It was a rare thing, but both Sharon and Andy found themselves off for the 4th of July. Over the last few days, they had both been busy, Andy's bar scene now just over a week ago. It was now the evening of July 3rd, and for the first time in a couple days, Andy and Sharon were also both at the house. The housing situation had been working out rather well. With Andy's busy schedule, juggling two jobs, he was rarely around, and Sharon wasn't home much either between work and juggling the kids' needs. Now, as Sharon was cleaning out her freezer, Andy wandered out of his room, running his hands through his hair as he walked into the kitchen.

"Hey," he said in a cheerful tone. "Thought I heard someone out here."

"Hmm, someone?" Sharon said, almost teasing. She had the contents of the freezer spread out over the counter as she continued to pull out and clean out the freezer. She had the trash can near to discard unwanted items. "Right, because Emily would be in here."

"Don't act surprised," Andy pointed his finger at her as he walked to the sink area. He pulled a glass from the cupboard and filled it with water. When he turned around, Sharon was still standing there, giving him an odd look. "I may have bought some popsicles last week and caught her getting one from the freezer."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Sharon covered her mouth as she spoke. "I'll speak to her again about eating your food."

Andy laughed as he walked over to the kitchen table to sit down and waved his hand in the air, "Sharon, no, I mean, I bought the popsicles for Emily. I just meant that I caught her in the freezer. She had pulled a chair over to open it." Sharon turned to her freezer like it was the first time she was seeing it, her old refrigerator and freezer combination. She turned back to Andy, horrified, realizing that to access the top freezer, Emily had done exactly what Andy described.

"She was on a chair in the freezer?" Sharon frowned.

"Hey, sorry I didn't mention it, just helped her down and DID NOT," he emphasized and smiled, "give her a popsicle. You were in the back, I think changing Ricky. I was just coming out here to get something to drink," he said holding up his glass, "like now and found the freezer bandit."

"Okay," she said, a bit breathless as she waved it off. "I guess I sometimes forget Emily is growing up. It's not that I want her in the freezer, but she is getting bigger and understanding more. Thank you for not giving in and giving her a treat."

"No problem," he said quietly as he sipped his water. "I just did what I would have done for my own kids. I don't think she threw a fit or anything because she knew she wasn't supposed to be in there anyways."

Sharon nodded and looked to the floor. She leaned back against the counter, the freezer still open. She cleared her throat, "I know it's hard to be around my kids when you can't see your own."

"I'm dealing with it, one day at a time," Andy said casually. "So?" Andy nodded to her, and that had Sharon look up when she heard him as a question. She gave him a puzzled look.

"So?" Sharon repeated back to him.

"Are you a freezer bandit?" Andy winked, changing the direction of the conversation and easing the tension. Sharon started to laugh and shook her head.

"Hmm, no, I'm just cleaning out and to be honest, trying to find something to thaw for the 4th of July tomorrow. For once, I have the day off, and while Emily is perfectly content eating a hotdog-not that they aren't delicious-for my rare day off, I was hoping to find a steak or something to maybe splurge on for the day. As you know, we don't get paid until the 15th again, and I'm tight on my budget. Emily started that new ballet class, and I guess, I just need to sit down and do my budget again. Ricky's diapers are eating up more and more of my grocery bill," she sighed and rolled her eyes. "Sorry, you have your own problems."

"No, no," he waved. "Believe me, I get it. I don't have the exact same money problems, but I hear you."

"Anyway," Sharon sighed and gestured to the freezer. "It needs to be cleaned out. I didn't touch your things, only to put them there on the counter," she gestured, "so I can wipe down the freezer."

Andy just nodded, "I'm off tomorrow too."

Sharon, who had turned back to work, turned to Andy, "Really? How did we not realize that? Do you have plans? Oh, is Provenza coming here?"

"Nah," he waved. "Provenza is back from his honeymoon," he said, rolling his eyes. "He invited me over, but to be honest, he and Sharon are going to be all over each other. It's rather disgusting the two of them, and from what he said, his kids are going to be there too. He has teenagers and one in college. I'd rather just let them be. I have no plans."

Sharon held up a frozen package, almost unrecognizable, "I found this. It's not steak, but pork chops. I have no idea how old it is, but I cannot remember buying it," she chuckled. "Care to live on the edge with me? I'm not afraid of a little freezer burn."

Andy grinned, "I'll try it. Worst case, we eat hotdogs with Munchkin, right?"

"I can live with that," Sharon nodded. "I'll defrost the pork chops and evaluate how they look. So, I guess I'm asking if you would like to eat with the kids and me?"

"Great," Andy knocked his knuckle on the table. "I was going to cut the grass in the morning. I also thought I would clean out your gutters."

"Clean the gutters?" Sharon made a face.

"Have you looked at them recently? They need cleaning, all the old trees around here. When was the last time they were cleaned?" Andy asked.

"I haven't gotten to them, but I also didn't realize they looked that bad," she admitted.

Andy just shrugged, "Hey, I have to tell you it amazes me how much you do handle. You have more than a full-time job at the station. The idiots, myself included," he pointed to himself, "keep you going 24/7. If that's not enough, you are a supermom at home, taking care of two babies. You run this house like a pro, and if getting to the yard work doesn't happen easily, well, I'm happy to help. I don't think I've seen a cleaner house on the inside, just FYI."

Sharon rolled her eyes as she continued to put the freezer contents away, "You have been spending too much time with Provenza. That's why this house looks clean. You told me he's a mess."

"Sharon will clean him up-must be the name," he winked. He sipped again on his water, and Sharon held up a carton of ice cream.

"I forgot I had this. Would you like to share?" Sharon asked. Andy glanced at the clock, and Sharon rolled her eyes, "Right, it's almost 11."

"I have no problem with late night snacks," he chuckled and gestured for her to join him at the table. Sharon grinned and retrieved two spoons before she sat down across from him before opening the ice cream. "I should have asked the flavor."

"Mint chocolate chip," she said as she opened the container, "my favorite."

"Ahh," he nodded. "It's a classic, Nicole's favorite too."

The two settled into a silence while they both ate right from the container. It felt good to both to sit and just relax, to be, to have someone around to talk to about anything and everything. Finally, Sharon broke the silence again.

"Look, I know we discussed it at the bar, but I would like to try and help you with your kids, to at least get visitation here."

Andy nodded, digging around for another scoop of ice cream. He looked up at her, "Thanks, I, ahh, umm, mentioned it to my lawyer this week. If there's one thing I've learned about you, it's that you are a woman of your word."

"So?" Sharon nodded at him.

"So," Andy said, drawing out the word, "my lawyer thinks it will help, a lot, probably. I didn't know how to bring up the topic again with you, and I didn't want to overstep your hospitality."

"Oh," Sharon sat up, now focused and on a mission, "it's no trouble. I'm happy to do whatever is needed, a statement, even to testify in family court. Look, I see you want to be around your kids, and I want that for your family. I know what an absent parent looks like, and Jack has no interest in being anywhere near my kids."

Andy sighed and looked down, "My," he said quietly. "I picked up on that. Yeah, at some point, the kids cease to be 'our' kids with our spouse or ex-spouse, don't they, I mean, on some level. They stay 'our' kids if the parents can share and want to share, but at some point, especially with you, Jack left, and you are raising your kids. Sorry, just reflecting on things and picking at words. It's silly."

"No," Sharon said, with a bite of ice cream in her mouth, "I see what you are saying. I did say the kids were my kids, but yes, I feel Jack has abandoned them and lost any interest in the family he helped to create. My kids and I will be fine," she said with a smile.

"I have no doubt you will be," he winked at her. "Of course, the questionable pork chops will be what ultimately do you in," he said as he started to laugh. Both started to laugh. "You like corn?"

Sharon gave him an odd look, but she nodded, "Yes, I like corn. Don't most people?"

"I'll pick up some corn on the cob for the 4th," he waved. "I have to go out in the morning anyway to get gas for the lawn mower. I'll stop and get corn. What about tomatoes? Watermelon? There's a small fruit stand just a couple blocks over where I get gas. It's a good workout to walk there, and I'll pick up a few things."

"I'm not picky," Sharon smiled. "That all sounds delicious. I'm actually getting excited about the meal. You're welcome to use my car in the morning; I'll be here."

"Great," he nodded. "Me too. I am in a much better place this year for the 4th, even if I did almost relapse the other night."

"But," Sharon pointed at him, "you didn't."

"Nah, but I found that girl," he dropped his head. "I knew better, and I started to slide that night."

"Let's get back to your kids because we've already been down the bar scene road. You came home, and the next day was a new day. Each day is a new day, and you are doing well." Sharon gave him a small smile, "Don't beat yourself up over that evening. You recognized that messing around with a bridesmaid on the beach wasn't a good idea. Granted," she nodded, "might have been a good thing to realize before you took her down to the beach," she said, eyeing him and biting her lip, "but I'm guessing that won't happen again?"

"Learned my lesson," he waved his hands. "I'll probably see her sometime or another since she's a friend of Sharon Provenza now, but whatever," he waved.

"The kids," Sharon nodded at Andy.

"Right," Andy looked back at her, "so, if it's okay with you, I'll put you in touch with my lawyer after the holiday tomorrow. He'd like to speak to you and get this ball rolling. He was hopeful that before the end of July I might be able to have a home visit with my kids, here," he nodded his head, "in your home."

"Wonderful," Sharon said. She handed the ice cream to Andy, "You can finish. That's great news."

"You eat it," Andy pushed it back to her. "Thanks for the treat. I rarely just do anything like this. This has been enjoyable, sitting around the kitchen table just talking and eating.

Sharon stood and waved her hands at the ice cream, "That's the last thing I need to eat. Ricky is almost one; he turns one in two days, and I feel like I'm still carrying way too much Ricky weight on me," she sighed. "Don't get me started on the unfairness there, that most guys proudly boast about their baby boy, but it's the mother left dealing with the new normal of her weight and everything else."

"Sharon," he said, scraping the last bit out of the ice cream container, "you have nothing to worry about, trust me. Besides, I've seen you around here eating; you eat like a bird, barely anything, and you work like crazy. You're a great mom, a great person, and you look great, especially considering you have small kids. Any guy is lucky to get you."

"Hmm," she said, not looking at him, but at the freezer, "that is not on my radar, dating, at least. I grew up with the fairy tale I'd get married, have kids, and live happily ever after. I've just had to shift that. I got the kids out of it," she smiled to herself as she paused to think about it. "I can't deny I would enjoy being married, but at the same time, I almost don't know what to expect. I thought marriage was very different from the reality I saw. I'm still a bit old-fashioned like that, my Catholic upbringing, and yes, my parents have trouble seeing me take on everything alone. I know they wish it turned out differently for me, but I have a couple of jobs now and no interest or time for dating. I need to work to provide, and even more important to me than that, I need to raise my kids."

"Can't argue with that," Andy said as he stood and threw out the empty container. "Watching my life blow up and then seeing Provenza with his marriages, I've decided some guys don't need to be married. I'm one of them, especially with my baggage and mess. I need to focus on my sobriety, and yeah," he rolled his eyes, "dating between my two jobs and trying to see my kids- no thanks."

"How did you manage to get time off from your security job?" Sharon asked, eyeing him.

"Overtime," he explained. "I mean, they offer time and a half for holidays, so all the regular guys snatched up the holidays. It's fine," he waved.

Sharon nodded and closed the freezer. She turned to face him and laughed. He gave her an odd look, and she nodded to him, "We are both wearing LAPD sweats and t-shirts; we match."

He looked down and started to turn red, blushing, and when his eyes met hers, he shrugged, "Hey, inexpensive clothing when things are tight, right?" Andy winked and pushed off the counter. "I'm going to get a shower and head to bed. You okay here?"

Sharon hummed and nodded, "Doing well, yes. I am looking forward to tomorrow as well. Andy," she asked as he started to walk down the hall. "Do you like peach cobbler?"

His eyes lit up, "You're joking, right?" She shook her head, and he explained, "As a kid, I always asked for that on my birthday. Every single year I can remember from when I was little. Forget the cake-I wanted peach cobbler."

"Really?" Sharon smiled. "That's such an odd choice for a kid."
"Not if you had my ma's peach cobbler," he said, clutching his heart. "Amazing."

"Hmm, now I'm wishing I hadn't suggested it. I cannot compare to your mother's dish; I know that," she said with a small smile.

"Trust me," he grinned, "it sounds amazing. I can't remember the last time I had it."

"I'll make it then," she said with a single nod. "Oh, when is your birthday? I'm sure I could dig in your file, but that seems ridiculous and intrusive."

"August 5th," he said with a small smile. "I was still in rehab for it last year, just a week before I got out. Looking forward to a different birthday this year, even if I'm working both jobs, which I am."

"Ahh, just as I'm looking forward to a different 4th of July without being stuck in a labor and delivery room," Sharon rolled her eyes. "To fresh starts."

"We can toast to that tomorrow with the cobbler," he winked. "I'm assuming you need peaches?"

"Yes, but-" she said.

He waved her off, "I'll pick them up tomorrow morning, especially if you are lending me your car to run the errands. Least I can do is get the peaches. See you tomorrow, Sharon."

"Night, Andy," she said with a small wave.

"Oh, Sharon," he popped his head back in the door, "when is your birthday?"

Sharon blushed, "Oh, ahh, no one has asked me that in a long time, except Emily," she smiled. "It's December 26."

Andy raised his eyebrows, "Your birthday is the day after Christmas?"

"Yes," she said biting her lip. "I love Christmas. I really don't like sharing my birthday with it. My parents always lumped my gifts, and I could never have a party. I was always told the holidays were for families, and my parents told me that I couldn't bother my friends over the holidays."

"Wow, okay," he chuckled. "Sorry about that. So, Ricky is July 5th, the day after a holiday, and you're the same way?"

"Yes, but as Ricky gets older and wants a party, I'll definitely make it happen," Sharon said quietly. "This year, I was going to make him a simple cake; he's one, and he won't remember, but in the future-" she drifted off and didn't finish her sentence.

Andy nodded, "I get it. Well, night, Sharon."

"Night," she said, and with that, she turned to finish in the kitchen for the night.