"Sam, what are you doing still up?" Patrick asked walking into the dark bedroom turning on the light.
"I couldn't sleep, so I just decided to watch some tv. How was work?" I asked muting the tv.
"IT was long, but okay. Nothing major, but uh Jake got released tonight. I guess his wife's grandmother has a place here so they are staying there with her boys," he said while taking off his shoes and undressing.
"Oh well she got her restraining order so I guess I'm not too worried about that. Are you okay?" I asked watching him as he sat down on the end of the bed.
"Yeah just tired I guess, night shifts are kicking my ass. Why was Joss in Danny's bed?" he asked laying down.
"Oh Carly dropped her earlier, she had some event of something and needed someone to watch her. Are you sure you are okay? You look really tired babe," I said rubbing his arm.
"MMM, yeah just tired. What time are the kids up tomorrow?" he asked rolling over to the alarm clock on the night stand.
"Oh it's the weekend and there is no sporting events or practices of any kind. So besides the older kids we only have Kristina and Molly and Danny and maybe Joss, but we have the inactive willing to stay in the living room to watch a movie for most of the day kids," I said smiling at him as he rolled over.
"Thank god, I can sleep in," he said with a sigh of relief.
"Hopefully, this is Molly and Danny we are talking about. Your two biggest fans in the world, I think maybe you can make it to eight," I said turning off the tv and getting comfortable.
"Well it's like what four or five hours of sleep," he said looking at the clock again.
"Yep, now shut up I have to get up earlier than you." I said facing him.
"Oh yeah why's that?" he said smiling at me.
"Because I'm Mommy, that's why. I have magical powers that can make food appear."
"Oh yeah that's right you are Mommy." He said laughing to himself with his eyes closed.
I couldn't help but laugh at his stupid comment.
"Go to sleep Patrick. You are making stupid jokes now," I told him as I closed my eyes.
I fell asleep listening to him laugh.
The next morning I was woken up by Joss coming into the room. She had somehow gotten onto the bed without help.
"Sammy," she said shaking my arm.
"Yeah baby?" I asked sitting up to see the little girl.
"Can I have some breakfast?" she asked smiling at me.
"Of course. Is Danny up yet?" I asked getting out of the bed.
"No he's still sleeping," she answered as I picked her up and closed the door to let Patrick sleep.
"Okay then it's just us. Do you want to help me?" I asked her as we walked down the stairs.
"Yeah!" she said with a smile.
I couldn't help but laugh as I walked into the dining room the same time that Dante was sneaking in.
"Te!" the little girl said excitedly when she saw him.
"Uh hi," he said awkwardly as he realized he had been caught.
"Joss can you go into the living room and find Danny's apron before we get started?" I asked her as I put her back on the ground.
"Okay Sammy," she said with a smile before running off to the living room.
"I don't need a lecture Sam okay? I'm seventeen normal seventeen year olds sneak out of the house all the time," he said before sitting down in a chair in front of me.
"Yeah well most seventeen year olds don't have a family history of getting pregnant right out of high school or even in high school for that matter. Do you want to end up like me or even Sonny for that matter?"
"Not everyone who sneaks out of the house is going to make the same mistakes you did Sam or even Sonny. Just because you guys were stupid enough to make that mistake doesn't mean I will, maybe this shit life and the shit house taught me a thing or two about birth control. Something you obviously never learned," he said before storming off and running up the stairs.
"Sammy I'm ready," Joss said running into the room with a smile on her face.
"Hey little girl why don't you go see if Danny is up and wants to go out for breakfast," Patrick said from behind me.
"Okay," she said trying to run up the stairs.
"How much of that did you hear?" I asked as I turned to face him.
"Just him yelling at the end. Are you okay?" he asked walking towards me.
"Is this all really just a fucked up mess? I mean I tried really hard to make things better when Sonny and Michael got arrested, I realize it's hard but they don't work and they get to do whatever sports they want and I try not to have him watch the kids so much so that he can have a life outside of everything. Am I really that bad of a mother?" I asked feeling the tears fall.
"You're a great mother Sam. You make sure these kids have everything they could ever need and sometimes want," he said hugging me against him.
We spent a few minutes like that, just standing in the dining room him holding me as I continued to let the tears slip.
"Hello," Carly said walking in through the back door.
"Carly uh what are you doing here?" I asked pulling away from Patrick and wiping the tears away.
"I saw Dante walking down the alley and I figured the back door was unlocked. Are you okay Sam? Did something happen to Sonny?" she asked setting her bags on the table.
"No uh as far as I know Sonny and Michael are okay. I just uh got into a fight with Dante, you know teenagers and all," I said giving her a small smile.
"Oh yes I remember that phase with you and Michael very well. So how past curfew was he?" she asked walking back over to her bags.
"He snuck out, what's in the bags?" Patrick asked sitting down in a chair behind me.
"Oh I brought breakfast over. I figured that I owed you all some good food for watching Joss for me," she said setting containers out on the table.
"I will go get the others but Joss is already up. She was the first one up today," Patrick said getting up and kissing me on the cheek before walking up the stairs.
When he disappeared up the stairs Carly turned to me and looked at me in question.
"What happened with Dante? He's like the calmest kid out of the bunch of you," she said taking more containers out.
"I caught him sneaking in and when I tried to warn him about the whole teen pregnancy thing he threw Jason in my face. Have I done such a horrible job at trying to keep us together that I can't even try to warn my younger brother about having sex to soon?" I asked her sitting in Patrick's now empty chair.
"Honestly I thought that this wasn't going to work in the beginning. I mean Danny was barely a year old and that's a lot even when you have the right people with you, but you were taking care of him and your four younger siblings and you had a new relationship. Sam you have done the impossible and I'm always amazed at well those kids have turned out. Dante is just acting his age, you remember when you were seventeen? Sonny was so against you and Jason continuing your relationship when he started working for Sonny, but you went against your father and you continued to see him," she said finally sitting down.
"Yeah and I ended up pregnant and divorced before I was twenty. The same thing happened to Sonny with me, our family has a history of this happening to them. I want so much more for my siblings and for Danny, I don't want them to be like me or like Sonny because it sucks and it's hard. But I also wouldn't change it for the world you know?" I asked her.
"I do. I mean I love you and I love Michael and Morgan but I wish I had had them when I was but older. Your Dad was so goo with you when I met him and when I found out about Michael I was scared but not as scared but I knew your Dad was a good father for all his faults he was an amazing father. I guess the only time I was ever really afraid was when I had Morgan."
"I remember that, Alexis was in the picture again and you and Dad were off. We got Kristina out of that visit. I remember Dad taking Michael and Dante and I to the hospital the next day to see you guys. Do you regret going back to Dad after Molly was born?"
"Not for a second. Even though it ended so badly at first and the boys chose to live here, I don't regret it. So are you going to talk to your brother about the fight?"
Before I could answer we heard the grumble and thumping of feet coming down the stairs signaling that everyone was indeed up.
"Mommy!" Joss said running up to Carly.
"My baby. How was your night?" she asked picking the little girl up and putting her on her lap.
"Fun. I had pizza," she said giving her a big smile.
"Yummy. Good morning Morgan," Carly said as he sat next to her.
"Hi Mom," he said before resting his head on the table.
"No come on get up your Mom brought breakfast over. Do you want chocolate milk or juice?" I asked him standing up.
"Chocolate please," he said sitting up as Carly placed a container in front of him.
For the next couple of hours were spent laughing and eating as we sat around the table. As I began to clean the syrup off Danny's hands and face Patrick's phone began to ring.
"I thought that you had the morning of babe?" I asked him as he got up.
"Yeah well I'm also the new guy. I will be right back," he said as he got up from the table still eating a piece of bacon.
"Sam I'm sticky," Molly said turning to me.
"Yes you are. Damn how did you do that baby girl?" I asked laughing at the little girl.
"I don't know," she said giving me a syrupy smile.
We all laughed at her answer. Standing up I put Danny on one hip and helped Molly out of chair trying to get her to touch the furniture only when necessary.
"Sam, we need to go," Patrick said coming back into the room looking like someone had punched him in the gut.
"What's wrong?" I asked letting go of Molly's hand.
"That was the hospital and we need to go. The uh blood tests they took when Danny got his check up, they just went through the lab yesterday. They need us to go to the hospital now," He said taking Danny from my arms.
Stunned I looked at Carly and the rest of the kids.
"Can you watch them?" I asked Carly.
"Of course. Go I have this. I will call you if we end up anywhere else than here. Just go," she said standing up from her chair.
