"Mommy, I can see your belly button!" Julio giggled, giving Gloria a poke into her rounded abdomen.

"Hey!" Gloria exclaimed, catching his tiny hand and bringing it to her mouth for a kiss. She released him and then stared at her reflection in the full-length mirror of the room. Khaki capris and a baby blue t-shirt from which Julio was quite correct that the outline of her belly button could be detected through the strained fabric. The shirt wanted to rise in the back and she had to keep tugging it down to keep herself fully covered. She'd only dressed a few minutes ago but already she was uncomfortable.

"Maternity clothes already?" Gloria thought aloud. She winced and then reluctantly pulled the too-small t-shirt up over her head. Tossing it onto the bed, Gloria stroked her hand over the bare golden skin that was still tanned from a summer spent outdoors. The silk bra she had on was getting too tight as well. Her breasts looked like they wanted to explode out of the cups and it hurt her back. She usually opted to just wear no bra whenever she could get away with it.

"I don't remember having these troubles with you this early on," Gloria complained good-naturedly as she wiggled out of her capris. She tossed them on the bed beside her shirt and then walked over to the closet where she pulled out a calico cotton maternity dress-one of the ones she had picked up at the church back in July when she'd first arrived in this town.

XXX

"You look nice," Galina said, smiling up at Gloria over the newspaper as she and Julio walked into the kitchen. She was seated at the breakfast table by herself. Nibbling on a piece of toast and savouring her morning coffee. Beside the sink were a neatly stacked pile of used plates and juice glasses.

"I look enormous," Gloria replied dramatically. She picked up the coffee pot and poured herself a cup. "And for the record-I blame you."

"Excuse me?" Galina asked, raising her eyebrows as Julio climbed up onto her lap. Her arm wrapped around him naturally, as Julio cheekily tugged her piece of toast directly out of her hand and helped himself to a generous bite.

"I'm gaining weight too quickly," Gloria said. "You keep me too well fed."

"How awful of me," Galina teased. "Is this why you missed breakfast?"

"No, he actually let me sleep in, I had to enjoy it where I could," Gloria replied, as she walked over to join them at the table. "Right, baby?"

Julio nodded. He was still chewing on the bite of toast he had stolen, concentrating on bringing it back to Galina's lips so he could feed her her share. She indulged him, biting off a small corner piece of the crust. "You can finish the rest," she told him.

"Where is everyone?" Julio asked. He leaned back in Galina's arms, holding the toast in both hands.

"They're at school, remember?" Galina replied, using her fingers to adjust the collar of his polo shirt. "They'll be home this afternoon."

"Aww…" Julio sulked, sticking out his bottom lip.

A magical summer had come to an end and the day after labour day, Yuri, Maxim, Nicky, and Vasily had set off to the end of their driveway with new backpacks and home-packed lunches to wait for the big yellow bus that would drive them and their friends to school. Julio had cried the first day they had left. The older kids had catered to him all summer and allowed him to tag along nearly everywhere they went. He'd had so much fun swimming in the lake, trying to climb trees in the forest, helping Galina garden, taking walks into town to get ice-cream, and just generally being the care-free little boy, he should have always gotten to be.

Now the lightness of summer had gone away and been replaced by a crisp autumn. Julio hadn't realized that school was an ongoing thing and he still got upset every time the kids ran out the door to meet the bus. Every night after supper, their mother made them sit at the table and do homework when Julio wanted to play before he was put to bed. Galina and Gloria were both working less now that the slow-time had begun for business. They both spent lots of time with Julio during the day at home, but he wanted kids his own age to play with.

"But we get to see your baby brother or sister today!" Galina reminded him. "Isn't that so exciting? I'm so sure it's a girl."

From her recommendation, Gloria had booked an appointment with the obstetrician who delivered all of the babies in this town. Dr. Sophia Burset had gotten on her a little bit for waiting so long without getting prenatal care, but assured her she was carrying a healthy baby that had been measuring on the larger size at every exam they'd gone to so far. Galina had driven her to everyone one and been almost as excited as Gloria was to hear the heartbeat, when Gloria had invited her inside. It was nice to share those moments with somebody who cared and made Gloria feel less alone, knowing she was about to be a single mother to another child. Today she had her big ultrasound. Galina was taking her and then would watch Julio until they could both come in at the end to *hopefully* find out what the gender was.

"You don't know that," Gloria shook her head. "Stop telling him that."

"It could be a girl," Galina replied with a smile. The house was filled with boys and a baby girl would help balance out their ratio a little bit.

"It's a boy," Gloria said confidently, caressing her belly with both hands. She'd never been wrong yet. Her pregnancy with the girls had been completely different from Julio. Perhaps that was just the difference between carrying twins and a single baby, but her prior experiences had her confident that she was having another son. Or maybe it was just wishful thinking…

She hadn't spoken to Arturo again but she hadn't been able to get their conversation out of her mind either. He knew how to hurt her. He didn't need his fists for that. Arturo knew exactly what pained her the most and how to use it to his advantage. Gloria usually blocked them from her mind but her two little girls had been front and center since that night. She thought about them, wondered what they were doing, and wished she'd bothered to pack the album of the photographs of them that Lourdes had mailed her over the years. Isla and Elena were the same age as Nicky. Living with the mouthy adolescent had given Gloria a real insight into what her life could have been like if things had been different. And though she didn't envy what Galina was currently going through with her teenage daughter, watching them made Gloria miss her two oldest babies fiercely.

"I want juice!" Julio announced.

"How do you ask nicely for juice?" Galina raised her eyebrows at him.

Julio sighed and leaned his head back to look up at. "Please," he added reluctantly.

"Okay," Galina nodded, popping a kiss on his forehead. She shifted him out of her lap and set him on the chair while she walked over to the fridge. "You know your aunt called," she said over her shoulder to Gloria.

"I know, you told me," Gloria said flatly.

"No, she phoned again," Galina replied, emerging from the fridge with a carton of orange juice. "She said that you never returned her call."

"She doesn't know when to stop," Gloria sighed.

Thought she'd sounded confident over the phone, the phone call to Arturo had brought up a lot of unresolved issues, namely surrounding her family of origin and her aunt most especially. Lourdes did what she could for her and she'd stood by her niece even when Gloria knew she had to have been pushing ever single button her aunt possessed. Lourdes definitely loved her but she wasn't the only person that Lourdes had to worry about and when push came to shove, Gloria knew she was never going to be the priority.

A teenage pregnancy was hardly an ideal situation but it happened all the time, people made the best of it, and some did a better job than parents much older than them. Gloria never had been given the chance to even try though. Lourdes had told her she wasn't ready and that it wouldn't be fair to the babies. Gloria didn't even want to think about what she would say when she discovered she was pregnant again. Though at twenty-eight she was now in the age-bracket considered acceptable, her situation was hardly ideal and undoubtedly Lourdes would disapprove. Gloria hadn't wanted to tell her about the baby, so she rarely talked to her aunt at all. All she felt was a ferocious, protective, maternal instinct to keep this baby a secret from anyone who would want to take it from her.

"Why haven't you called her?" Galina asked. She set a cup of juice down on the table, in front of Julio.

"I just haven't wanted to talk to her," Gloria shrugged. "What did she say?"

"Just to call her," Galina replied simply.

Gloria sighed and her fingers began to tap nervously on the edge of table. "You didn't tell her anything, right?"

"About the baby?" Galina asked. She shook her head, turning her focus to the stack of breakfast dishes her kids have left before heading to school. "No, why would I? But I don't think you should wait until the baby goes to college."

"I can try," Gloria replied.

Galina didn't press the subject. She switched on the faucet and poured some dish soap into the sink. There was obvious family drama between Gloria and her aunt, but she was hardly in a position to judge. While she and Gloria had shared a lot about themselves in the months they had lived together, Galina had long suspected that there were things Gloria still kept buried inside. Things like why she had chosen to move with her son to a town where she hadn't known a soul, instead of just moving to be with the family who called to check in regularly and would have helped her get on her feet. Arturo was clearly not the only painful part of Gloria's past.

"Good morning," a gentle voice called from the entry.

"We're in here," Gloria called back. She watched Galina pick up a plate and begin to scrub at it like she was mad at it. She kept her back to them and her eyes on the dish she was washing, while Dmitri walked softly into the kitchen.

"Dmitri!" Julio called happily. "I've got orange juice! Do you want orange juice?"

"Maybe later," Dmitri smiled at him. He glanced at Gloria. "How are you feeling?"

"Great," Gloria replied.

Silence resumed. Dmitri glanced warily at Galina's back and then back to the two of the table. He playfully winked and then pretended to tremble dramatically, as thought the prospect of speaking to his wife was really that terrifying.

"Do you know where Nicky's poster for school is?"

"No, should I?" Galina replied gruffly.

"She called me and asked me to pick it up," Dmitri replied. "She said she forgot to bring it to school and it's due today."

"Why would she ask you?" Galina asked sharply. Her hands paused in their scrubbing as she turned to look at his suspiciously.

"I don't know," Dmitri shrugged. "Maybe she didn't want to bother you. So where is it?"

"Hmm…" Galina murmured unintelligibly. Avoiding his gaze, she reached for another dish and began washing it as though he wasn't there. The water splashed up, spraying the front of her sweater and spreading across the counter as she dumped a second plate aggressively into the sink.

"What? Are you jealous that she asked me and not you?" Dmitri asked incredulously.

"Do you even know where the school is?" Galina shot back.

"Yes, I know where the school is," Dmitri snapped. "What sort of-"

"Nicky was working on her poster in the living room last night," Gloria cut in, speaking loudly over him before things could escalate any further. "I bet it's still on the coffee table. If not, check her bedroom."

"Thanks, Gloria," Dmitri replied.

He turned on his heel and Gloria watched him leave before she turned her gaze onto her son. Julio was sitting at the table, eyes wide in alarm, chewing anxiously on the tip of the straw poking out of his sippy cup. He was a sensitive boy. Arguing bothered him. He was prone to even bursts of tears when the older kids got into fights with each other. After what he'd witnessed between his mom and step-dad, it was easy to understand why.

"Baby, why don't you go play with your truck and give us a minute?" Gloria suggested quietly. She stroked his hair back reassuringly and smiled. Julio nodded, slid off his chair and ran out of the room, leaving the two women alone.

Galina still hadn't moved or turned around. She was still at the sink, washing each dish as though she had a personal vendetta against it. Gloria pursed her lips and also got to her feet. She laid her hand on her baby bump as she walked over to stand beside her.

"You need to stop that," Gloria said sternly. "At least in front of Julio. You know that it bothers him…."

Galina's shoulders stiffened defensively. "Why would Nicky ask him to bring her homework to the school when she knew I was home?"

"I don't know, love," Gloria sighed. "Probably because you're busy, he's not, and she didn't want to trouble you…"

"Well, that's new," Galina replied irritably. "I've always been the one to take care of their school, and everything else! Dmitri probably doesn't even know her teacher's name!"

"Well, then maybe she asked him just because she wanted to make you mad," Gloria said impatiently. "Is it working?"

"You know, that's probably it," Galina said stiffly. "That girl has been doing everything she can to disrespect and disobey me since we separated. She blames me. She acts like I kicked him out of this house. The boys aren't much better."

"You've got to give them time," Gloria said, squeezing her shoulder encouragingly. "This is hard on them too."

"Well, they're taking it out on the wrong person then," Galina said sadly. "I never wanted any of this to happen…"

The past few months had been difficult, to say the least. Dmitri and Galina rarely spent much time with one another in the first place, so it was surprising how much a formal separation could change things. Meals together and Dmitri coming around whenever he felt like it almost never happened now. Money was tighter and sometimes Galina had an empty nest when all her kids decided to stay over with Dmitri. He had less rules, lower expectations, and seemed to have won over their favour since being regarded as the parent who had wanted to try and fix things. He seemed to be upping his game, spending more quality time with each of them, and his wife, who had always been the center and heart of the family, was suddenly cast to the side.

"I know," Gloria said gently. She wrapped her arm around her friend in a loose hug, resting her head momentarily on her shoulder.

"But being a bitch every time you see him isn't going to help anything, you know?" Gloria whispered in her ear. "And it upsets my son. So, knock it off. I don't want to have to look for a new place to live."

"You can't," Galina replied, blinking a few times rapidly to lock away any moisture. "Dmitri stopped helping to pay any of the bills. I need the money."

"I thought you just liked my company?" Gloria teased. She released her and then picked up a towel so that she could begin drying and putting away the washed dishes.

"That too."

"Well, then, behave yourself," Gloria smiled.

"It's not there!" Dmitri exclaimed dramatically, coming back into the kitchen.

"I'll get it," Galina sighed. She wiped her Sudsy hands on the front of her skirt and then scooted around him, avoiding eye contact. She checked the living room first and spotted Nicky's project on the Circulatory system immediately. The poster had slid underneath the coffee table.

Galina picked it up. Nicky had been working on this all yesterday evening and aside from one spelling error that stood out on the blue Bristol board, her mother thought it looked wonderful and would earn her a good grade. Nicky's best always came out during the presentation competent of any assignment. Unlike her brothers who could be shy in front of an audience, Nicky knew how to engage an audience.

Thinking about her daughter made Galina want to sink down on the couch and cry. Things had been strained lately. Not much had changed and yet everything was different. She didn't want this: for herself or her children but she also found herself powerless to stop it. Dmitri hadn't expressed any change of heart when she'd gone to him the very next day after their failed date and begged him to try again. Dmitri was convinced they'd all be better off once they got used to the idea, which was the opposite impression Galina had gotten from her children. She was miserable, they were insecure, and Dmitri acted like he had just been set free from a prison of his own making. She couldn't change his mind, because she wasn't able to change who she was. Nobody wanted to give her credit for trying, they just wanted to blame her for her inadequacies.

"I found it," Galina announced, holding up the poster as she walked into the kitchen. Dmitri was sitting at the table by himself. No coffee or a helping from breakfast. Though nothing had been signed in a court of law he already acted like the place was only hers. He didn't take things without permission, had moved his own stuff out, and wanted her to buy him out of his share which she didn't think she could afford.

"Where's Gloria?" she asked. Setting Nicky's poster down on the table in front of him.

"She went to get Julio dressed," Dmitri replied. He tapped the poster with his finger. "Nicky drew that diagram? It's pretty good."

"She's a smart girl," Galina agreed quietly.

"Well, I guess I better be getting that to her then," Dmitri said. He picked up the poster and got to his feet. "Thanks for finding it."

"Dmitri, we need to talk," Galina said. She ignored the annoyed look on his face and followed behind her husband as he headed for the door. "You've been avoiding me."

"We're separated," Dmitri reminded her. He sat down on the stairs so that he could begin to put his shoes on. "I don't have to talk to you if I don't want to. Besides, I thought I was doing you a favour."

"A favour?" Galina crossed her arms over her chest. "You know that I never wanted this to happen."

"Well, you weren't happy with the way things were," Dmitri replied. "Nobody was. I thought we were doing the right thing staying together just for the kids but they don't need two parents together, they need two parents who are happy. This is good for them too."

"If it's so good for them then why is Nicky treating me like I've suddenly caught the plague?" Galina asked.

"Because she is a teenager and all teenage girls fight with their mothers," Dmitri said dismissively. "That would have happened either way."

"Hmm..."

"What I'm figuring out is how to be a parent to them on my own," Dmitri said. He smiled, looking proud and excited. "I can't just hide behind you anymore and expect you to handle everything. When they're staying with me, I'm involved in everything now and I think that's making us closer. They like being with me."

"You can be with them here," Galina argued. "We could be doing things together with them as a family. Let's just try. I'll do whatever you want…"

Her voice trailed off as Dmitri began automatically shaking his head. He wasn't even going to hear her out. He had no interest in resolve. His mind had been made up in that hotel room when he decided he wasn't going to take being rejected like that ever again. He was completely done and already taking steps to build a new and better life for himself.

"It's too late," Dmitri shook his head. He finished tying his shoes, trying to ignore the eyes he could feel piercing into him. He stood up and walked over to the door, where was Galina was standing, partially blocking his passage.

"It's not too late," she argued. "It's not over until we say it's over."

"And that's what I'm saying," he said, exhaling a deep breath of exasperation. He smoothed down the front of Nicky's poster, while he waited for her to get out of the way.

"Dmitri-"

"Galina, I'm seeing someone," he blurted out. He hadn't planned to. He hadn't even told his children about this woman yet. She'd been his secret and he had been enjoying the peace and easiness of their relationship. However, it felt good to share the news now. She was going to find out about her eventually anyway.

Galina's mouth gaped open and her pale skin turned even whiter.

"Already?" she blinked at him in confusion.

"Yes," Dmitri nodded. "And it is getting pretty serious. I think I would like to introduce the kids to her soon."

"No, that is not happening," Galina said. She brought her hand up to her mouth and bit down on her knuckles anxiously.

"You don't get to decide that," Dmitri reminded her in Russian. "Can I go now? Nicky needs her project, and you're blocking my way…"

Galina stepped back from the door and Dmitri opened it and walked out without speaking another word.

XXX

She wanted to die but she also had things to do. Completely unaware of what had just transpired, Gloria and Julio had come down the stairs together hand in hand. They had the sonogram to get to, which suddenly seemed far less exciting to Galina than it had when she had woken up that morning. She really didn't feel like going but she would never leave anybody in a lurch by failing to do as she'd promised. She buckled Julio into his car seat for Gloria and then played the radio while they drove because she didn't feel like talking.

"Do you think you could handle the dinner shift yourself?" Galina asked, as she pulled into a spot outside of the Tavern. "I can come if you need me, but I don't think it will be that busy, and I'd like to get some rest."

"Go home," Gloria urged, unclicking her seatbelt. "I feel bad enough making you drive me to that appointment."

"Don't feel bad, I offered."

"Yeah, but that was before you knew what sort of morning you were going to have," Gloria said, with a sympathetic smile.

Gloria had heard about everything Dmitri had said that morning. Once Galina had started sharing, she couldn't stop talking. She was angry, speaking fast and shakily. Beneath her fury though, was considerable pain and Gloria's heart ached for that. Somebody always lost in a divorce and it was sad to see her so broken down about her family's situation. The only thing she could real do was get used to it.

"Honestly, I think the distraction did me good."

"Well, that's something," Gloria said softly.

"Do you want me to take Julio home with me?" Galina offered half-heartedly.

Gloria shook her head. "That wouldn't be very restful," she smiled. "Besides, Nicky and Lorna said they'd come pick him up and take him to the park while I work. Until then, he can watch a movie." They had set up a DVD and TV for him in the office. It was what they had done with their kids when they'd been small and hanging around the restaurant too.

Gloria said goodbye and unloaded Julio out of the car, sending Galina off for some much-needed time alone. Although she hadn't said it, Gloria strongly suspected she just didn't want to have to come in and face Dmitri. It had to be horrible to work with your husband every single day, when you were on the path to divorce, and he had just announced he was in a 'serious' relationship with another woman.

"Gloria, you're glowing!" Sister Ingalls smiled in welcome as Gloria walked into the restaurant. Sister was drinking tea, while a surly looking Daya sat across from her with a baby bump much bigger than Gloria's. "Hi Julio, you look handsome as ever."

"Say thank you," Gloria nudged her son, who hid shyly behind her legs. "Hi, Daya."

"Hey," Daya said gloomily.

With still a few minutes before her shift, Gloria sat down at the table to join them. "Mommy, can I go watch 'Lion King'?" Julio asked, tugging on the hem of her dress as he crouched underneath the table.

"Umm…"

"I'll put it on for him," Dmitri announced, walking over to the table. "I thought Toy Story was your favourite though?"

"Nooo," Julio shook his head, climbing out from under the table and scurrying over to him. "Today I like Lion King." They'd settled into a routine and he always watched a movie while he waited for one of the girls to stop by after school and babysit for a couple hours.

"How did the Sonogram go?" Dmitri asked Gloria curiously.

"Oh, you had your sonogram?" Sister smiled. "Did you find out what you're having?"

"No," Gloria sighed. She reached into her handbag and pulled out the pictures they had given her at the appointment. "Baby would no cooperate. I wanted to know, but I think I'm having a boy."

"I think I'm having a girl," Daya said, "but I decided to wait and be surprised."

"You're going to be in enough shock from them just handing you a baby," Aleida said negatively, walking out from around the bar. "Do you really think the gender is going to make much of a difference?"

Gloria watched Daya sink back into her chair looking deflated and no longer happy to share her pictures. She clenched her jaw and bit back the urge to say anything, catching Sister's eye as she did the same. Aleida was getting to spend more and more time with her daughter. They were working to transition Daya slowly back into the home but had put a hold on the younger children until they saw how Aleida would cope with her daughter and granddaughter. Aleida was frustrated. She'd done everything they had asked for and still didn't have her kids back. She had thought they would all be home in their beds before the start of school, but they were all still scattered through different foster homes. She was tired of jumping through hoops and blames Daya's pregnancy for being another contention social services wanted to hold against her.

"Are you finished work now, Aleida?" Sister asked politely. She took a final sip from her tea and then stood up. "I think I'm going to take a walk and then go buy some groceries. Give you two some time alone together." She squeezed Daya's arm encouragingly.

Sister wasn't obliged to grant Aleida these additional visitations but they thought they would be in Daya's best interest. Mother and Daughter, though they loved one another very much, they also could be like fire and ice. Sister worried about Daya going back into that home full time, terrified that her self-esteem would take a dramatic hit, and that she wouldn't get the support she needed following the birth of the baby. Yet, she needed to have faith. She was doing all she could to help and continuously reminded Daya that her door would always be open to her. She didn't need to be her foster child for that.

XXX

The restaurant wasn't busy and Gloria was fine to do this shift on her own without any help, of which Dmitri probably wouldn't have been, even if she had needed him. He spent most of the evening on his phone, talking quietly into it in the corner. Gloria didn't even need to hassar a guess as to whom he was speaking and just decided to do what she had resolved to do all along, and that was to stay out of it. At least the mystery woman didn't appear to be anyone local.

"I'm home," Gloria called, loving the way the word rolled off her tongue. She set her shoes on the mat neatly and then walked into the living room. It was approaching eight, Nicky and Maxim were lying on the couch together watching television.

"Where's Julio?"

"Ma, put him to bed already," Nicky replied. "He was falling asleep sitting up down here. I think she still read him like a million stories first though."

"That's good," Gloria smiled. "Where is she?"

"Laundry?" Nicky shrugged.

Gloria walked out of the living room and through the kitchen where Yuri and Vasily sat at the table doing homework. The laundry room was just off of the kitchen. It was a small room that seemed even smaller when Galina hung all the clothes from a rope across the ceiling to dry when it was too cold outside. Gloria pushed through the maze of clothes to reach the washing machine against the wall.

"Found you," she smiled, tugging Galina's elbow playfully. "What are you reading?

"It was in Nicky's jean pocket," Galina said quietly, holding up the crumpled piece of lined paper. "She never checks her pockets before throwing things in the laundry."

"What is it?" asked Gloria.

"It's a love note to Lorna," Galina replied, holding it out.

"Hmm," Gloria murmured, taking the note and just scanning the first few lines before handing it back. She didn't want to invade Nicky's privacy. "Well, that explains a lot."