asked.

"I haven't decided yet, I don't even have a ring yet, but I just wanted you guys to know it was coming soon" Brandon said.

"You have to do it right" Mariana said.

"Oh he's always been a gentleman, just do what you think is right" Stef said.

"I should asked her dad right? Or is that to old fashioned?" Brandon asked.

"I would ask, it shows respect" Lena nodded.

"Yeah I asked" Will said.

"Were you nervous?" Brandon asked him.

"A little, not that I thought they would say no, I just wanted to get it right" Will said. Callie smiled at him.

"I don't think any one would say no, it's just a chance to pass on some advice" Lena said.

"Oh yeah? What advice did you give Will?" Callie asked.

"That you were trouble and to run while he still could, he didn't take it though" Stef teased her making them all laugh.

"That's between your moms and I" Will winked at her.

"I'm nervous" Brandon said.

"She will say yes" Callie assured him.

"I like Megan" Frankie said.

"Good because she's going to be another sister" Mariana told her.

"So everyone approves? You think it's a good idea?" Brandon asked.

Yes, she's a sweet girl" Stef nodded.

"I wish she could come by for dinner more ofter though" Lena said.

"I will talk to her about it, maybe she can change her lessons to every other week or something" Brandon said. Callie smiled at him across the table, she really was happy for her older brother, Megan made him happy and she was excited there would be another wedding.

()

After dinner they started a movie and Stef made popcorn. Callie sat on the love seat with her feet in Will's lap. It was a typical Sunday night in the big house but everything felt so right again. Mariana was back living at home with their moms for a while. It had been 4 days since the whole incident but her eye and cheek were looking better, and everyday she was becoming more and more like her sassy self. Stef had offered her Brandon's room but Mariana wanted to be back in her own room even if it meant sharing with Frankie. Frankie had asked what happened when she saw her and their moms had given her a very g rated explanation and she had stopped asking. Callie knew she was just happy to have her sister home, and even more excited to be aging a sleep over with her every night. Stef and Mike had searched Javier's apartment bringing back a lot of evidence and the rest of Mariana's things. The trial was still a few weeks aways but Javier was held without bail and Stef had assured them there would be no issues with getting him guilty. Callie was just glad they could put this all behind them and she had her sister back again.

()

"Want me to straighten your hair?" Mariana asked Callie reaching out to tug one of her waves.

"Ok I haven't have the energy to straighten it anymore, it's so much effort to stand up that long" Callie sighed.

"I'll do it, you sit i'll grab the flat iron" Mariana said running into the bathroom from Frankie's room formally known at the girls room. Stef was working late and Lena was running open house. Mariana was babysitting but Will had gone out with Jesus and some friends. Callie had gone to the big house to spend some time with her sisters. Frankie sat on her bed that used to be Callie's watching them as Callie sat in the desk chair and Mariana plugged the straightener into the wall. Callie wondered if the day would ever come when Frankie resented her sisters moving so freely around her room. A part of her knew it would always feel like her and Mariana's room no matter what.

"How long does it last?" Mariana asked running a brush through Callie's hair.

"I can go three days before it starts to look greasy"

"Oh nice" Mariana said.

"when will my hair look like yours?" Frankie asked suddenly. both girls turned to her.

"What do you mean?" Callie asked. Frankie reached up to her own head tugging on one of her curls. They had just recently gotten long enough to start falling down her back and she was looking a lot more like Lena.

"When I get big will my hair look like yours?" Frankie asked again.

"Well, no. your hair will always be curly just like mommas" Callie said.

"But why? I want pretty hair"

"Your hair is pretty, it's so beautiful don't you like it?" Callie asked. Everyone had been in love with Frankie's hair since she was born, they just loved the fact she had Lena's curls, no one had thought about Frankie not liking her own hair.

"I want straight hair like you guys and mom" Frankie said.

"But you have such pretty curls" Mariana told her.

"But its to crazy, and it's not soft like yours" Frankie said running her little fingers through Callie's long hair.

"Well thats because you have different hair"

"Why?"

"Because…Because you have darker skin" Callie said suddenly wishing Lena was here to explain this to her better. Frankie looked down at her hand on Callie's neck as if she suddenly noticed her sink was darker then her sisters.

"How come?" Frankie asked

"Because you have skin like Momma" Callie said gently.

"Why don't you?"

"Because Mariana and I don't come from momma like you do"

"Just momma and me have dark skin?" Frankie asked.

"No, we all have different skin, see look, Callie is light, but my skin is not like hers. We're all different" Mariana said rolling up her sleeve and putting it it next to Callie's bare arm. Frankie rolled up her sleeve putting her little arm next to Mariana's.

"See, we are all different colors, just like our hair and eyes are all different colors" Callie said.

"It's good to be different, if we were all the same it would be boring" Mariana added. Frankie was studying their arms when she looked up.

"It's good to be different?" she asked.

"It's very good" Callie nodded.

"Ok" Frankie shrugged.

()

"How did everything go?" Lena asked when she came home later finding Mariana and Callie on the couch watching TV.

"Well we had a little talk about skin color today" Callie said.

"Oh really? How did it go?" Lena asked sitting down.

"You will probably want to follow up but we just showed her how we all have different color skin and said it was a good thing, we used the word different but now I'm starting to think different was bad, I mean it should be normal right?" Callie asked.

"We said that it was good to be different." Mariana said.

"It's not a bad way to put it" Lena nodded

"It started because she asked when her hair would look like ours. I know you should be the one to have this talk with her but we didn't just want to blow it off and she think it was a bigger deal" Mariana said.

"You guys are just as qualified as I am to talk to her about it. Just because I am biracial doesn't mean I know what I am doing anymore then you do, it's a conversation that will be happening the whole time she is growing up, and I want her to feel like she can ask her older sisters things so don't assume you won't say the right thing. I trust the advice you girls will give her, you need to trust it too" Lena said. Callie and Mariana both nodded.

"I do appreciate the heads up though, and I will follow up with her if you think I need too." Lena said.

"This mom stuff is not easy" Callie sighed running her hand over her belly.

"No, believe it or not, this is the easy part" Lena agreed running her fingers over Callie's stomach as well.

()

"Hey love did you get the information from the hospital about the birth yet?" Stef asked as Callie walked into the big house Saturday afternoon. Will had been over early helping Brandon fix the pipe in the bathroom and Callie was coming to say hi.

"thats right your more then halfway along now you should get all that information now so you don't have to worry" Lena nodded

"Oh did I not tell you guys about that" Callie said sitting down at the table as Will came down the stairs hearing her voice. Lena got them both a glass of water.

"No, what did they say?"

"We actually decided not to have the baby in the hospital" Callie said glancing over at Will.

"What?" Stef asked.

'Hospitals are just so…clinical" Callie said. Will just shook his head raising his hands a bit. She knew she would have to take point on this one.

"Well, you are giving birth, were are you going to have her then?" Lena asked.

"We thought we might try a home birth" Callie said.

"A home birth? like the 1800?" Stef asked.

"We did a lot of research, it's more relaxing, there's no forcing of medication, you would not believe how many women are forced to induce or speed up their labor with drugs so the doctor make it home in time for dinner. This way everything is at our own pace, we are in our own home it's relaxing for me and the baby we can move around…" Callie started.

"But is it safe?" Lena asked.

"Yeah, I have had a healthy pregnancy, she's very healthy, they see no reason for problems. Of course we will have a trained midwife who has a lot of the same tools as they do in hospitals and if not we can go to the hospital"

"So you looked into this?" Stef asked.

"Yes, they will check a few days before my due date to make sure she's not breach, if everything looks good it's very safe. Please support us on this we really want to try it" Callie said.

"No no we do" Lena assured her.

"It's supposed to be very good, it gives everyone a real experience and we can move freely around our home, the baby never leaves our side theres even proven to be less recovery time" Will added.

"Yeah, and I'm stating this now we would like to be alone for the birth, but your welcome to come and go after, of course we want you there. Think of how easy it is since we will only be a few blocks away. You can come in the morning and say hi when my water breaks, go to work, go home for dinner and come over after and see the baby right after she comes. plus no restricted visitors or visiting hours" Callie said. Stef smiled.

"I do like the idea of you being so close"

"See, and everything will be fine. more and more people are having their babies at home now" Callie assured them as Will nodded.

"Alright, we are on board, as long as everything is safe" Lena said.

"It will be, you guys will see it's a good way" Callie smiled

()

Later that afternoon Callie was laying down on the bed and Will was in the walk in closet replacing the burnt out light bulb when the doorbell rang.

"If it's my mom tell her to leave" Callie moaned, she had just fallen asleep.

"Since when does anyone in your family bother to knock" Will chuckled going into the hallway and through to the living room. He pulled open the front door. He was right everyone who normally came over just walked in.

"William Braverman?" A women asked.

"Yeah?" Will said.

"Sign here please" She said handing him an envelop and holding out her clipboard. Will glanced at the envelope, it was from the army. He signed his name closing the door and his tour open the letter his eyes skimming the page.

A few minutes later Callie heard Will walk back into the bedroom and felt the bed sink as he lay down next to her.

"Who was it?" She asked not fully awake.

"Just the mail man forgot something, nothing important" Will told her. Callie nodded rolling over putting her head on his chest falling asleep.